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FRANCE IN SPACE -- No 9 - 01/30/98
1: THE
PEGASUS MISSION: SCIENTIFIC ISSUES
2:
LEOPOLD EYHARTS : SPACE ON THE HORIZON
3:
PEGASUS MISSION : A NEW CHAPTER IN FRENCH-RUSSIAN COOPERATION
4:
FRANCE AND THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
5:
BUENOS DIAS ARIANE 5
6:
OVERVIEW: THE DORIS SYSTEM
7:
IN BRIEF
1: THE PEGASUS MISSION: SCIENTIFIC ISSUES
The Soyouz TM 27, with the crew of Pegasus mission aboard was launched as
scheduled on Thursday 29 January 1998 at 11:33 A.M. (EST). The appointed
crew is Talgat Amangueldiévitch Moussabaiev, commander, Nikolaï
Mikhaïlovitch Bourdarine flight engineer and Leopold Ehayrts, CNES
astronaut and experimenter. Mainly dedicated to Life Sciences, Physical
Sciences and space technology, the PEGASUS mission will be using the
research instruments developed by France and previously used on Mir for the
Cassiopeia mission. The scientific payload for the Pegasus mission includes
several laboratories. The Physiolab laboratory is designed to study the
cardiovascular system in microgravity, and in particular the variations in
the length of the spine, with the Germany's WSG experiment. The Congeal
laboratory will analyze the role of the central nervous system in the
mechanisms behind the visual perception of strength and duration. The
Fertile biology experiment is dedicated to study the development of the
eggs of amphibians fertilizes in orbit (Cf. France In Space number 8). The
physics instrument Alice II will instigate the behavior of fluids around
their critical point. Finally, the technological experiment Castor, will
characterize structures in orbit and measure microvibrations in the station.
[CNES Press Release, 01/28/98]
2: LEOPOLD EYHARTS : SPACE ON THE HORIZON
For Leopold Eyharts, the 40 year old French astronaut who left on Thursday
January 29th for a 3 week stay on-board the MIR space, this Pegasus mission
is the crown to a brilliant career as a fighter pilot and a life devoted to
aviation and space. A fervent aviator, this native Basque attended l'Ecole
de l'Air de Salon de Provence at the age of 20, in 1977. A talented
fighter pilot turned test pilot, to pursue the career of an astronaut was
the logical continuation of his passion. Chosen in 1990 to be part of the
CNES' astronaut corps, he was sent to Star City in Moscow in 1995. His was
first designated as back-up for Claudie Andre-Deshays during the Cassiopeia
mission. Then assigned to the Pegasus mission as a full crew member.
Leopold Eyharts has completed 3300 hours of flight time on 50 different
aircraft, 20 parachute jumps and an emergency ejection. He considers
"unpredictable situations [that can happen on-board MIR] as being an
inherent part of a flight".
[AFP - 1/26/98]
3: PEGASUS MISSION : A NEW CHAPTER IN FRENCH-RUSSIAN COOPERATION
On January 29th, when the rocket bringing the next French-Russian crew into
orbit lifted-off, it was a sight that was once observed by General Charles
De Gaulle over thirty years ago who was first Westerner to do so.
Cooperation between France and the ex-Soviet Union goes back to 1966, when
the first intergovernmental agreement between Paris and Moscow included a
chapter on space. After numerous French scientific experiments took place
on-board Soviet satellites in the field of Earth observation, astronomy and
biology, Jean-Loup Chretien on June 24th 1982, became the first Westerner
to sojourn aboard the Soviet station Saliout-7. Six years later, he
returned to spend a month in the new MIR space station, during which he
became the first foreigner authorized to make an EVA with his fellow Soviet
cosmonaut. In July of 1992, Michel Tognini was on-board during the Antares
mission, then in July of 1993 Jean-Pierre Haignere for the Altair mission.
Finally in August 1996, Claudie Andre-Deshays spent two weeks for the
Cassiopeia mission. The present Pegasus mission of Leopold Eyharts, which
was initially scheduled for 1997, was postponed due to the damage caused by
the collision of the Progress module and MIR. The Pegasus experiments for
the most part, consist in probing further into the studies that were
previously done by French astronauts on MIR.
