Thales Alenia Space
Delivers Jason-2 Satellite To Its Californian Launch Base
(30 April 2008) The Jason-2 satellite,
built by Thales Alenia Space, left its integration centre in Cannes for its
launch site.
The satellite is slated for a June 15 launch from
the Vandenberg Air Force Base (California, USA) by a Delta II
rocket.
The Jason-2 operational oceanographic mission involves a
quadripartite collaboration between French space agency CNES, its American
counterpart NASA, and the two meteorological organisations Eumetsat and NOAA,
in charge of data analysis.
Designed to study the Earth's oceans and
climate, Jason-2 will take over from its predecessor, Jason-1, which has
already been in orbit for seven years and is still operational. Jason-2 will
provide an opportunity for the launch of new services, including maritime
forecasts for ships, and coupling of this data with weather
forecasts.
Based on a Proteus platform, Jason-2 features the Poseidon-3
altimeter, also developed by Thales Alenia Space in Toulouse. Poseidon-3 will
offer the same measurement accuracy as Poseidon-2, but will include an
experimental mode capable of providing measurements near coastal zones, as well
as for lakes and rivers. The Poseidon dual-frequency altimeter continues to be
the key instrument in this spaceborne observation program.
The new
satellite will be placed in the same orbit as Jason-1, at an altitude of 1,336
kilometres with an inclination of 66 degrees, to provide virtually blanket
coverage of all ice-free ocean surfaces. Its weight at launch is 553 kilograms,
with 550 W of power and pointing accuracy of 0.15° (half-cone).
For
more than 20 years, Thales Alenia Space has been in the forefront of efforts to
meet major environmental challenges, whether meteorological (MSG) or
oceanographic. The company is also a world-wide leader in high-performance
optical and radar payloads, for civil and military use.
About Thales
Alenia Space
European leader in satellite systems and at the forefront
of orbital infrastructures, Thales Alenia Space is a joint venture between
Thales (67%) and Finmeccanica (33%). Together with Telespazio, Thales Alenia
Space forms a Space Alliance between the two groups. The company is a
world-wide reference in telecoms, radar and optical Earth observation, defense
and security, navigation and science. With 7200 employees and 11 industrial
sites, Thales Alenia Space is located in France, Italy, Spain and
Belgium.
(source: Thales Alenia Space)
