ESTRACK

Under the name ESTRACK (ESA tracking stations ) operates the European Space Agency, a network of radio stations that are used to communicate with satellites and space probes. Through worldwide distribution of stations is guaranteed that a spacecraft can always get in touch with at least one station radio link.

The space missions, which are controlled by the ESTRACK include, for example, Herschel / Planck, LISA Pathfinder, Gaia, BepiColombo and Venus Express.

Ground stations

ESTRACK consists of ten ground stations that connect the spacecraft with the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC ) in Darmstadt. Five stations are located in Europe, two in Australia, two in the South American continent and in Africa. At the stations New Norcia (DSA 1), Cebreros (DSA 2) and Malargüe (DSA 3) is Deep Space Antenna, 35 - m parabolic antennas with which to regardless of the rotation of the earth at any time spacecraft far away is a communication possible.

Africa

  • Maspalomas ( Gran Canaria), Spain ( 27 ° 45 ' 47 " N, 15 ° 38 ' 2" W27.763 - 15,634 ) Diameter: 15 m
  • Frequency bands: the S-band ( transmitting and receiving ), X-band (RX)

Australia

  • New Norcia, Australia (31 ° 2 ' 53 "S, 116 ° 11' 31" E - 31.048116.192 ) Diameter: 35 m (DSA 1)
  • Weight: 580 t
  • Frequency bands: S- and X-band ( sending and receiving )
  • Diameter: 15 m
  • Frequency bands: the S-band ( transmitting and receiving ), X-band (RX)

Europe

  • Kiruna, Sweden ( 67 ° 51 ' 25 "N, 20 ° 57' 50 " O67.85720.964 ) Diameter: 13 and 15 meters
  • Frequency bands: the S-band ( transmitting and receiving ), X-band (RX)
  • Diameter: 15 m ( four antennas, of which the largest 15 m)
  • Frequency bands: S-band ( sending and receiving )
  • Diameter: 35 m (DSA 2)
  • Height: 40 m
  • Weight: 540 t
  • Frequency bands: X-band ( sending and receiving ), Ka-band (reception)
  • Cost: EUR 30 million
  • Diameter: 15 m ( Five antennas, of which the two largest 15m )
  • Frequency bands: S- and X-band ( sending and receiving )
  • Frequency bands: S- band and X-band in the near future (as of January 2008)
  • It is the first ESTRACK station that can monitor takeoff from the Guiana Space Centre rocket with medium orbital inclination.

South America

  • Kourou, French Guiana (5 ° 15 '4 " N, 52 ° 48' 18" W5.251 - 52 805 ) Diameter: 15 m
  • Frequency bands: S- and X-band ( sending and receiving )
  • Diameter: 35 m
  • Frequency bands: X-band ( sending and receiving ), Ka-band (reception)

Cooperation

Besides their own stations ESA also uses ground stations of other organizations:

  • Dongara station in Western Australia ( a time it was a replacement for the station in Perth )
  • Santiago de Chile, in collaboration with the Space Research Centre of the University of Chile, operated by SSC Chile
  • South Point Station in Kailua- Kona, Hawaii, operated by Universal Space Network
  • Svalbard station at Longyearbyen, Svalbard, operated by Kongsberg Satellite Services AS ( KSAT )
  • Troll Satellite Station in Antarctica, operated by KSAT

There are other collaborations with stations of national space travel organizations, such as uses the ESA ground station in Weilheim and the DLR.

Extension

The higher the antenna gain of the ground station, the lower the outlay for the transmitter and receiver systems of the spacecraft. This manifests itself for example in the lower transmit power and receiver sensitivity, which reduces the energy consumption. In addition, the range is increased in the case of interplanetary missions. However, decreases with increasing antenna gain in general the range of view, so that more effort for the safe retrieval of the satellite must be invested in the sky.

The U.S. space agency NASA operates under the name Deep Space Network, a similar network.

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