****************************************************************************** dorismail 20-Jun-2008 16:08:24 Message No 0540 ****************************************************************************** Author: "Tavernier Gilles" Subject: Jason-2/OSTM launch Dear colleagues, The Jason-2/OSTM ocean altimetry satellite was successfully launched by NASA from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on a Delta II launcher today, June 20th, at 07:46 UTC. Separation and solar panel deployment was faultlessly executed nearly an hour later. As the launch of Jason-2 successfully occurred today, cycle 0 should start on July 3rd when the satellite will reach its final orbit, and cycle 1, which will start on July 12th at 01:47 UTC, will be synchronized with jason-1 cycle 240. Jason-2 DORIS data will be delivered to IDS Data Centers in the regular DORIS format (after orbit processing) and also in a new RINEX format (before orbit processing, thus with a shorter delay when routine processing is achieved). Further information is available on the following web sites: www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/ostm/main/index.html www.aviso.oceanobs.com/en/news/index.html http://jason2-cnes.fr/ (in French only) There are currently 6 flying DORIS satellites: SPOT-2, 4 and 5, ENVISAT, Jason-1 and Jason-2 (+ 1: NRL STPSAT1/CITRIS). New missions are scheduled with the following launches to come: - CryoSat-2, ESA's ice mission http://www.esa.int/esaLP/LPcryosat.html November 2009 - HY-2A, CNSA/CNES, Chinese altimetry mission with a DORIS receiver www.aviso.oceanobs.com/en/missions/future-missions/hy-2/index.html June 2010 - SARAL, ISRO/CNES, will embark the AltiKa altimeter as well as a Doris instrument www.aviso.oceanobs.com/en/missions/future-missions/saral/index.html end 2010 - Sentinel 3, part of ESA's contribution to GMES is for a global ocean and land monitoring mission which includes an altimetry instrument package www.esa.int/esaLP/SEMZHM0DU8E_LPgmes_0.html November 2012 SPOT-2 end of life: after the failure of CryoSat Launch, CNES decided to postpone SPOT-2 de-orbitation until Jason-2 launch. SPOT-2 de-orbitation might then occur by the end of 2008. ENVISAT : the current scenario, provided that no major problem is encountered, is to keep the current station keeping strategy until October 2010. The ENVISAT orbit will then be lowered by 17,4 km (new repeat cycle 30 days / 431 orbits). Then only altitude will be controlled until fuel is exhausted. Due to the free inclination drift, Mean Local Solar Time will thus change from 22:00:00 up to 22:09:28 in May 2012 then down to 21:50 in August 2014. We will keep you informed on the status of the mission. 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 _____________________________________________________ Please do not reply directly to this message, but send comments and suggestions to IDS.central.bureau@cls.fr