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CNES prepares to observe jupiter with Cassini-Huygens and Galileo
6.
6.2. CNES PREPARES TO OBSERVE JUPITER WITH CASS/N/-HUYGENS AND GAL/LEO
NEWS FROM SPACE ORGANIZATIONS
6.1. ESA APPOINTS NEW PROGRAMME DIRECTOR
[From CNES Press Release, 26 December 2000]
[From ESA Press Release, 20 October 2000] At its 147th meeting, held at the ESA's headquarters in Paris on 19 and 20 October, the ESA Council unanimously elected its new Director of Science for the next four years, Professor David Southwood (UK), who takes over from Professor. Roger-Maurice Bonnet (F) on 1 May 2001. David Southwood, born on 30 June 1945, holds a BA in Mathematics and a Ph.D in Physics from Imperial College, London. He has spent most of his ~areer at Imperial College, apart from two periods at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), as Postdoctoral Fellow and later as Visiting Professor. In 1997 he joined ESA as Earth Observation Futur~ Progr~mme Strategy Manager. He is currently 1mpenal College Pro-Rector responsible for external academic affairs. Professor Southwood has received five awards/honours and held many chairmanships, including those of the ESA Science Programme Committee and Space Science Advisory Committee. Professor Southwood has also been involved actively for a number of years in COSPAR. He is currently the chair of the UK National Committee for COSPAR and representative for the International Union of Pure & Applied Physics (IUPAP).
. On 30 December 2000, as it proceeded on Its V!ay to Saturn, Cassini-Huygens observed Jupiter in tandem with Galileo which has been in orbit around the planet s'ince the end of 1995. For the first time ever, two planetary spacecraft st~died Jupiter simultaneously. The two probes Will collect data on Jupiter's stormy atmo~phere, some of its moons, its rings and electncally charged particles in its vicinity. Cassini-Huygens, launched from Cape Canaveral on 15 October 1997, is the first joint US-European mission to explore Saturn and its natural satellites, including Titan. CNES is closely involved in this major international endeavour, working alongside 50 scientists from a dozen or so French laboratories making France's scientific community the I~rgest contributor from Europe. CNES has also made a big contribution in helping to prepare nine of the 18 experiments on board the orbiter and lander.
The Cas~ini~Huygens probe began its flypast of Jupiter In October 2000 on its sevenyear voyage to Saturn. On 30 December 2000 it made its closest approach to the planet i~ the middle of the flyby phase that will last until March 2001 - about 10 million km outside the orbit of Jupiter's Galilean satellites 10, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
His role as Principal Investigator for the Cassini Saturn Orbiter Magnetometer is his most recent project. He has been active over the years, both in Europe and in the United States, in public outreach on space science. He has around 200 publications and 100 invited papers to his name.
Advantage is being taken of this dual presence around Jupiter to gather valuable science data about the planet. The two probes are recording 'stereo' observations that will greatly improve our understanding of: •
"David Southwood ranks among the most prominent space science experts in Europe" said ESA's Director General, Antonio Rodota welcoming Professor Southwood's appoint: ment,· and I am sure that he, like his predecessor, Professor Bonnet, will do a first-rate job for the excellent scientific community in our member states".
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interactions between the solar wind and Jupiter's magnetosphere, as Galileo is inside the magnetosphere while CassiniHuygens is outside it; the size of the particles making up the planet's rings; the dynamic processes driving Jupiter's atmosphere.
. .New.instrumentson Cassini operating in the VISible, Infrared and uv portions of the spectrum, added to its high-data-rate antenna, will ma~e !t possible to ,obtain a clear picture of Jupiter s atmospheric dynamics. It is also 33
planned to coordinate observations by the two probes with some by the Hubble telescope to study how aurorae respond to variations in the solar wind near the planet and in the magnetosphere. In its role as a centre of technical excellence promoting space assets and applications, CNES works in close partnership with the French scientific community. This partnership provides a solid foundation for France's space science programme, which CNES leads with support from laboratories at the French national scientific research centre (CNRS), universities, observatories and big government-owned research institutes. For more information about French involvement in the Cassini-Huygens mission, go to CNES's website at www.cnes.fr
6.3. MERCATOR: A BRIGHT OUTLOOK FOR OCEAN FORECASTING
The first MERCATOR bulletin was the result of a team effort by six partners: CNES, CNRSIINSU (the French scientific research centre's national institute for global sciences), IFREMER (the French institute of marine research and exploration), IRD (the French development research institute), the Meteo France weather service, SHOM (the French Navy's hydrography and oceanography department), and their subsidiaries CERFACS and CLS. On 17 January 2001, the Chairman and Directors-General of the six partner organizations collaborating on MERCATOR met to discuss their future oceanography strategy and co-signed the very first MERCATOR ocean bulletin. At the same time, they confirmed their continuing commitment to sustaining the Jason family of ocean-observing satellites, building on the heritage of TopexiPoseidon, and set priorities for developing the CORIOLIS project dedicated to acquiring in situ ocean measurements. The first MERCATOR ocean bulletin, on line since 17 January 2001, can be consulted at http://www.mercator.com.fr. Through this site, users will now have access to a range of maps and other information about the underlying variables of the ocean, such as velocity, salinity, temperature and sea level anomalies, which describe the ocean in all its dimensions - information that gives us a closer insight into current and forecast ocean conditions from the sea surface to the sea floor, at regional or basin scale.
