European Space Operations Centre

About: European Space Operations Centre is a government organization based out in Darmstadt, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Orbit determination & Satellite. The organization has 309 authors who have published 331 publications receiving 10399 citations. The organization is also known as: ESOC.

Potential Interests of the IGS for the Galileo System

Abstract: Galileo is the name of a future worldwide satellite navigation system that could be developed soon by Europe. Its technical characteristics should be close to those of GPS, allowing in the near future possible dual-capability GPS-Galileo receivers for all types of users. Even if several years may be required to obtain a fully operational constellation, it seems legitimate to envision already the potential interest of Galileo to the scientific GPS user community and more specifically to try to define a possible medium- and long-term strategy for the International GPS Service (IGS). After a brief description of the present key characteristics of the Galileo project and a general overview of its deploymet timetable, we will focus more on the possible short-term and medium-term actions that could be conducted within the IGS community to prepare future dual use of the GPS and Galileo satellite signals for precise scientific applications. In all cases a close cooperation between IGS and the Galileo project could bring mutual benefits. Some examples of such possible actions are described in this paper. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Obtaining geostationary orbit from an off-nominal low transfer orbit.

Abstract: A theory for optimal apogee raising maneuvers for geostationary spacecraft injected in a low transfer orbit and equipped with a solid propellant apogee boost motor is developed. These maneuvers are made by hydrazine thrusters before the apogee boost motor firing. The decrease in propellant needed for station acquisition amounts to about 15-19 m/s for each 1000 km the apogee is below nominal compared with the solution of only using these thrusters after the firing.

An analysis of the European space weather modelling capabilities

Abstract: <p>For many years the Space Weather Office of the European Space Agency has promoted the development of resources for the monitoring of solar activity and its effects on our planet and technology. Current and past activities include the gathering and distribution of data from ground and space observatories, the deployment of specialized instruments onboard hosting satellites, the proposal of new nanosat missions, the promotion of improvements in computer models, and the design of Vigil, the first operational space weather mission in Europe. Multiple international institutions have also developed their own space weather assets. However, in contrast to meteorological forecasts, no prediction centre is still capable to produce accurate forecasts of the space weather conditions in the next days. Private and public institutions around the world are working on the improvement of forecasting tools. For ESA this effort requires additional support on the development of critical modelling techniques, including: data assimilation, uncertainty quantification, ensemble forecasting, machine learning, and model coupling, among others.</p> <p> </p> <p>To have a clear mapping between the existing modelling capabilities in Europe and the user requirements, we invited European experts to participate in the "Space Weather Modelling Workshop" held in March 2023 at ESOC. In this presentation we will show the results of this workshop, including a detailed summary of the European modelling capabilities, a description of the existing gaps and overlaps, an analysis of missing assets, a description of existing bottlenecks, and a plan to improve the accuracy of space weather forecasting. The ESA Space Weather Office has set goals for the next years in the area of modelling, based on the data collected during the workshop, on discussions with the community, and on data from the literature. We will describe how the community can contribute to reach these goals and to develop the new generation of European Space Weather forecasting services.</p>