Science Current Events | Science News | Brightsurf.com
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print YES2 student payload released from Foton-M3

YES2 student payload released from Foton-M3

September 26, 2007

The Second Young Engineers' Satellite (YES2) was activated and separated from the Foton-M3 spacecraft earlier today. The tether deployed for 8.5 km, after which the Fotino capsule was released on its way to Earth.

"We are very proud of the students' work, although we didn't reach the full 30 km deployment" said Roger Walker, YES2 project manager for ESA's Education Office. "The hard work of the YES2 team over the past five years has paid off with this largely successful demonstration."

The innovative, hands-on, student mission aimed to demonstrate how a tether can be used to deliver small payloads to Earth without the use of complex, expensive attitude control systems or rocket engines.




The Fotino capsule was due to be deployed on a 30 km long tether in space, the longest ever. As the tether deployed slower than planned, it reached a length of 8.5 km before a preprogrammed command cut Fotino loose from the spacecraft.

The orbit of the Fotino is currently being assessed to understand when and where the capsule will return to Earth on its parachute.

YES2 was one of the ESA-provided payloads on board the Foton-M3 orbital mission. The Foton spacecraft and the piggybacking YES2 payload were launched by a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur, Kazakhstan on 14 September. The YES2 experiment was installed on top of the battery pack of the Foton-M3 spacecraft.

Background

The ESA Education Office oversaw the YES2 educational project and is the primary contributor of funding for student organisation and spacecraft hardware. The cost of the launch was covered by the Education Office and the Agency's Directorate of Human Spaceflight, Microgravity and Exploration.

Technical support has been given by ESTEC staff in the Directorate of Technical and Quality Management. The project also received valuable support from European industry, notably Delta-Utec Space Research and Consultancy of the Netherlands, the prime contractor. Four university Centres of Expertise contributed significantly to the project: University of Patras, University of Modena, FRC Remagen/ Krefeld University, and Samara State Aerospace University.

European Space Agency



Related Spacecraft Current Events and Spacecraft News Articles Spacecraft Current Events and Spacecraft News RSS Spacecraft Current Events and Spacecraft News RSS
What to do with rotten, smelly garbage when the nearest dumpster is 100 million miles away
No one takes out the trash in space. In the cramped living quarters of a space station, garbage can pile up, spoil and become a health hazard for astronauts.

Chandrayaan-1 now in lunar orbit
Chandrayaan-1, the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) lunar orbiter, was captured into orbit around the Moon on 8 November. One day later, the spacecraft performed a manoeuvre that lowered the closest point of its orbit down to 200 km from the Moon.

Chandrayaan-1 now in lunar transfer trajectory
Yesterday, following a fifth orbit-raising manoeuvre, the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft successfully settled into a trajectory that will take it to the Moon.

New spaceship force field makes Mars trip possible
According to the international space agencies, "Space Weather" is the single greatest obstacle to deep space travel. Radiation from the sun and cosmic rays pose a deadly threat to astronauts in space.

MIT finds young planets stay hotter longer
Hot, young planets may be easier to spot because they stay that way longer than astronomers have thought, according to new work by MIT planetary scientist Linda Elkins-Tanton.

NASA spacecraft ready to explore outer solar system
The first NASA spacecraft to image and map the dynamic interactions taking place where the hot solar wind slams into the cold expanse of space is ready for launch Oct. 19. The two-year mission will begin from the Kwajalein Atoll, a part of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Cassini flyby of Saturn moon offers insight into solar system history
NASA's Cassini spacecraft is scheduled to fly within 16 miles of Saturn's moon Enceladus on Oct. 9 and measure molecules in its space environment that could give insight into the history of the solar system.

Baked slug: New method to test fireproofing material
In a high-temperature blaze, how well does a fireproofing material shield a building's important steel structures from heat? Answering this question has been surprisingly difficult, but it is important information for builders selecting high-performance fire-resistive materials and for scientists conducting computer simulations that investigate fires.

