European Data Relay Satellite
Encyclopedia
The European Data Relay Satellite (EDRS) system will be a constellation of GEO
satellites intended to relay information between other satellites and ground stations, to allow full-time communications even with satellites in low-Earth orbit which are often not visible from any European-operated ground station.
It provides a sovereignty role, in that it will no longer be critical to use non-European ground stations to interact with Europe's satellites. More usefully, it will allow direct download from satellites to small terminals, allowing for example rescue workers to see near-real-time satellite imagery of the region where they're working.
The system is being developed as part of the ARTES
7 programme; as of mid-2009 it was still at the specification phase, so it is unclear how many satellites will be involved.
The programme is quite similar to the American Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System
which was set up to support the Space Shuttle; it is unclear whether it will have as large a military component as TDRSS.
Planned to replace Artemis data-relay satellite
.
Geosynchronous orbit
A geosynchronous orbit is an orbit around the Earth with an orbital period that matches the Earth's sidereal rotation period...
satellites intended to relay information between other satellites and ground stations, to allow full-time communications even with satellites in low-Earth orbit which are often not visible from any European-operated ground station.
It provides a sovereignty role, in that it will no longer be critical to use non-European ground stations to interact with Europe's satellites. More usefully, it will allow direct download from satellites to small terminals, allowing for example rescue workers to see near-real-time satellite imagery of the region where they're working.
The system is being developed as part of the ARTES
ARTES
ARTES is a long-running and large-scale European project intended to support the development of advanced satcom products and services...
7 programme; as of mid-2009 it was still at the specification phase, so it is unclear how many satellites will be involved.
The programme is quite similar to the American Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System
The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System is a network of American communications satellites and ground stations used by NASA for space communications. The system was designed to replace an existing network of ground stations that had supported all of NASA's manned flight missions...
which was set up to support the Space Shuttle; it is unclear whether it will have as large a military component as TDRSS.
Planned to replace Artemis data-relay satellite
Artemis (satellite)
Artemis is a geostationary earth orbit satellite for telecommunications, built for and owned by ESA. The Artemis satellite operates at the 21.5E orbital position....
.