ESA News
http://www.esa.int

14 March 2008

Artemis provides communications for Jules Verne ATV

ESA's Artemis data relay satellite, controlled from Fucino (Italy) and with
its mission control centre and Earth terminal located at Redu (Belgium), is
providing communications between the Jules Verne ATV and the ATV Control
Centre in Toulouse (France).
 
Jules Verne ATV was launched from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana at
05:03 CET [0403 UTC] on 9 March. First contact between Artemis and the ATV
was established at 06:46 [0546 UTC], exactly on schedule.
 
Artemis communicates with Jules Verne, receiving telemetry and sending
telecommands, each time the two spacecraft are within sight of one another.
During every ATV orbit, there is around 40 minutes of continuous contact.
Artemis will provide dedicated support to Jules Verne throughout the
free-flying phase of its mission -- up to the docking planned for 3 April.
After docking, Artemis' data relay resource will be shared between ATV and
ESA's Envisat Earth observation mission.

Artemis is in geostationary orbit over the Atlantic Ocean. It has three main
purposes:

* the provision of voice and data communications between mobile terminals in
remote areas of Europe and North Africa, as well as in the Atlantic

* performing a key role within Europe's EGNOS satellite navigation system by
broadcasting enhanced GPS and GLONASS signals for use by civilian 'safety
critical' transport and navigational services

* the provision of inter-orbit satellite communication using advanced S- and
Ka-band radio links and laser technology

Artemis is operated from ESA's facility at Redu, which houses the
spacecraft's mission control centre and a Ka-band ground terminal with a
13.5-metre dish antenna.
 
The task of communicating with Jules Verne is shared between Artemis and
NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS).
 
The inter-orbit communications services provided by Artemis are precursors
to a proposed future European satellite data relay system.

[NOTE: Images and weblinks supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM6BOM5NDF_index_1.html ]
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