Swarm launch: latest from Plesetsk
Date: Thu, Nov 21, 2013 | 11:30 - 12:00 GMT | 12:30 - 13:00 CET
Type: ESA TV News
Format: 16:9
ESA’s SWARM mission to study the Earth’s magnetic field is on its launch pad, ready to go.
Lift off is currently scheduled this 22 November on top of a Rokot launcher from Plesetsk in Northern Russia. Rokot is a former ballistic missile refurbished for satellite launches and commercialised by the Eurockot consortium.
Swarm is a constellation of 3 satellites flying in formation to measure the magnetic field from the centre of the Earth to the outermost reaches of the magnetosphere – the protective bubble that shields us from dangerous solar particles and radiation. The results from this new ESA Earth Explorer mission will be used to predict the effects of solar activity and investigate why the Earth’s magnetic field is weakening.
This video will show images from the launch campaign in Plesetsk, with preparation of Swarm and latest images from the Rokot launch pad in the Russian Cosmodrome with the three satellites encapsulated under the fairing and mated on the launcher.
It will include interview with ESA Swarm Launch Campaign Manager Bruno Bergaglio in English, Italian and French.
ESA TV will also send new images of the town of Mirniy, home base for the employees of the Plesetsk military base.
This feed will also serve as a test for the live transmission of the launch.
As soon as possible after transmission highlights will be posted on the ESATV ftp server:
Server: tvdownload.esa.int
Login: esa
Password: ftp4esa
More information at: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/The_Living_Planet_Programme/Earth_Explorers/Swarm
Satellite Parameters:
Eutelsat 10A (ex W2A) @ 10degE
Transponder B5 Channel C 9MHz
D/link freq: 11144.83 Polarisation X/horizontal
Signal: HD 1080i/50 MPEG2 4:2:0 clear, SR = 7.200 Ms/s, FEC = 3/4
Modulation: DVBS2/8PSK, audio PIDs open/mono
For any enquiries regarding satellite or ftp receptionplease contact the ESA production team:
Dominique Detain at dominique.detain@esa.int or tel: + 33 685 114 681 or
Chris Courtenay Taylor at chrisct@worldwidepictures.tv or tel: + 44 7774 275 951.