ESTRACK
Encyclopedia
European Space Operations Centre
The European Space Operations Centre is responsible for controlling ESA satellites and space probes. The centre is located in Darmstadt, Germany. It is Mission Control for most of the space projects of the ESA. Since its creation in 1967, the centre has operated 60 European space missions...
(ESOC) operates a number of ground-based space-tracking stations for the European Space Agency
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
(ESA) known as the European Space Tracking (ESTRACK) network. The stations support various ESA spacecraft and facilitate communications between ground operators and scientific probes such as XMM-Newton
XMM-Newton
The XMM-Newton is an orbiting X-ray observatory launched by ESA in December 1999 on a Ariane 5 rocket...
and Mars Express
Mars Express
Mars Express is a space exploration mission being conducted by the European Space Agency . The Mars Express mission is exploring the planet Mars, and is the first planetary mission attempted by the agency. "Express" originally referred to the speed and efficiency with which the spacecraft was...
. Other similar networks include the Deep Space Network
Deep Space Network
The Deep Space Network, or DSN, is a world-wide network of large antennas and communication facilities that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions. It also performs radio and radar astronomy observations for the exploration of the solar system and the universe, and supports selected...
of the United States NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, the Indian Deep Space Network
Indian Deep Space Network
The Indian Deep Space Network is a network of large antennas and communication facilities that supports the interplanetary spacecraft missions of India. It is located at Byalalu, a village about 100 km from Bangalore, India. It was officially inaugurated on 17 October 2008 by ISRO chairman...
, the Chinese Deep Space Network
Chinese Deep Space Network
The Chinese Deep Space Network is a network of large antennas and communication facilities that supports the lunar and interplanetary spacecraft missions of China....
, and the Soviet Deep Space Network
Soviet Deep Space Network
The Soviet Deep Space Network is a network of large antennas and communication facilities that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions, and radio and radar astronomy observations for the exploration of the solar system and the universe. It was built to support the space missions of the Soviet...
.
General information
ESTRACK consists of nine ESA-owned stations and four stations run cooperatively with other organisations. The stations are:ESA stations
- New Norcia StationNew Norcia StationNew Norcia Station is a 35-metre ESTRACK radio antenna for communication with spacecraft in deep space. It is located south of the town of New Norcia, Western Australia. It was built for the European Space Agency. The station was officially opened on 5 March 2003 by the Premier of Western...
(Australia) - Perth StationPerth StationPerth Station is an ESTRACK radio antenna station for communication with spacecraft. The station is located at the Perth International Telecommunications Centre in the suburb of Cullacabardee....
(Australia) - Redu StationRedu StationRedu Station is an ESTRACK radio antenna station for communication with spacecraft. The station is located about one kilometre away from the village of Redu, Belgium. The ground terminals provide tracking capabilities in C-band, L-band, S-band, Ku band, and Ka band as well as provide in-orbit tests...
(Belgium) - Kourou Station (French Guayana)
- Cebreros StationCebreros StationCebreros Station is an INSA-operated, ESTRACK radio antenna station for communication with spacecraft located 90 km from Madrid, Spain. A 35-metre diameter antenna that receives in X- and Ka-bands is located at the site...
(Spain) - Maspalomas StationMaspalomas StationMaspalomas Station is an INSA-operated, ESTRACK radio antenna station for communication with spacecraft located at the southern area of Gran Canaria island, on the INTA campus. The site hosts a 15-metre antenna with reception in S- and X-band and transmission in S-band.-External links:* *...
(Gran Canaria, Spain) - Villafranca Station (Spain)
- Kiruna StationKiruna StationKiruna Station is an ESTRACK radio antenna station for communication with spacecraft operated by the Swedish Space Corporation. It is located 38 km east of Kiruna, Sweden. The site hosts one 15 metre- and one 13-metre-diameter antenna, each with S- and X-band reception and S-band transmission...
(Sweden) - Santa MariaSanta Maria IslandSanta Maria , Portuguese for Saint Mary, is an island located in the eastern group of the Azores archipelago and the southernmost island in the Azores...
(Azores, Portugal) - Malargüe StationMalargüe StationMalargüe Station is a 35-metre ESTRACK radio antenna currently under construction in Argentina. It is being built for the European Space Agency for communication with spacecraft in deep space. It is located south of the town of Malargüe, Argentina...
, currently under construction in ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
Cooperative stations
- MalindiMalindiMalindi is a town on Malindi Bay at the mouth of the Galana River, lying on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya. It is 120 kilometres northeast of Mombasa. The population of Malindi is 117,735 . It is the capital of the Malindi District.Tourism is the major industry in Malindi. The city is...
(Kenya) - SantiagoSantiago, ChileSantiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
(Chile) - SvalbardSvalbardSvalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the...
(Norway)
Antennas
Each ESTRACK station is different, supporting multiple missions, some sharing one or more of the same missions. The ESTRACK network consists of at least:- Two 35-metre diameter antennas (New Norcia and Cebreros), with a third (Malargüe) under construction.
- Seven 15-metre antennas
- One 13-metre antenna
- One 12-metre antenna
- One 5.5-metre antenna
- Six GPS-TDAF antennas
There are also at least eleven more smaller antennas with sizes of 9.3 to 2.5-metres. The antennas are remotely operated from the ESTRACK Control Centre (ECC) located at ESOC.
On 17 January 2008, the 5.5-metre station on Monte das Flores (Hill of Flowers), Santa Maria (Azores) became the newest station to join the ESTRACK system. The station can be used to track Ariane launches and will also be capable of tracking Vega and Soyuz, soon to be operated from ESA's Spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana.
The construction of a third 35-metre antenna is underway at a location 30km south of the town of Malargüe
Malargüe
- Transport and infrastructures :- Transportation :Malargüe is linked to the north of Mendoza by National Route 40. This route continues south, entering Neuquén Province, but is only partially built and not well maintained beyond Malargüe City....
in the Mendoza province
Mendoza Province
The Province of Mendoza is a province of Argentina, located in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. It borders to the north with San Juan, the south with La Pampa and Neuquén, the east with San Luis, and to the west with the republic of Chile; the international limit is...
of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Located approximately 120 degrees from the existing pair of 35-metre antennas, it will provide continuous 360 degree sky coverage for deep space missions once operational in mid-2012.