Ajay Kumar at 05:19, 7 August 2023

2023-08-07T05:19:25Z

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{{Short description|Network of space-tracking stations of the European Space Agency}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2019}}
The '''European Space Tracking''' ('''ESTRACK''') network consists of a number of ground-based space-tracking stations belonging to the [[European Space Agency]] (ESA), and operated by the [[European Space Operations Centre]] (ESOC) in [[Darmstadt]], Germany. The stations support various ESA spacecraft and facilitate communications between ground operators and scientific probes such as [[XMM-Newton]], [[Mars Express]], [[BepiColombo]], [[Gaia (spacecraft)|Gaia]]. Similar networks are run by the [[NASA Deep Space Network|USA]], [[Chinese Deep Space Network|China]], [[Soviet Deep Space Network|Russia]], [[Japanese Deep Space Network|Japan]], and [[Indian Deep Space Network|India]].

==Composition==
[[File:Network map ESA286082.png|thumb|350px|Locations of ESTRACK's ESA owned stations (in blue) on a world map]]
[[File:Estrack control centre.jpg|thumb|ESTRACK Network Operations Centre in ESOC|alt=]]The Core ESTRACK network is composed of seven ESA-owned ground stations and the ESTRACK Control Centre in the [[ESOC]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Estrack/Network_Operations_Centre|title=Network Operations Centre|last=esa|website=European Space Agency|access-date=27 June 2019}}</ref> Four of the stations are used for tracking satellites and launchers near Earth and three are used for tracking deep-space probes. Service contracts with commercially operated ground stations and cooperation agreements with international partners allows the network to track satellites that aren't in view of the ESA owned ground stations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Estrack ground stations |url=https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Operations/ESA_Ground_Stations/Estrack_ground_stations |access-date=2022-10-12 |website=www.esa.int |language=en}}</ref>[[Image:Redu135cassegrp.jpg|thumb|180px|ESTRACK station in [[Redu]], Belgium]]
===ESA stations ===

==== Core Ground Stations ====
* [[Guiana Space Centre|Kourou Station]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Estrack/Kourou_station|title=Kourou station|last=esa|website=European Space Agency|access-date=27 June 2019}}</ref> (French Guiana)
* [[Kiruna Station]]<ref>{{cite web |last=esa |title=Kiruna station |url=http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Estrack/Kiruna_station |access-date=27 June 2019 |website=European Space Agency}}</ref> (Sweden)
* [[Redu Station]]<ref>{{cite web |last=esa |title=Redu station |url=http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Estrack/Redu_station |access-date=27 June 2019 |website=European Space Agency}}</ref> (Belgium)
*[[Santa Maria Island Station]]<ref>{{cite web |last=esa |title=Santa Maria station |url=http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Estrack/Santa_Maria_station |access-date=27 June 2019 |website=European Space Agency}}</ref> (Azores, Portugal)

==== Deep Space ''Antennas'' ====

* [[Cebreros Station]]<ref>{{cite web |last=esa |title=Cebreros - DSA 2 |url=http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Estrack/Cebreros_-_DSA_2 |access-date=27 June 2019 |website=European Space Agency}}</ref> (Spain)
* [[New Norcia Station]]<ref>{{cite web |last=esa |title=New Norcia - DSA 1 |url=http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Estrack/New_Norcia_-_DSA_1 |access-date=27 June 2019 |website=European Space Agency}}</ref> (Australia)
* [[Malargüe Station]]<ref>{{cite web |last=esa |title=Malargüe - DSA 3 |url=http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Estrack/Malarguee_-_DSA_3 |access-date=27 June 2019 |website=European Space Agency}}</ref> (Argentina)

=== Augmented Network<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Network map |url=https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2013/01/Network_map |access-date=2022-10-12 |website=www.esa.int |language=en}}</ref> ===

* [[South Point Air Force Station|South Point]]
* Santiago
* [[Troll Satellite Station|Troll]]
* [[Svalbard Satellite Station|Svalbard]]
* [[Dongara Satellite Station|Dongara]]

=== Cooperative Network<ref name=":0" /> ===

* [[Poker Flat Research Range|Poker Flat]]
* [[Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex|Goldstone]]
* Weilheim
* [[Esrange Space Center|Esrange]]
* [[Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory|Hartebeesthoek]]
* [[Broglio Space Centre|Malindi Space Centre]] (Kenya)<ref name=":1" />
* [[Kerguelen Islands|Kerguelen]]
* [[Usuda Deep Space Center|Usuda]]
* Masuda
* [[Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex|Canberra]]

===Former stations===
* [[Perth Station]] (Australia)
* [[Maspalomas Station]] (Gran Canaria, Spain)
* [[Villafranca Station]] (Spain)

==Antennas==
{{Update|section|date=August 2014}}
Each ESTRACK station is different, supporting multiple missions, some sharing one or more of the same missions. The ESTRACK core network consists of:

*Three 35-metre diameter deep space antennas (New Norcia, Cebreros and Malargüe).
*Three 15-metre antennas (Kourou, Kiruna, Redu)
*One 13-metre antenna (Kiruna)
*One 5.5-metre antenna (Santa-Maria)
*One 4.5-meter antenna (New-Norcia 2)
*One 2-meter antenna (Malindi, Kenya)
*Six [[GPS]]-TDAF antennas

The antennas are remotely operated from the ESTRACK Network Operations Centre (NOC) located at ESOC. The ESTRACK core network is completed by antenna belonging to cooperative agencies and antennas belonging to commercial partners.

On 1 January 2013, the 35-metre station Marlargüe became the newest station to join the ESTRACK Deep Space Network.

The station in Santa-Maria can be used to track Ariane launches and it is also capable of tracking Vega and Soyuz launchers operated from ESA's Spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana.<ref>.

[http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Operations/SEMJCF2MDAF_0.html ESA – ESA Spacecraft Operations – Boosting capability: Santa Maria station to join ESTRACK]</ref>

The antenna in Malindi ([[Broglio Space Centre|Malindi Space Centre]] (Kenya)<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2015/09/ESA_tracking_antenna_Malindi|title=ESA tracking antenna Malindi|website=European Space Agency|access-date=27 June 2019}}</ref>) can be used for Launch and Early Orbit Phases.

The small antenna in New-Norcia can be used for Launch and Early Orbit Phases and for tracking rain, Vega and Soyuz launchers operated from ESA's Spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana.

==See also==
* [[European Space Operations Centre]] (ESOC)
* [[European Space Research and Technology Centre]] (ESTEC)
* [[European Space Astronomy Centre]] (ESAC)
* [[European Astronaut Centre]] (EAC)
* [[European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications]] (ECSAT)
* [[ESA Centre for Earth Observation]] (ESRIN)
* [[Guiana Space Centre]] (CSG)
* [[European Space Agency]] (ESA)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Operations/index.html ESA Operations website]
* [http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Operations/SEM8YCSMTWE_0.html ESA webpage on ESTRACK, including links to all stations]

{{ESTRACK facilities}}
{{European Space Agency}}
{{Public-sector space agencies}}
{{authority control}}

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{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}

[[Category:ESTRACK facilities|*]]
[[Category:Deep Space Network]]
[[Category:Ground stations]]
[[Category:European Space Agency]]

ESTRACK - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 05:19, 7 August 2023