Just 34 hours after the European Space Agency ’s Sentinel-1A spacecraft separated from its bearer rocket salad , it nearly smash into a dead NASA satellite .
Costing $ 380 million , the Sentinel-1A is the first of a fleet of satellite that Europe is institutionalise into infinite for its multibillion - dollarCopernicus task , which the ESA describes as “ a young epoch in Earth watching . ”
That earned run average nearly ended before it had a chance to start . On the ESA web site , the Sentinel-1A squad hasbloggedabout what it was like being in the control room :
As the first twenty-four hours chemise approach its ending , a serious alert is received : there is a danger of a collision with a NASA orbiter calledACRIMSAT , which has run out of fuel and can no longer be guide . Not much information at the beginning , we are waiting for more entropy , but a collision avoidance manoeuvre may be need . ”Are you kidding ? A hit dodging maneuver during LEOP [ Launch and Early Orbit Phase ] ? This has never been done before , this has not been simulated ! ”
It is decided to maneuver Sentinel-1A. Its ambit EL need to be shift to escape the chaser . Decision deal : this maneuver is the first one of the charge .
We are ready for the maneuver that takes 39 seconds … .The ambiance was tense and the Main Control Room was filled with suspense . oculus were looking up at the big screens on the wall , waiting for a sign . As the satellite approach Troll ground place on the next pass and the telemetry started to scroll down in the twilight of the dominance room , the squad hold their breath … … Yes ! the maneuver has been successful !
For the first time that nighttime , loud gag and cheers bursts through the way . We are dependable .
Another average night in the Sentinel-1 projection spirit over , it is the tour of the day shift team to play with the baby now .
There ’s a sure karmic irony to this incident , since , just a dyad of day ago , the International Space Station had toperform a maneuverto avoid rubble from a European Ariane-5 skyrocket .
reference : ESA
debrisSatelliteScienceSpaceTechnology
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