In January,
Konnect a Eutelsat satellite
will be launched on an Ariane 5 from Kourou.
Konnect is the first Neosat Telecommunications platform
with electric propulsion
developed within a Public Private Partnership
between ESA and industry.
It comprises 2 platform lines,
one with Airbus,
one with Thales Alenia Space.
Towards the end of year
another innovative telecom satellite will be under Ariane 5 fairing
Quantum a satellite centered on software reprogrammation
which will offer in orbit reconfigurability
in coverage, frequency and power,
within another public-private partnership with Eutelsat.
In February Luca Parmitano will return to Earth,
landing Kazakhstan after more than 6 months
in the International Space Station.
In the future ESA astronauts will probably fly aboard US capsules,
in particular the Orion capsules
part of NASA’s Artemis return to the Moon programme
for which ESA is developing a service module
providing propulsion, oxygen and power
for these future crewed capsules.
A symbolic name
Artemis being the twin sister of Apollo.
The Sun will be the goal of a joint ESA/NASA mission,
Solar Orbiter
launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
Solar orbiter will study the Sun up close,
give insight into its effects on our entire Solar System
and provide key details on the source of life on Earth.
The Earth is at the heart of the European Commission’s Copernicus programme.
By the end of year
ESA will launch Sentinel 6 in collaboration with NASA.
Sentinel 6 will study the oceans
and in particular sea level,
a key indicator for climate change.
It will continue the datasets from Topex-Poseidon
and Jason ocean missions.
Copernicus Sentinel satellites
are key to observe and understand climate change,
giving policy makers the data they need to take decisions.
Science and exploration in the summer with ExoMars.
If all goes as planned,
notably its parachute tests,
the second ExoMars mission will launch from Baikonur
while Exomars 2016 sent the Trace Gas Orbiter
sniffing Mars atmosphere,
this mission will comprise a rover with a drill
and a surface platform to explore the Red Planet.
In springtime Vega will return to flight
with the demonstration of a new multi satellite payload system.
Among the many satellites launched
E-sail/Sat-AIS,
designed for tracking maritime traffic.
Then the Spanish Seosat Earth observation satellite
will be sent into orbit on another Vega.
2020 will also see the first flight of
a new and more powerful Vega launch vehicle,
Vega-C.
Vega-C is not only more powerful than the current Vega
it is also larger allowing for larger and heavier payloads,
further diversifying Europe’s launcher portfolio.
Vega-C’s first stage motor
will also be used for the next big step for ESA launch vehicles:
Ariane 6,
Europe’s new heavy launcher’s maiden flight
will intensify its preparation in Europe and Kourou.
ESA therefore continuing to secure independent access to space for Europe