RAL Space - latest developments in space science and technology

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CCLRC RUTHERFORD APPLETON LABORATORY Operations RAL has a proven track record, recognised internationally, in the areas of satellite mission planning and payload science operations, providing ground station services and software for the precision control of a wide variety of telescope systems. TELESCOPE CONTROL MISSION PLANNING AND OPERATIONS SATELLITE GROUND STATION AND CONTROL CENTRE RAL’s expertise in software for precision control of telescopes and radio antennas is world-leading. We played a major role in developing the control system for the two 8 m Gemini astronomy telescopes located in Hawaii and Chile. Work continues on projects including pointing software for the two 8 m telescope which comprise the Large Binocular Telescope under construction in Arizona, the 4 m Advanced Technology Solar Telescope for Haleakala, and the active optics for the VISTA (p. 11) 4 m infra-red survey telescope at ESO’s Cerro Paranal observatory. RAL also played a leading role in the evaluation of the pointing performance of the prototype antenna for ALMA (p. 10). We are involved in the calibration work on the ESO Very Large Telescope Interferometer in Chile. Contact: Patrick Wallace Tel: 01235 445372 Email: p.t.wallace@rl.ac.uk RAL has been carrying out satellite mission planning and payload science operations dating back to the late 1970s with missions such as Ariel 5, IRAS, AMPTE-UKS and ISO. More recent work includes the design, implementation and execution of science operations services for three of ESA’s missions. The first of these is the Joint Science Operations Centre for the four-satellite Cluster mission (p. 5), launched in 2000 and the first of ESA’s Cornerstone missions. The second is the Payload Operations Service for ESA’s Mars Express (p. 8) mission, operating since early 2003 and Europe’s first mission to Mars. The third is the European Payload Operation Service for the two satellite Double Star Programme mission, launched in 2003 and 2004, the first joint mission between ESA and the China National Space Administration. Contact: Trevor Dimbylow Tel: 01235 445827 Email: t.g.dimbylow@rl.ac.uk www.sstd.rl.ac.uk/SOGweb/a The Ground Station at RAL currently has 2.4 m and 12 m antennas, with an additional 4.5 m antenna planned for 2005-06. The 25 m antenna at Chilbolton is also available. The Ground Station has the capability for both S-band uplink commanding and downlink telemetry reception, and is being upgraded to add X-band capability. It is currently receiving data from the ACE (p. 4) spacecraft and we will be supporting the Galileo (p. 7) test bed GSTB-V2 mission with both the 12m antenna at RAL and the 25 m antenna at Chilbolton (p. 16). Contact: John Wright Tel: 01235 445809 Email: j.s.wright@rl.ac.uk www.ralgroundstation.rl.ac.uk 12 m antenna at RAL LBT corporation Design for the Large Binocular Telescope 22
RAL SPACE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Joint Science Operations Centre for CLUSTER at RAL Eighteen scientific groups across Europe use RAL to help plan and coordinate their observations using ESA’s four Cluster spacecraft, China’s two Double Star spacecraft and ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft Background: Mars Express HRSC image of Hale Crater 23
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