As their first "joint venture" satellite beamed data back to
Earth, Chinese and European scientists said Monday they anticipate
even greater collaboration in the years ahead.
The TC-1, a Chinese satellite carrying eight special instruments
from the European Space Agency (ESA), was put into operation
Monday, slightly more than three months after it was launched into
orbit atop a Chinese Long March rocket.
"The Sino-European Double Star Program has scored important
achievements in its current phase," said Luan Enjie, director of
the China National
Space Administration.
The Double Star mission will involve two satellites flying in
complementary orbits around the Earth. ESA's contribution to the
mission includes the eight on-board scientific instruments and
support to the ground segment for four hours each day via its
satellite tracking station in Spain.
The Double Star duo will operate alongside four Cluster II
satellites, a project the Europeans began in 2000 to study how
solar winds affect the Earth.
"The close cooperation between Chinese and European scientists
has laid a solid foundation for the success of further space work,"
Luan said at the satellite handover ceremony in Beijing.
Luan revealed that China and Europe will soon sign a significant
new agreement to expand cooperation in space. He did not provide
details.
The TC-1 designation is an abbreviation of "Tance," or
"Explorer." Flying in a highly elliptical equatorial orbit, it is
designed to circle the planet for at least 18 months to track space
storms and improve the safety of missions, according to Liu
Zhenxing, chief scientist of the Double Star Program.
Since it was propelled into orbit on December 30, the satellite
has collected 15 gigabytes of data, including discoveries regarding
electromagnetic fields and particle activities in the magnetosphere
near the Earth, reported Liu.
European scientist Philippe Escobet said they were very happy
and even surprised by the initial results from Double Star. He said
the project is considered extremely important because "it will
greatly increase our knowledge of the magnetosphere and the
relationship between the Earth and the sun."
The positions and orbits of the two Double Star satellites
provide more information on the magnetosphere than is possible with
ESA's Cluster alone.
For example, at present it is impossible to determine the exact
region where sun storms producing bright auroras are formed.
However, the simultaneous high-resolution measurements to be made
by Double Star and Cluster are expected to provide the answer.
Escobet said that he was certain cooperation between China and
Europe in space ventures would expand in the future.
Expressing his thanks to Liu Zhenxing, "the great scientist who
invented the Double Star," Escobet said Chinese scientists are
welcome to participate in all the ongoing European missions.
(China Daily April 13, 2004)