SMOS, ESA's water mission, is the first satellite designed both to map sea surface salinity and monitor soil moisture on a global scale, thus contributing to better understanding of the Earth's water cycle. Proba-2 will perform in-orbit demonstration of 17 advanced satellite technologies, solar observation experiments and plasma environment studies.

The main launch event for SMOS and Proba-2 will be held at ESA’s ESRIN establishment in Frascati, Italy. ESA senior management and programme specialists will be on hand to give explanations and interviews.

Live TV transmission of the launch will provide quality pictures to broadcasters from Plesetsk and from mission control rooms at CNES/Toulouse in France and at ESA’s Redu ground station in Belgium (for further details, see http://television.esa.int).

The media (and the general public) can also follow a web-streamed video transmission at: http://www.esa.int/smos or http://www.esa.int/proba

Media representatives wishing to follow the main launch event at ESA/ESRIN or the local launch event at one of the other ESA establishments are requested to fill in the attached accreditation form and fax it back to the venue of their choice.

 
SMOS/Proba-2 Launch

Monday, 2 November 2009

First name: ________________________________

Surname:____________________________________

Media organisation:__________________________________

Address:_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

Tel:_________________________________________________

Fax:_________________________________________________

Mobile:_____________________________________________

Email:______________________________________________

I shall be attending the SMOS/Proba-2 event at the following venue:

Main SMOS/Proba-2 launch event

[ ] Italy

Location: ESA/ESRIN

Address: Via Galileo Galilei, Frascati, Rome, Italy

Opening hours: 00:00 to 06:30

Contact: Dieter Isakeit, Tel +39 06 94180 950, Fax +39 06 94180 952

dieter.isakeit@esa.int

Local SMOS/Proba-2 launch events

[ ] The Netherlands

Location: ESA/ESTEC

Address: Keplerlaan 3, Noordwijk

Opening hours: 02:30 to 04:30

Contact: Pal A. Hvistendhal, Tel + 31 71 565 3006, Fax + 31 71 565 5728

estecpr@esa.int

[ ] Germany

Location: ESA/ESOC

Address: Robert Bosch Strasse 5, Darmstadt, Germany

Opening hours: 07:00 to 09:30 (as a post-launch press briefing)

Contact: Jocelyne Landeau-Constantin, Tel: +49.6151.902.459, Fax: +49.6151.902.961

melanie.zander@esa.int

[ ] Spain

Location: ESA/ESAC

Address: Urbanización Villafranca del Castillo, Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid

Opening hours: 01:30 to 04:30

Contact: Javier Ventura-Traveset, Tel + 34 91 813 13 59, Fax: + 34 91 813 12 19