[From CNES Press Release, 17 January 2001] On 17 January 2001, the first bulletin forecasting oceanic conditions for the North Atlantic, generated by the French MERCATOR project, went on line. The next MERCATOR bulletin was issued on 24 January, with weekly bulletins every Wednesday after that. These bulletins will provide a continuous three-dimensional picture of the ocean and offer forecasts for the following two weeks, based on archive and real-time data. MERCATOR thus marks a major step forward for operational oceanography, which is set to become a regular feature of our daily lives.
MERCATOR uses a three-dimensional model of the ocean capable of assimilating real-time data from satellite and in situ observations. This model offers a uniform, synoptic view of the ocean in much the same way as meteorological models represent the atmosphere.
Everyone likes to watch the weather forecast to find out what to expect in the days ahead. Now, ocean bulletins are ready to play a similar role, charting the oceans' changing moods to bring us a realistic snapshot of conditions at sea and to forecast developments over periods up to 14 days ahead. Such timely and accurate information will greatly assist all seafaring sectors, from naval and merchant shipping to oceanographic research vessels and offshore platform operators, as well as those whose job it is to ensure safety at sea, and to monitor and protect the environment. It will also help us to better understand and monitor the key role that oceans play in regulating the Earth's climate. MERCATOR is the first step of an ambitious programme geared to obtaining concrete data about the world's oceans.
The first MERCATOR bulletin issued by France's new ocean forecasting centre covers the North and Tropical Atlantic (200S - 70 0N) at a resolution of 1/3°, i.e., about 30 km. However, MERCATOR is aiming to progressively extend its range of services over the next three years in order to provide global coverage and improved resolution. MERCATOR is a key component of the large-scale international GODAE initiative (Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment) which, between 2003 and 2005, will combine major operational oceanography projects to conduct a global-scale experiment. From this
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6.2. CNES PREPARES TO OBSERVE JUPITER WITH CASS/N/-HUYGENS AND GAL/LEO
NEWS FROM SPACE ORGANIZATIONS
6.1. ESA APPOINTS NEW PROGRAMME DIRECTOR
[From CNES Press Release, 26 December 2000]
[From ESA Press Release, 20 October 2000] At its 147th meeting, held at the ESA's headquarters in Paris on 19 and 20 October, the ESA Council unanimously elected its new Director of Science for the next four years, Professor David Southwood (UK), who takes over from Professor. Roger-Maurice Bonnet (F) on 1 May 2001. David Southwood, born on 30 June 1945, holds a BA in Mathematics and a Ph.D in Physics from Imperial College, London. He has spent most of his ~areer at Imperial College, apart from two periods at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), as Postdoctoral Fellow and later as Visiting Professor. In 1997 he joined ESA as Earth Observation Futur~ Progr~mme Strategy Manager. He is currently 1mpenal College Pro-Rector responsible for external academic affairs. Professor Southwood has received five awards/honours and held many chairmanships, including those of the ESA Science Programme Committee and Space Science Advisory Committee. Professor Southwood has also been involved actively for a number of years in COSPAR. He is currently the chair of the UK National Committee for COSPAR and representative for the International Union of Pure & Applied Physics (IUPAP).
. On 30 December 2000, as it proceeded on Its V!ay to Saturn, Cassini-Huygens observed Jupiter in tandem with Galileo which has been in orbit around the planet s'ince the end of 1995. For the first time ever, two planetary spacecraft st~died Jupiter simultaneously. The two probes Will collect data on Jupiter's stormy atmo~phere, some of its moons, its rings and electncally charged particles in its vicinity. Cassini-Huygens, launched from Cape Canaveral on 15 October 1997, is the first joint US-European mission to explore Saturn and its natural satellites, including Titan. CNES is closely involved in this major international endeavour, working alongside 50 scientists from a dozen or so French laboratories making France's scientific community the I~rgest contributor from Europe. CNES has also made a big contribution in helping to prepare nine of the 18 experiments on board the orbiter and lander.
