Agency

Swarm launch Live -NOTE NEW SATELLITE SIGNAL PARAMETERS

Date: Fri, Nov 22, 2013 | 11:40 - 14:00 GMT | 12:40 - 15:00 CET

Type: ESA TV Live

Format: 16:9

Watch Swarm launch live!

ESA’s SWARM mission to study the Earth’s magnetic field on its launch pad.

Lift off is currently scheduled at 1302 CET this 22 November on top of a Rokot launcher from Plesetsk in Northern Russia.

Rokot is a former ballistic missile refurbished for satellite launches and commercialised by Eurockot.

Swarm is a constellation of 3 satellites flying in formation to measure the magnetic field from the centre of the Earth to the outermost reaches of the magnetosphere – the protective bubble that shields us from dangerous solar particles and radiation.

Transmission will include images from the Rokot launch pad in Plesetsk, Russia, and from the Swarm Control Centre at ESA's Operations Centre, ESOC in Darmstadt, Germany.

It will be in two parts:

1/ Last preparations/ lift-off and first flight phase

2/ After ballistic flight; separation of the 3 satellites, acquisition of signal(s) and management statements from Plesetsk and ESOC.

As soon as possible after the TV transmission, launch highlights will be posted on ESA TV ftp server:

Server: tvdownload.esa.int/

Password: ftp4esa

Ahead of the start of ESA TV there will be addresses at ESOC from the ESA directors and presentations from SWARM project scientists - covered on the same satellite parameters from 1130CET.

All the proceedings from 1130CET onwards can be followed on the web via the ESA portal.

More information at: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/The_Living_Planet_Programme/Earth_Explorers/Swarm

Satellite Parameters:

Eutelsat 10A (ex W2A) @ 10degE

Transponder B5 Channel C 9MHz

D/link freq: 11144.83 Polarisation X/horizontal

Signal: MPEG2 4:2:0 SD PAL 16:9 clear, SR = 5.632 Ms/s, FEC = 3/4

Modulation: DVBS/QPSK, audio PIDs open/mono

Satellite carrier will be up at 0930 GMT

For any inquiries regarding satellite or ftp reception please contact the ESA TV production team:
Dominique Detain at dominique.detain@esa.int tel + 33 685 114 681

Chris Courtenay Taylor at chrisct@worldwidepictures.tv tel + 44 7774 275 951.