Developments
Technological developments
Given the constant technological developments to the launcher, satellites and data transmission facilities, the flood of data to be provided, continues to increase. In addition, Ariane will soon be joined at Kourou by Soyuz and Vega. Vega's telemetry system will probably be very similar to that of Ariane 5; however Vega will often be launched towards the north, where CSG lacks a dedicated network of stations.
As for Soyuz's launches towards the east, the network of Ariane 5 stations will require some modifications. A phase of major renovations to the entire system is already underway, including the Ariane 5 Telemetry Data Centralisation and Exploitation System (SCET) and the signal receiving and processing chain for all the stations. As with all major technical developments at CNES/CSG, the specifications are sent to the Toulouse Ground Sub-Directorate, part of the DLA, which is responsible for system development.
The ATV
The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), the future supply vessel for the International Space Station whose maiden launch is scheduled for mid-2007, has already signed up for nine launch contracts. As its trajectory will be in a north-easterly direction, a telemetry network dedicated to the ATV is currently being defined and installed. This network will not be a permanent fixture, so a variety of mobile facilities will be deployed in several locations. The chain of telemetry antennas planned for the ATV will therefore be set up as follows:
- the Ariane Mobile Naval Station (STNA) will be installed on a boat on the Tropic of Cancer
- another mobile station will be set up on the island of Santa Maria in the Azores, together with an Ariane 5 telemetry kit
- in Adelaide, Australia, an antenna from the University of Technology Research, will then take over, once it has been modified and integrated with an Ariane 5 kit
- lastly, in
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