One Soyuz, Two Galileo

European Space Agency (ESA)

Jean-Jacques Dordain excited about the success of the sliding base Soyuz French Guiana in South America, Friday, October 21, 2011. According to Dordain, who served as Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), Soyuz, which carries two Galileo satellites, has a lot of sense for Europe.

"This is a system that will put our continent as a world-class player in the strategic domain satellite navigation, a domain with huge economic perspective," he said. This determination is seen in the European Space Agency pages giving the title of his writings, One Soyuz Launcher, Two Galileo Satellites, Three successes for Europe.

Galileo is a navigation system to reduce Europe's dependence on the global positioning system (GPS) belonging to the United States.

To support this system, the ESA would put 30 satellites in orbit, more than Americans owned only 24 satellites. The European Union hopes to rival GPS Galileo America and bring in revenues of over U.S. $ 125 billion.

The launch is also historic because the first time using Russian Soyuz rocket. The rocket is a legend Red Bear country has been in operation for 60 years, including transporting Sputnik and astronauts Yuri Gagarin. During this time the ESA using Ariane rocket, owned by France.

The first launch of the Russian Soyuz-ST launcher from Kourou in French Guiana is scheduled for October 20. The Soyuz-ST will carry into orbit two Galileo navigation satellites (Picture from: http://www.itar-tass.com/)

For Russia, the launch time is also historic because it was first Soyuz launch from the site outside Baikonur in Kazakhstanor or Plesetsk in Russia. French Guiana, which is operated by Arianespace, is located in the vicinity of the equator. Russia previously interested in building a rocket launching base in Biak, Papua, which is also located on the equator. But there is no follow-up of that intention.

The launch from near the equator is more profitable. For Soyuz, it offers improved performance as it can carry loads weighing up to 3 tonnes into geo-stationary orbit is usually required by commercial telecommunications satellites. When it slid from Baikonur, the Soyuz can only carry loads weighing 1.7 tons.

With the launch in Guyana, it means that the ESA has three different rides. Soyuz is a medium sized vehicle and rocket Ariane handle large loads. While the Vega rocket, which debuted in 2012 is planned, will lift a small satellite.

Two Galileo satellite was placed in orbit 23 thousand kilometers above the earth. Together the two satellites to be launched into space next year, these satellites are used to prove that the Galileo system works as designed, from the spacecraft in the skies to control all operations and management on land.

"The mission is called the orbit validation (IOV)," said Javier Benedicto, Galileo project manager at the European Space Agency. According to him, the goal is to test and verify various functions and system performance. Soyuz mission and the ESA Galileo is further confirmed as one of the players in the aerospace industry .*** [UNTUNG WIDYANTO | ESA.COM | BBC | KORAN TEMPO 3685]

Navigation Technology is Mandatory Device
Since the era of the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union are competing to develop navigation technology. America developed the GPS, while Russia makes Global navigation satellite system (Glonass).

After that era ended, the technology is not only a military monopoly, but also used commercially. As a result, all the places in the world tracked by this technology. Scientists, engineers, and even police use them, for example, to dismantle criminal cases.

Luxury cars equipped with this technology is a new output. Now, in many developed countries, a navigation system into a must-have device.

In addition to the two superpowers, China and India develop a global navigation system. Beginning decades ago, 24 European countries agreed to create a system called Galileo. No half-hearted, Galileo is considered a step more advanced than the American GPS. They do not want to rely on the American GPS system which was held by the military Uncle Sam's country. *** [UWD | KORAN TEMPO 3685]

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