****************************************************************************** dorismail 10-Oct-2005 18:44:14 Message No 0414 ****************************************************************************** Author: Tavernier Gilles Subject: Cryosat launch failure Dear Colleagues, As you know CryoSat was lost due to a launch failure on Saturday, October 8. Here is a message sent by Dr. Volker Liebig, Director of Earth Observation Programmes - Head of ESRIN Best regards, Gilles TAVERNIER _____________________________________________________ CNES DCT/PO/AL - Bpi 2002 Phone : 33 - (0)5 61 27 37 76 18, avenue Edouard Belin Fax : 33 - (0)5 61 28 25 95 31 401 TOULOUSE CEDEX 9 Email : Gilles.Tavernier@cnes.fr _____________________________________________________ Dear delegates, As you are aware, on Saturday 8 October, ESA's first Earth Explorer mission CryoSat was lost due to a launch failure connected to an anomaly in the launch sequence, in relation to the second stage of the launch vehicle. An investigating commission by the Russian State authorities has been established to further analyse the reasons for the failure, and results are expected in the coming weeks. The loss of this mission is something I regret very much, and it is a disappointment for researchers across Europe and for industries who have contributed to the programme as well as for ESA's staff. CryoSat was the first of ESA's Earth Explorer series of missions and now we must look ahead and endeavour to ensure that the next ones to be launched are successful. As you know, the launch of the second Explorer, GOCE is currently foreseen in late 2006. I received messages from industry, scientists and delegations expressing their sympathy with the whole team saying that the enormous efforts the team has put into CryoSat are in no way diminished by the events. I transferred this to my teams and would like to thank all for their solidarity. I would like to express my personal appreciation for the extremely professional work that has been undertaken by all involved throughout the preparation of the CryoSat mission and during the event. I am in close contact with the lead scientist Duncan Wingham who raised the question of repeating the mission. I am looking together with the Director General of ESA into possible options for recovering the situation and for implementing a possible replacement mission for CryoSat. We will come in the next Programme Board back to you with this topic. Yours sincerely, Volker Liebig ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Volker Liebig Director of Earth Observation Programmes - Head of ESRIN Via Galileo Galilei - Casella Postale 64 - 00044 Frascati (Italy) Tel. (+39) 06 94180 300 Fax (+39) 06 94180 302 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please do not reply directly to this message, but send comments and suggestions to IDS.central.bureau@cls.fr