CU-Boulder space scientists set for second spacecraft flyby of Mercury
NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft, which is toting an $8.7 million University of Colorado at Boulder instrument to measure Mercury's wispy atmosphere and blistering surface, will make its second flyby of the mysterious, rocky planet Oct. 6.

NASA's Swift Catches Farthest Ever Gamma-Ray Burst
NASA's Swift satellite has found the most distant gamma-ray burst ever detected. The blast, designated GRB 080913, arose from an exploding star 12.8 billion light-years away.
More Spacecraft Current Events and Spacecraft News Articles


Spacecraft Thermal Control Handbook: Cryogenics (Aerospace Press)

The number of satellite systems that require some form of cryogenic cooling has grown enormously over the last several years. With so many engineers, scientists, and technicians working on cryogenic systems for the first time in their careers, the need for a single resource that touched on all the technologies relevant to cryogenics was apparent. The book includes 23 chapters--written by industry...



How Spacecraft Fly: Spaceflight Without Formulae
by Graham Swinerd

The aim of this popular science text is to explain aerodynamic and astrodynamic flight without the use of mathematics, in an informal style, for non-technical readers who are interested in spaceflight and spacecraft. The book will open with a concise introductory chapter, chronicling the ‘space age’ up to the present, and a brief ‘forward look’ into near-future developments. Chapter 2...



Spacecraft Systems Engineering 3rd Edition

Following on from the hugely successful previous editions, the third edition of Spacecraft Systems Engineering incorporates the most recent technological advances in spacecraft and satellite engineering. With emphasis on recent developments in space activities, this new edition has been completely revised. Every chapter has been updated and rewritten by an expert engineer in the field, with...



Spacecraft Structures and Mechanisms: From Concept to Launch (Space Technology Library)

Spacecraft Structures and Mechanisms describes the integral process of developing cost-effective, reliable structures and mechanical products for space programs. Processes are defined, methods are described and examples are given. It has been written by 24 engineers in the space industry, who cover the themes of (1) ensuring a successful mission, and (2) reducing total cost through good...



Scale Spacecraft Modelling
by Mat Irvine

Rockets and spacecraft were among the very first models made as commercial kits, and although never as numerous as aircraft, ships or road vehicles, the many kits produced over the years provide a fascinating niche in the world of model-making. The build-ups in this book reflect the current situation with spacecraft modelling; although there are still a number of conventional all-plastic kits...



Star Wars Complete Cross-Sections: The Spacecraft and Vehicles of the Entire Star Wars Saga
by Curtis Saxton

This amazing title unites all four Incredible Cross-Sections books in one volume, enlarged and updated with brand-new illustrations-including the TIE bomber, Imperial shuttle, A-wing, and B-wing-along with revised technical introductions, behind-the-scenes pages, glossary, and index. (c) 2006 Lucasfilm Ltd. and TM AUTHOR BIO: Hans Jenssen Hans Jenssen has spent the last nine years in a...



Spacecraft Systems Design and Operations
by James F. Peters



Elements of Spacecraft Design (Aiaa Education Series)
by Charles D. Brown

This text is drawn from the author's years of experience in spacecraft design culminating in his leadership of the Magellan Venus orbiter spacecraft design from concept through launch. The work also benefits from his years of teaching spacecraft design at Colorado University and for AIAA as a home study short course. The work presents a broad view of the complete spacecraft. The objective is to...



Spacecraft: Fleeting Architecture and Hideouts

How and where we work and spend our leisure time has changed dramatically in recent years. The increased mobility and global networking that pervade all aspects of our lives have had a considerable impact on the spaces in which we live, meet, and work. SpaceCraft presents projects that meet the changing spatial needs of our modern lifestyles and that are simultaneously expanding our...



Spacecraft Structures
by J. Jaap Wijker

Space flight is a comprehensive and innovative part of technology. It encompasses many fields of technology. This monograph presents a cross section of the total field of expertise that is called “space flight”. It provides insight into the design, construction and analysis aspects of spacecraft. Spacecraft includes satellites as well as launch vehicles, with a distinction between manned or...

© 2008 BrightSurf.com