N° 58–2003: ESA’s SMART-1 satellite ready for lift-off

During the night of Saturday 27/Sunday 28 September, ESA’s SMART-1 satellite will be launched by an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s spaceport at Kourou at 20:02 hrs local time (01:02 hrs Central European Summer Time, 23:02 hrs GMT).

SMART-1 is the first of a series of ‘Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology’ designed to test key technologies for future spacecraft. It is Europe’s first mission to the Moon. Among the new technologies to be tested is the solar-electric propulsion which will power the spacecraft to its target. SMART-1 will help solve such questions as how the Moon came into being and whether there is water there.

Media representatives in Europe can follow the launch and initial orbital operations at ESA/Darmstadt (ESOC) in Germany, which will be acting as the main European press centre, ESA/Noordwijk (ESTEC) in the Netherlands or ESA/Frascati (ESRIN) in Italy. At each site ESA specialists will be available for interviews.

Media representatives wishing to attend are asked to complete the attached reply form and fax it to the Communication Office at the establishment of their choice.

The ESA TV Service will provide live televised coverage of the launch and initial orbital operations with English commentary, between 00:40 and 02:00 CEST.

Satellite: Astra 2C at 19 degrees East

Transponder 57, horizontal, MPEG-2, MCPC

Reception frequency: 10832 MHz

Polarisation: Horizontal

Symbol rate: 22000 MS/sec

FEC: 5/6

Service name: ESA

Details of the transmission schedule and the various pre-launch Video News Releases can be found on http://television.esa.int.

On the ESA SMART-1 special website at: http://www.esa.int/smart1 you can also find news, press releases, videos, images and more about the mission.

For further information, please contact:

ESA Media Relations Service

Tel: +33(0)1.53.69.7155

Fax: +33(0)1.53.69.7690

 

SMART-1 LAUNCH ACCREDITATION FORM

Launch on Saturday 27 September 2003

First Name : _________________ Surname : _______________

Media :_________________________________________________

Address:________________________________________________

Tel : _________________ Fax : __________________________

Mobile : _______________ e-mail_________________________

I will be attending the SMART-1 launch event at the following site:

[ ]Germany:

Location: ESA/ESOC

Address: Robert-Bosch Strasse 5, Darmstadt, Germany

Opening hours: 20.30-02.00 hrs

Contact: Bernhard von Weyhe

Tel:+49 6151 90 2861 - Fax: +49 6151 90 2961

Info line: +49 - 6151 - 90 26 09

[ ] The Netherlands

Location : Space Expo, visitors’ centre at ESA/ESTEC

Address: Keplerlaan 3, Noordwijk, The Netherlands

Opening hours: 20.00-02.00 hrs

Contact: Michel van Baal

Tel:+31 71 565 3006 - Tel: +31 71 36 46 446 during launch event (Space Expo) - Fax: +31 71 565 5728

Info line: +31. 71 565 8016

[ ]Italy

Location: ESA/ESRIN

Address: Via G. Galilei, Frascati (Rome), Italy

Opening hours: 23:00 – 02.00hrs

Contact: Franca Morgia,

Tel:+39.06.9418.0951 - Fax:+39.06.9418.0952

[ ] France

Location: Arianespace

Address: Boulevard de l’Europe, 91006 Evry

Opening hours: 00.10 - 02.00 hrs

Tel:+33.(0)1.60.87.63.07 - Fax:+33.(0)1.60.8763.04

Please complete the form and fax it to the site of your choice.

 

For further information:

ESA Media Relations Service

Tel: +33(0)1.53.69.7155

Fax: +33(0)1.53.69.7690