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Smart-1 End of Mission Review
- Video Tape only
- Title Smart-1 End of Mission Review
- Released: 24/08/2006
- Language English
- Footage Type
- Copyright ESA
- Description
Launched in September 2003, Europeís first lunar probe Smart-1 has been a rewarding mission. It will come to an end on 3 September at 05:41 GMT when it will make a small controlled impact on the lunar surface. Astronomical observatories in several countries will attempt to observe the impact.
On 2-3 September, ESA-TV will provide coverage events at ESOC in Darmstadt, where mission controllers and the Smart-1 scientists will gather to witness the end of the mission. Details will be posted on the ESA-TV Website on 31 August.
This Programme provides a pre-event review of the scientific and technological achievements of Smart-1, plus new 3-D graphics on the planned end-of mission through a controlled impact on the Moon.
The shot list is posted under http://television.esa.int/photos/EbS46436.pdf
A WMV preview file is online under : http://esatv-movies.e-vision.nl/videos/mphi/smart-1review_23-08-06.wmv
SMART-1 : End of mission review
A-Roll
10:00:40 Launched in September 2003, Europeís first lunar probe has been a rewarding mission. After its 14-month long cruise using solely the tiny thrust of its electric propulsion, the technology demonstrator with its complement of science instruments has furthered our understanding of Earthís natural satellite.
10:01:02 The Moon is but 385 thousand km away from Earth, but ESAís small 366-kg spacecraft spiralled out towards it, covering a 100 million kilometres, the equivalent of an interplanetary journey.
10:01:18 With electrical energy from advanced gallium-arsenide solar cells, the solar-electric propulsion engine produced a very gently continuous thrust of xenon gas particles which gradually expanded the spacecraftís elliptical orbit in the direction of the Moon.
10:01:36 The journey was neither quick nor direct, however SMART-1ís innovative electric propulsion engine proved to be remarkably efficient. On arrival it had used only 60 lit