European Data Relay Satellite Network
ESA TV News Special Ministerial
More infos on a permanent basis: the European Data Relay Satellite (EDRS) programme aims at initiating a new infrastructure to provide data relay in space.
It will be a network of satellites able to communicate between themselves as well as sending data back to the ground.
This will increase the speed at which we receive data improving global communications, navigation and earth observation.
For more info on this subject please check the script that is online as a PDF file under :
http://television.esa.int/photos/EbS60025.pdf
A WMV preview clip is online under : http://esa.contentcoders.com/mphi/edrs_vnr_TV_28-10-08_wmplow.wmv
More backgroud information can be found on: http://www.esa.int/esapub/bulletin/bulletin128/bul128h_tumino.pdf

EDRS Video News Release 24.10.08
A-Roll
10:00:46
A new satellite communication system will revolutionise the way Europe gets its information from space.
10:00: 55
The European Space Agency is developing a network of satellites that will be able to communicate between themselves as well as sending data back to the ground. This will increase the speed at which we receive data ñ improving global communications, navigation and earth observation.
10:01: 14
Most earth observation satellites fly in low earth orbits - only a few hundred kilometres above the ground. When it comes over the horizon, a satellite can only communicate with a ground station for a few minutes. The overall effect is that data reaches us slowly, and we have to rely on non-European ground stations to get the information we need.
10:01:35
The European Data Relay Satellite System will use geostationary satellites ñ which stay in the same position over the earth ñ to transmit data to both ground receivers and other non-geostationary satellites.
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