- Following the successful launch of SYRACUSE 4A on October 23, the CERES satellites from the Ministry of the Armed Forces will be launched on November 16, 2021. The CERES project is conducted by the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) at the benefit of the armed forces, while the French space agency CNES assists DGA for project management.– This launch, VV20, will be the 20th mission carried out by the Vega light launcher. Since entering service with Arianespace in early 2012, Vega has amply proven its flexibility by orbiting a total of 108 satellites, in both single and multiple launches.– It will also be the 300th launch of the Arianespace launcher family from the Guiana Space Center (CSG), Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, once again proving the reliability and availability of the three launchers in this family, Ariane, Soyuz and Vega, operated by Arianespace from CSG.Twelfth launch by Arianespace in 2021, the Vega light launcher will lift off, for the third time this year, from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, on November 16, 2021. It will carry on board three CERES satellites for the French Ministry of the Armed Forces.The CERES program comprises three satellites flying in formation in low Earth orbit (LEO). Equipped with high-performance sensors, these satellites also offer all-weather, daily revisit frequency and are capable of collecting data enabling the characterization and location of transmitters. Airbus Defence and Space is the prime contractor for the space segment, comprising three satellites, and is co-prime with Thales Defence Mission Systems, in charge of the payload and user ground segment. CNES assists DGA for project management; it supplies and operates the satellite control ground segment.
Vega mission #VV20 is getting ready for the launch of #CERES for the @DGA . Equipped with high-performance sensors, these satellites offer all-weather, daily revisit frequency and are capable of collecting data enabling the characterisation and location of transmitters.
How come the press kit says these sats are going to SSO but the inclination is 75°? Is it a really, really high orbit? Am I missing something?
Early tomorrow morning, @Arianespace will launch a Vega rocket carrying 3 French intelligence satellites. Liftoff from Kourou is scheduled for 09:27 UTC.ARTICLE by Lee Kanayama (@Falcon_1e):https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/11/vega-ceres-launch/
Quote from: JuaniX on 11/16/2021 01:15 amHow come the press kit says these sats are going to SSO but the inclination is 75°? Is it a really, really high orbit? Am I missing something?75° is one of two alternate Geosynchronous orbits (GSO / aka Geocentric orbit (GCO)) with the other being 255° at 20,200 km circular (12 hour orbit. SSO in this case stands for semi-synchronous orbit NOT sun synchronous orbit.
https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1460537823715643392QuoteSpaceflight Now @SpaceflightNowMinus-10 minutes. Weather conditions are favorable for launch this morning in French Guiana.Liftoff of the 20th Vega rocket is set for precisely 4:27:55am EST (0927:55 GMT) with the three CERES reconnaissance satellites for the French military.
Spaceflight Now @SpaceflightNowMinus-10 minutes. Weather conditions are favorable for launch this morning in French Guiana.Liftoff of the 20th Vega rocket is set for precisely 4:27:55am EST (0927:55 GMT) with the three CERES reconnaissance satellites for the French military.
What an beautiful blue sky to launch #Vega this morning #VV20 🚀🤩
Quote from: russianhalo117 on 11/16/2021 01:33 amQuote from: JuaniX on 11/16/2021 01:15 amHow come the press kit says these sats are going to SSO but the inclination is 75°? Is it a really, really high orbit? Am I missing something?75° is one of two alternate Geosynchronous orbits (GSO / aka Geocentric orbit (GCO)) with the other being 255° at 20,200 km circular (12 hour orbit. SSO in this case stands for semi-synchronous orbit NOT sun synchronous orbit.Thank you! This helps a lot!!So, the person who typed the press kit interpreted incorrectly the initials (and I would have surely done the same).
Quote from: JuaniX on 11/16/2021 01:15 amHow come the press kit says these sats are going to SSO but the inclination is 75°? Is it a really, really high orbit? Am I missing something?If the orbit is circular (which I don't know) the altitude would be 677 km. (calculated with earth radius 6371 km)I'm afraid no TLE data will be published for the CERES satellites.
OBJECT A 1 49464U 21105A 21320.66683499 .00091804 00000-0 16367-1 0 99912 49464 75.0000 145.2950 0000462 265.5166 94.5921 14.66435202 47OBJECT B 1 49465U 21105B 21320.66683100 .00112935 00000-0 20058-1 0 99922 49465 75.0016 145.2968 0000442 271.4266 88.6814 14.66459331 32OBJECT C 1 49466U 21105C 21320.66683855 .00208835 00000-0 36507-1 0 99912 49466 74.9991 145.2954 0000725 320.3548 39.8166 14.66507708 39OBJECT D 1 49467U 21105D 21320.66265608 .00084400 00000-0 44153-2 0 99912 49467 74.9626 145.2016 0142567 215.4627 151.3020 15.07021212 33
surprise, TLE recordsQuoteOBJECT A 1 49464U 21105A 21320.66683499 .00091804 00000-0 16367-1 0 99912 49464 75.0000 145.2950 0000462 265.5166 94.5921 14.66435202 47OBJECT B 1 49465U 21105B 21320.66683100 .00112935 00000-0 20058-1 0 99922 49465 75.0016 145.2968 0000442 271.4266 88.6814 14.66459331 32OBJECT C 1 49466U 21105C 21320.66683855 .00208835 00000-0 36507-1 0 99912 49466 74.9991 145.2954 0000725 320.3548 39.8166 14.66507708 39OBJECT D 1 49467U 21105D 21320.66265608 .00084400 00000-0 44153-2 0 99912 49467 74.9626 145.2016 0142567 215.4627 151.3020 15.07021212 33https://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/table.php?tleFile=tle-new&title=Last%2030%20Days%27%20Launches&orbits=25&pointsPerRev=90&frame=1three Satellites 672 x 673 km 75° incl. , object D (AVUM) 447 x 644 km ~ 75° incl.