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It was a spectacular launch on November 21, when the Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite was lifted into space on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. After taking care of the Earth observation spacecraft during its first critical days and finding it at home in its new environment, ESA is ready to hand over control to Eumetsat.
About an hour after a flawless launch, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich Earth separated from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and was flying solo for the first time.
Soon after, ESA’s mission control in Germany received the first signals from the fledgling mission. This vital moment, the “signal acquisition”, is what the teams were waiting for, because it meant they could lock onto the satellite with ground stations around the world and receive its “telemetry,” data that provides information on the health of the mission.
Of course, mission control is a two-way conversation. We receive information about the spacecraft and all the observation data it has collected in the signals it transmits to Earth, but we also talk to it, sending commands. Once the teams from ESA’s ESOC Operations Center had sent the first commands, it was time to declare “we have a mission!”.
“He’s always tense in the moments before he catches the first signal, until then, it’s too early to celebrate because we haven’t taken over yet,” explains Jose Morales, head of Earth observation missions at ESA.
“Once our screens lit up green, we knew Sentinel-6 was in our hands and that’s when the real work began preparing the spacecraft for an important life in space.”
In the days following the launch, known as the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP), the flight control team at the Agency’s operations center meticulously took care of the new Sentinel. These first few days have been accompanied by many challenges, as the new spacecraft started using its solar panels for power, woke up to test its main operation, and performed two maneuvers to start its drift towards its final operational orbit, all the while most vulnerable to space hazards.
Now that LEOP is complete, ESA’s mission control team is handing over command and control of the satellite to Eumetsat, the European organization of weather and climate satellites, which will complete the final orbit acquisition and will assume responsibility for commissioning, routine operations and distribution of vital mission data.
“The critical launch and initial orbit phase went well and is now complete, and we are thrilled to pass this mission on to our friends at Eumetsat, who will distribute their data on Earth’s changing oceans,” explains Simon Plum, Chief of Operations ESA mission.
“I am particularly proud of the dedication shown by everyone involved in all phases of this important mission. Their commitment has gone beyond expectations and truly demonstrates how seriously they take their roles.”
“It is a testament to the hard work and experience of our teams at ESOC as they continue to safely carry out some of the toughest jobs in space in the midst of a global pandemic.”
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20 years of Earth observation from the International Space Station
Greenbelt MD (SPX) November 20, 2020
After 20 years of continuous human presence, the International Space Station (ISS) provided 241 visitors with an extraordinary view of the Earth from space, which they shared with the rest of the world. Astronaut photography, formally called Crew Earth Observations (CEO), has produced over 3.5 million photographs of the ever-changing blue planet. But camera-wielding astronauts aren’t the only ones watching Earth from their perch in the sky. An impressive suite of Earth Sc … Read more
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