Record launch for the Ariane 5 rocket, which for the first time brings into orbit four satellites of the European Galileo navigation system, promoted by the EU Commission and created by the European Space Agency (ESA). The launch took place yesterday from the European base of Kourou, in French Guiana.
It was also an important test for the European launcher managed by Arianespace. Despite the 88 active operations, in fact, the European rocket had never experienced the launch of four satellites at once. It will take almost 10 days for the satellites to arrive at their final correct position.
Ariane 5 carries satellites 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the Galileo constellation into orbit, which in this way will soon have 18 satellites in orbit. This will mark a substantial approach to the operational phase, which requires 24 satellites plus 6 in reserve. Italy participates in the program with Finmeccanica-Leonardo and the companies Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space.
In particular, Leonardo has created, among other things, the IRES-N2 (Infrared Earth Sensor) attitude sensors, used to control the position of satellites, and the PHM (Passive Hydrogen Maser) hydrogen atomic clocks.
Leonardo's PHM - underlines the group in a note - is the most accurate atomic clock ever made for satellite navigation applications as it accumulates an error of just one second every three million years. 2 are installed on each of the Galileo satellites and are the real heart of it. Indeed, since space and time are united in the determination of a geographical position, a better measurement of time corresponds to a more accurate location.