[Ref. France-In-Space No. 4 and 8]- [AFP - 27/1/98]
4: FRANCE AND THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
The intergovernmental agreement binding the participants to the
International Space Station program (ISS) was signed in Washington on
Thursday January, 29th, 1998. Representing France was Claude Allegre,
Minister for National Education, Research and Technology who signed the
agreement, was accompanied by CNES' Director General, M. Gerard Brachet. As
a founding member of ESA, with Germany and Italy, France contributes 27.6%
to the ESA part of the ISS program. France "will be well represented in
the ISS with its astronauts and technology" Gerard Brachet noted to l'AFP.
French industry has, for example, an important part in the European
Automatic Transport Vehicle (ATV), which will be launched by Ariane-5 to
supply the station at least once a year starting in 2003. Gerard Brachet
added: "At the moment we do not know the cost of the ISS. We will know
more in the year 2000. Europe hopes that it's quota can be attained by
services rendered by the ATV".
[AFP, 01/28/98]
5: BUENOS DIAS ARIANE 5
The fasteners between the head of the solid boosters (EAP, Solid Propellant
Strap-On Booster)and main cryogenic stage (EPC) called DIAS (Damping
System) were validated during the 502 flight. These DIAS have more than
one mission. On one hand they must transfer the thrust from the EAP's to
the EPC solely through the fasteners. Next, the DIAS must filter the
low-frequency (50 Hz) thrust oscillations. Additionally the DIAS support
the rocket's total mass when the launcher is on the launch pad. Ariane-5
is pushed against the two EAP's before ignition. Finally, the DIAS must
dampen the link along the rocket's axis but must ensure rigidity on the
other axes to enable the launcher's maneuverability. Techlam, a subsidiary
of SEP and the company responsible for the DIAS has developed innovative
processes to comply with the requirements for the DIAS, reiterated Air &
Cosmos. The 18 laminated elastomeres/metal which make up the DIAS'
filtering devices were designed in compliance with calculations specific to
the elastomere materials. In the end, the DIAS' performance was nominal
during the second flight of the European launcher Ariane-5.
[Air & Cosmos, 1/16/98]
6: OVERVIEW: THE DORIS SYSTEM
Using a receiver flown on board a satellite, Doris (Doppler Orbitography
and Radiopositionning Integrated by Satellite) measures the relative
velocity between two beacons transmitting from Earth, and the satellite.
Based on Doppler shift measurements, the Doris system, designed and
developed by CNES, the GRGS and the IGN (Institut Geographique National),
is used to accurately determine the satellite's orbit (to within a few
centimeters) and locate beacons on the ground. The trajectory of any
satellite hosting a Doris receiver may be determined through the
mathematical processing of the measurements, combined with a model of
forces (gravitational and other) acting on the satellite. The accuracy of
Doppler Measurements and the cover afforded by the permanent network of 50
Doris beacons means that the position of Spot and Topex-Poseidon satellites
is calculated on an operational basis to within a few centimeters (3 for
the radial precision). Once the orbit of the host satellite is known, the
Doris system can then measure the absolute position and movement of beacons
on the ground, again with an accuracy of just a few centimeters. This
system, which beacon network was set up as early as 1984, is currently
flown aboard Spot-2 or Topex-Poseidon. In the future, it will be used by
Spot-4 and the European Envisat platform. The value of this system was
recognized very quickly, so numerous applications currently exist.
Important results have been obtained in the fields of geophysics,
cartography, and geotechnics. Moreover, Doris has provided the first
permanent network evenly distributed over the Earth's surface. This network
is suitable for the global study of the techtonic plate movements. An other
possible application of Doris would be the future European Positioning system
[Cf. France-In-Space numbers 4 and 5].[CNES Informations]
7: IN BRIEF
Antonio Rodota, director of the European Space Agency (ESA), confirmed that
flight 503 of the Ariane 5 launcher will not take place before the middle
of July of this year. [Le Figaro - 01/23/98]
The Ariane launch scheduled for the 30th of January, that was due to launch
Brasilsat B3 and Inmarsat 3F5, was postponed due to severe wind conditions.
[AFP - 01/30/98]
[From Agence France Presse (AFP), Air et Cosmos, Le Figaro, CNES Press
Release,]
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