Europe opens its deep space link
14:05 06 March 03
The European Space Agency's first deep space listening post was
opened in Western Australia on Wednesday, providing a crucial
communications link to remote parts of the Solar System.
ESA already has a number of ground stations around the world capable
of contacting spacecraft that are relatively close to Earth. But the
new antenna will provide a link to spacecraft up to 900 million
kilometres away, well past the orbit of Jupiter. This capability will
be crucial for keeping in touch with a number of planned European
missions into deep space.
"The main gain for Europe is that the new ground station means that
we are less dependent on support from NASA's Deep Space Network,"
says Peter Barratt of the UK's Particle Physics and Astronomy
Research Council. "Priority for ESA missions cannot always be
guaranteed using the NASA system."
ESA also has to pay for use of the NASA network, although Barratt
told New Scientist that it is not yet clear whether running its own
antenna system will reduce costs. The new Australian antenna, sited
150 kilometres north of Perth, cost 28 million Euro to build.
Communication crunch
Weight and power constraints make it difficult for spacecraft in deep
space to send a strong signal back to Earth. This means sensitive
antennae are needed to receive the data.
Many ESA and NASA missions are planned for deep space in the next
decade, making the new antenna vital if a communication crunch is to
be avoided.
The first of the ESA missions, Mars Express, will launch in June 2003
carrying an orbital craft and the British lander Beagle 2. The
Rosetta spacecraft, which is expected to launch before the end of
2005, will then travel to beyond the orbit of Jupiter to attempt to
land on the surface of a comet for the first time.
Venus Express, scheduled for launch in 2005, aims to study the
planet's atmosphere and subsurface.
Bandwidth download
Chris Lee, part of the team at Imperial College London behind
Rosetta's plasma instrument, told New Scientist: "The more spacecraft
that go up, the more bandwidth and places around the world to
download stuff we need."
The 630-tonne antenna is 40 metres tall and holds a dish 35 metres
across. The dish can be swivelled into the right orientation and will
be controlled remotely from ESA's European Space Operations Centre in
Darmstadt, Germany, and the Perth International Telecommunications
Centre in Gnangara, Australia.
The antenna is capable of transmitting and receiving standard 2 GHz
and 8 GHz frequency communications. It also has the capacity to
operate at the 32 GHz frequency, which is proposed for future
missions into deep space.
ESA plans to build a second deep space antenna at a European latitude
sometime in the future.
Europe's first deep space ground station opens in Western Australia
Date: Thursday, March 06, 2003 @ 9:59 AM PST
Topic: Space
The inauguration ceremony for the European Space Agency's first deep
space ground station was held today in New Norcia, 150km north of
Perth. The completion of the New Norcia facility, its first deep
space ground station, is an important event for ESA. The station will
play a major role in the Agency's deep space missions, including
Rosetta and Mars Express, the latter expected to launch in May this
year. The key component of the ground station is its massive antenna
which weighs over 600 tonnes and is over 40 metres high. It can move
540 tonnes of ballast, cantilever and 35 metre dish while maintaining
precision accuracy of its beam.
>From the European Space Agency:
ESA's first deep space ground station opens in Western Australia
5 March 2003
ESA PR 14-2003. The inauguration ceremony for the European Space
Agency's first deep space ground station was held today in New
Norcia, 150km north of Perth.
The completion of the New Norcia facility, its first deep space
ground station, is an important event for ESA. The station will play
a major role in the Agency's deep space missions, including Rosetta
and Mars Express, the latter expected to launch in May this year.
The key component of the ground station is its massive antenna which
weighs over 600 tonnes and is over 40 metres high. It can move 540
tonnes of ballast, cantilever and 35 metre dish while maintaining
precision accuracy of its beam.
New Norcia is the first of a series deep space ground stations that
ESA intends to build around the world over the coming years to make
up a European deep space network.
Construction of the EUR 28 million project began in April 2000. The
last six months of 2002 were devoted to testing the electronic and
communication equipment. After an initial manned period, the station
will be controlled remotely from ESA's European Space Operations
Centre in Darmstadt (Germany) and the Perth International
Telecommunications Centre at Gnangara.
Professor David Southwood, ESA Director of Science, said New Norcia
was chosen over a number of sites in the southern hemisphere.
"This site has excellent weather conditions, sits on the perfect
latitude for deep space operations and is sufficiently distant from
urban areas so that no other transmission devices disturb the
satellite's transmissions," he said.
"Western Australia also has high quality telecommunications
infrastructure and we are working closely with Xantic because of its
experience in the maintenance and operation of tracking stations.
"Working with Australians on this project has been a very satisfying
experience. The local contractors worked with the support of
international satellite construction specialists and performed very
well. Many of the team currently operating the antenna are also
Australian and have returned from overseas positions in the
industry."
The Premier of Western Australia, the Hon Dr Geoff Gallop, officially
'switched on' the deep space ground station.
For more information, please contact:
Jocelyne Landeau-Constantin
ESA/ESOC
Tel: +49(0)6151.90.2696
Fax: +49(0)6151.90.2961
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