This programme presents PROBA, one of the tiniest ESA spacecraft ever built which is paving the way for future satellites of global proportions. The PROBA launch is currently scheduled for 18 October 2001.
PROBA is the first satellite to operate in space virtually unaided, performing everyday tasks with little or no involvement from ground controllers. However,it not only has a mind of its own, it will also boast an extensive research programme, with its diverse range of scientific instruments - some of which have never before been used in space. What's more, the data from some of these instruments will be distributed to scientists on Earth via a webserver and the internet.
The 5-minute A-roll contains split audio with an English guide track and is complemented by a longer B-roll with clean international sound.

10:00:30 A-Roll
Script
PROBA - ESA's first micro-satellite will hook into the Internet
This may be the tiniest spacecraft ever built by ESA, but its new technology onboard is paving the way for future satellites of global proportions.
Despite being the size of a television set and weighing just 100 kg, the PROBA satellite-PROBA standing for Project for On-Board Autonomy-is the first fully autonomous ESA spacecraft. This means it will operate in space virtually unaided, performing everyday tasks like navigation, payload and resource management with little or no involvement from ESA's ground controllers.
PROBA not only has a mind of its own, it will also boast an extensive research programme, with its diverse range of scientific instruments - some of which have never before been used in space. What's more, the data from these instruments will be distributed to scientists on Earth via a webserver and the internet.
PROBA was built by Verhaert Design and Development from Belgium, with the help of othe