N° 67–2024: Media invitation: Sentinel-1C launch event in Darmstadt, Germany
2 December 2024
Journalists are kindly invited to follow the launch of the new Sentinel-1C Earth observation satellite live from Europe's Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, on Wednesday, 4 December 2024.
Members of the media will be joined at the event by leading ESA experts in space operations and Earth observation, as well as industry managers, European Commission officials, members of the Copernicus user communities and space agency managers. The launch of Sentinel-1C on a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana (known as VV25), will be broadcast live and journalists will also get a chance to observe the critical “launch and early orbit phase” locally as the ESA control centre in Darmstadt will take over the satellite in orbit.
The following media programme has been planned for journalists on site, timings may change subject to ongoing operations. Further details will be confirmed on arrival.
Media programme (all times in CET)
20:30
Security check at ESA's European Space Operations Centre, ESOC, in Darmstadt, Germany
(20 min. south of Frankfurt airport)
20:45
Small snacks, first interviews at ESOC press centre, H 05
21:00
Welcome by Rolf Densing, ESA Director of Operations, Head of ESA/ESOC
Highlights of Europe's Sentinel-1C Earth observation satellite
by Nicolaus Hanowski, Head of Department Mission Management and Ground Systems,
ESA Directorate for Earth Observation Programmes
Greetings by European Commission (DG DEFIS), Hugo Zunker, Policy Officer(remotely)and by German DLR Space Agency, Godela Rossner, Head of DLR Earth Observation Dept, tbc.
Europe's Vega-C launcher
by Tommaso Ghidini, Head of Department and Vega C expert, ESA Technology Directorate
Usage of Copernicus data by start-ups, e.g. CoraMaps, DG Markus Huhn on disaster management and precision farming (ESA Business Incubation, Darmstadt)
Role of Industry building Sentinel 1C – Prime Contractor Thales Alenia Space
by Diego Calabrese, Director Earth Observation System Engineering Dept.
Latest updates from ESA control rooms by Thomas Ormston,
Earth Observation Flight Operations team at ESA/ESOC
ca. 21:40
Moderated Q+A session with journalists in the room
Light snacks, further 1-1 interviews andinformal discussions with ESA experts and guests
22:00 – ESA / Arianespace live TV broadcast starting from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana (incl. TV inserts of ESA Flight Operations teams next door in ESOC)
22:20 - Launch of Vega-C rocket from Kourou carrying Sentinel-1C
Rocket lift-off, initial ascent into space
(punctual visits to nearby Briefing Room/Main Control Room in critical phase just after Vega-C rocket launch, latest updates from ESA Flight Operations Director Ian Shurmer)
23:00
Journalists in press centre H 05, further interviews and snacks
00:05 - 00:15
Separation of satellite from Vega-C launcher – followed by initial Acquisition of Signal of Sentinel-1C in orbit, at 00:15, confirmed by ESA Operations team in Darmstadt
00:20
Concluding remarks / mission success statement by
Rolf Densing, ESA Director of Operations, Head of ESA/ESOC
Further 1-1 interviews after success confirmation with ESA, industry and other experts
ca. 00:45
Closure of the ESOC centre for all journalists and guests
Media registration:
Please register by Tuesday 3 December, 17:00 CET at the latest.
Please select and complete the relevant form at:
https://blogs.esa.int/forms/ninja-forms/4oqw8
How to get to ESA/ESOC: www.esa.int/esoc
ESA Web TV
The VV25 launch will also be streamed via ESA Web TV:
ESA Media Relations contacts:
Bernhard von Weyhe – bvw@esa.int
media@esa.int
Further information
More information about Sentinel-1:
More information about the EU Space Programme
More information about Vega:
More information about ESA:
Images
Sentinel-1 https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Missions/Sentinel-1/(result_type)/images
Terms and conditions for using ESA images:
www.esa.int/spaceinimages/ESA_Multimedia/Copyright_Notice_Images
For questions or more information related to ESA images, please contact directly spaceinimages@esa.int
Videos
Sentinel-1 videos https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Missions/Sentinel-1/(result_type)/videos
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos
https://www.esa.int/esatv/Videos_for_Professionals
Terms and conditions for using ESA videos:
https://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Terms_and_Conditions
For questions or more information related to ESA videos, please contact directly spaceinvideos@esa.int
Social Media
Follow ESA on:
X: @esa @ESA_EO @ESA_transport @esaoperations
Instagram: Europeanspaceagency , @ESA_Earth
Facebook: EuropeanSpaceAgency
YouTube: ESA
LinkedIn: European Space Agency - ESA
Pinterest: European Space Agency - ESA
About the European Space Agency
ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
ESA has 22 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia are Associate Members.
ESA has established formal cooperation with other four Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.
By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.
Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int