The Cas~ini~Huygens probe began its flypast of Jupiter In October 2000 on its sevenyear voyage to Saturn. On 30 December 2000 it made its closest approach to the planet i~ the middle of the flyby phase that will last until March 2001 - about 10 million km outside the orbit of Jupiter's Galilean satellites 10, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
His role as Principal Investigator for the Cassini Saturn Orbiter Magnetometer is his most recent project. He has been active over the years, both in Europe and in the United States, in public outreach on space science. He has around 200 publications and 100 invited papers to his name.
Advantage is being taken of this dual presence around Jupiter to gather valuable science data about the planet. The two probes are recording 'stereo' observations that will greatly improve our understanding of: •
"David Southwood ranks among the most prominent space science experts in Europe" said ESA's Director General, Antonio Rodota welcoming Professor Southwood's appoint: ment,· and I am sure that he, like his predecessor, Professor Bonnet, will do a first-rate job for the excellent scientific community in our member states".
• •
interactions between the solar wind and Jupiter's magnetosphere, as Galileo is inside the magnetosphere while CassiniHuygens is outside it; the size of the particles making up the planet's rings; the dynamic processes driving Jupiter's atmosphere.
. .New.instrumentson Cassini operating in the VISible, Infrared and uv portions of the spectrum, added to its high-data-rate antenna, will ma~e !t possible to ,obtain a clear picture of Jupiter s atmospheric dynamics. It is also 33
planned to coordinate observations by the two probes with some by the Hubble telescope to study how aurorae respond to variations in the solar wind near the planet and in the magnetosphere. In its role as a centre of technical excellence promoting space assets and applications, CNES works in close partnership with the French scientific community. This partnership provides a solid foundation for France's space science programme, which CNES leads with support from laboratories at the French national scientific research centre (CNRS), universities, observatories and big government-owned research institutes. For more information about French involvement in the Cassini-Huygens mission, go to CNES's website at www.cnes.fr
6.3. MERCATOR: A BRIGHT OUTLOOK FOR OCEAN FORECASTING
The first MERCATOR bulletin was the result of a team effort by six partners: CNES, CNRSIINSU (the French scientific research centre's national institute for global sciences), IFREMER (the French institute of marine research and exploration), IRD (the French development research institute), the Meteo France weather service, SHOM (the French Navy's hydrography and oceanography department), and their subsidiaries CERFACS and CLS. On 17 January 2001, the Chairman and Directors-General of the six partner organizations collaborating on MERCATOR met to discuss their future oceanography strategy and co-signed the very first MERCATOR ocean bulletin. At the same time, they confirmed their continuing commitment to sustaining the Jason family of ocean-observing satellites, building on the heritage of TopexiPoseidon, and set priorities for developing the CORIOLIS project dedicated to acquiring in situ ocean measurements. The first MERCATOR ocean bulletin, on line since 17 January 2001, can be consulted at http://www.mercator.com.fr. Through this site, users will now have access to a range of maps and other information about the underlying variables of the ocean, such as velocity, salinity, temperature and sea level anomalies, which describe the ocean in all its dimensions - information that gives us a closer insight into current and forecast ocean conditions from the sea surface to the sea floor, at regional or basin scale.
[From CNES Press Release, 17 January 2001] On 17 January 2001, the first bulletin forecasting oceanic conditions for the North Atlantic, generated by the French MERCATOR project, went on line. The next MERCATOR bulletin was issued on 24 January, with weekly bulletins every Wednesday after that. These bulletins will provide a continuous three-dimensional picture of the ocean and offer forecasts for the following two weeks, based on archive and real-time data. MERCATOR thus marks a major step forward for operational oceanography, which is set to become a regular feature of our daily lives.
MERCATOR uses a three-dimensional model of the ocean capable of assimilating real-time data from satellite and in situ observations. This model offers a uniform, synoptic view of the ocean in much the same way as meteorological models represent the atmosphere.
Everyone likes to watch the weather forecast to find out what to expect in the days ahead. Now, ocean bulletins are ready to play a similar role, charting the oceans' changing moods to bring us a realistic snapshot of conditions at sea and to forecast developments over periods up to 14 days ahead. Such timely and accurate information will greatly assist all seafaring sectors, from naval and merchant shipping to oceanographic research vessels and offshore platform operators, as well as those whose job it is to ensure safety at sea, and to monitor and protect the environment. It will also help us to better understand and monitor the key role that oceans play in regulating the Earth's climate. MERCATOR is the first step of an ambitious programme geared to obtaining concrete data about the world's oceans.
The first MERCATOR bulletin issued by France's new ocean forecasting centre covers the North and Tropical Atlantic (200S - 70 0N) at a resolution of 1/3°, i.e., about 30 km. However, MERCATOR is aiming to progressively extend its range of services over the next three years in order to provide global coverage and improved resolution. MERCATOR is a key component of the large-scale international GODAE initiative (Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment) which, between 2003 and 2005, will combine major operational oceanography projects to conduct a global-scale experiment. From this
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