Metop A in-orbit commissioning

Paper number

IAC-07-B1.I.17

Author

Mr. Jean-Paul Gardelle, Astrium, France

Year

2007

Abstract

This paper summarizes the main steps which were carried out during the first months which followed the Metop A launch. In particular, the LEOP (Launch and Early Orbit Phase) operations, the commissioning operations, and the satellite subsystems verification are described. This phase has been completed in the first quarter of 2007, and has allowed to reach a fully nominal operational status of the satellite platform and avionics. All performances are met with good margins, which allowed to carry on with the instruments detailed verification and calibration.
Metop-A is part of a series of 3 satellites developed by Astrium as Prime contractor for ESA and Eumetsat. These satellites will be launched at 4.5 year intervals, and will be operated by Eumetsat over a duration of about 15 years overall. Metop-A, B and C are the first European satellites dedicated to operational meteorology to be operated from polar orbit. at an altitude around 830 km.
Metop-A carries 11 instruments originating from both Europe and the US, due to the Eumetsat-NOAA collaboration on this programme. The design of the spacecraft platform is based upon the successful Spot family developed by Astrium. Metop-A uses the latest version of this family, and is the 11th platform of the Spot family to be flown, with 3 more still to be launched over the coming years.
The Metop-A spacecraft has been launched on the 19th of October 2006 with a new version of the Soyuz rocket. Shortly after the rocket blasted off from the Baïkonur cosmodrome, the 4.1 tons spacecraft was injected into proper orbit by the Fregat launcher upper stage. The separation from Fregat took place as expected, and the satellite entered an automatic sequence which allowed to initialise its in-orbit operations. The 40 sqm solar panel has been deployed successfully, various mechanisms were actuated as planned, and the attitude acquisition and control sequence was executed nominally. All remaining appendages were then deployed, including the ASCAT scatterometer large antennas, and 3 other antennas. First orbit correction manoeuvres were achieved with very good accuracy, and the LEOP phase was concluded with success, allowing the start of the commissioning phase proper. This phase allowed a deep review of all the satellite subsystems. The following sections are focussed upon platform and avionics, as the various instruments were verified separately. The satellite behaviour has been observed over several months after the launch, and a first assessment was drowned in February 2007, which confirmed the excellent performance of the various satellite subsystems.

Abstract document

IAC-07-B1.I.17.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-07-B1.I.17.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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