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Paris, Aug 23 (EFE) .- The two satellites of Europe’s Galileo navigation system launched yesterday with a Soyuz rocket presented an anomaly in the orbit with implications yet to be determined for their mission, today announced the European Space Agency (ESA).
Arianespace, responsible for the launch and in-orbit satellites, acknowledged in a statement early this morning that the “additional comments collected after separation” Soyuz “bring out a difference between the expected and achieved orbit” for Galileo FOC M1.
The European consortium rocket had been brought hours before 3 hours and 47 minutes after liftoff the shuttle base in Kourou (in Guyana French ) at 12.27 GMT, satellites had entered its orbit and everything had gone according to what scheduled.
The ESA, in a separate statement, said that in view of the anomaly observed last night, teams of industrial and agencies involved “investigate the potential implications for the mission.”
insisted that both satellites are controlled safely by its hub Darmstadt Germany , and there will be information about his condition “after Preliminary analysis of the situation. “
A spokesman for Arianespace said Efe that are” in a lower orbit of the planned “and, when asked about whether this reflected a lack of power problem shuttle, he denied
The spokesman, pending further explanations to be offered at the end of an extraordinary analyst meeting to be held today in Kourou, simply provide a comparison. “is like if a plane were to land in Paris and landed in London. “
ESA astronaut Jean-François Clervoy, in an interview with the radio station” France Info “shuffled two possibilities as the source of the problem: . failure rocket propulsion or your navigation system, satellite not launched at the right time
Clervoy said it’s a type of incidents that occur, “We have had similar problems in the past. In all cases, this does not change the navigation function “, since that function is regulated from the precise location of the satellite and its adjustment is a matter of” days, weeks or months. “
With a weight of 714.3 and 715.3 kilos, respectively, and each four atomic clocks, the most accurate among those sent to space, are the first two operational Galileo satellites device, which is in addition to four experimental put into orbit in 2011 and 2012.
They should have been put into orbit last year, but has suffered numerous delays postponed the operation the program so far. And current anomalies could postpone their entry into service from the autumn, as anticipated.
The final constellation of the European satellite navigation system that comprise 24, according to the ESA program, should be ready in 2017 and that
will join six other parts. For that to happen, four Soyuz rockets were launch two satellites each in the coming months. In addition, from 2015, three rockets Ariane-5 launch should take care of four satellites each.
European (CE) Committee has invested 13,000 million in Galileo (devised in 1998 but has since suffered delays and cost overruns), although part of that budget rests with the predecessor Egnoss, which entered service in 2009 and improves the accuracy of GPS.
With this strategic investment, Europe aims to acquire own a navigation system that allows a signal for civilian use more accurate than that provided by the American GPS (with a description of a meter, instead of five .)
For the average user who uses the free services that will not have many consequences, beyond a better signal in shaded areas.
But with Galileo intended to give rise to new business applications that need higher accuracy (as the positioning of planes, trains or automobiles automatic driving) and that payment be open to the prospect for return on investment.
(Reuters)
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