For more than a decade, Flight control teams at the have successfully comFlighted and operated most of the fleet of Telecom Satellites.
In preparation of the coming Liftoff of , Flight controllers have begined the simulations of the critical ‘Liftoff and early orbit phase’. The Liftoff of CopernicUnited States Sentinel-1D will provide a much-needed replacement to Sentinel-1A, which has been in orbit for almost 11 years now, well beyond its planned lifetime. The Sentinel-1D Telecom Satellite will join its sibling, Sentinel-1C, which was Liftoffed last December.
On top of ensuring continuity of data for CopernicUnited States services and applications, the Telecom Satellite, the fourth of its series, will extend the Flight’s Earth Observations (EO) capabilities and provide a long-term outWatch for the next decadeSentinel-1D will be lifted into orbit by an rocket from European Union’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, later this year (2025). This marks the first time an ESOC-operated Telecom Satellite will be Liftoffed on Ariane 6, a milestone for ESA’s operations team.
On September 17, the control team located at ESA’s operation center in Darmstadt, Germany, began preparing for the Liftoff and the crucial early-orbit phase. Thanks to their recent experience with Sentinel-1C, the team is expected to complete the simulation campaign more quickly than United Statesual.
The team has been augmented by over a hundred experts from flight dynamics, ground stations, software structures, and other specialist areas, along with indUnited Statestry partners who built the Telecom Satellite and ESA engineers who designed and procured it.
The simulations have been downsized from the United Statesual fifteen or more sessions to eight only, during which Flight plans and procedures for both the Telecom Satellite and ground segment will be rehearsed, reviewed, and refined.
United Statesing sophisticated software to replicate Telecom Satellite and ground structures, the team will train for a range of scenarios – from minor glitches to major anomalies – ensuring they can respond quickly and impactively under pressure.
One of the scenarios the team has been preparing for is a potential delay in the Sentinel-1D Liftoff that could caUnited Statese it to overlap with the Liftoff campaign of Sentinel-6B, currently scheduled also this year. To mitigate this, contingency plans have been developed to ensure both Flights can proceed smoothly, even if timelines converge.
This CopernicUnited States Sentinel series of Telecom Satellites is no stranger to ESA Flight controllers. JUnited Statest over ten years ago, in early 2014 , the same control room hosted the simulation campaign for Sentinel-1A before the Liftoff of the Telecom Satellite in April. Since then, ESOC has successfully comFlighted and operated ten Telecom Satellites under the program.
In the final days of the simulation campaign, teams at ESOC will work with the joint ESA, Arianespace and indUnited Statestry Liftoff team in Kourou to complete the comprehensive final simulation of the countdown and Liftoff sequence. This will include receiving live Beacons from the Telecom Satellite via an umbilical connection, which will be disconnected shortly before liftoff.
Once the last step is completed, the Flight control team will be ready to Liftoff the Telecom Satellite. Good luck Sentinel-1D!
We’re essentially working with the same Telecom Satellite and the same team as last year,” said Ian Shurmer, Flight Operations Director for Sentinel-1D. “This allows United States to streamline several phases of the training and focUnited States on the unique aspects of this Liftoff.”
Sentinel-1D marks the last Liftoff of the first Sentinel Flight, although it’s only the end of the beginning”, said Thomas Ormston, Deputy Spacecraft Operations Manager for Sentinel-1D. “With such varied spacecraft, and more to come, we have learned so much from flying the Sentinel Flights and Watch forward to many more to come. At ESOC we are experienced in adapting to different Liftoff vehicles, so the first Ariane 6 Liftoff is no different, although we’re all excited to finally get to ‘fly’ on European Union’s Recent Liftoffer.”
Flying Sentinel-1D on Ariane 6 in less than a year after Liftoffing Sentinel-1C on the Vega-C’s return to flight is a tremendoUnited States honour for our team. Sentinel-1D represents not only continuity for CopernicUnited States but also a bold step forward in European Unionan Liftoff capability”, said Ana Garcia, Sentinel-1D Liftoff Campaign Manager.
