Science and science operations of the PROBA satellite fleet

Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence

Science and science operations of the PROBA satellite fleet

A 1-day workshop organised by the Solar-Terrestrial Center of Excellence at the premises of the Space Pole (Brussels) on 2014 March 31, open to all interested.

Since the launch of the first PROBA satellite (2001), the fleet of PROBA satellites has been continuously growing and several more PROBA satellites are in different stages of conception and/or approval. Despite having completely different user communities, all the PROBA micro-satellites share the same A for autonomy, fly in low Earth orbit and are operated by the same MOC in Redu. In this workshop we want to explore the opportunities and limitations that we share.

Agenda

10:00	Coffee
10:15	Welcome
10:30	The PROBA programmatic and technical concept What are the drivers behind the PROBA program? What are the opportunities and constraints that each PROBA development faces? PROBA from BELSPO perspective - Hendrik Verbeelen/Jacques Nijskens (BELSPO) PROBA from Qinetic perspective- Stijn Ilsen (Qinetic Space)
11:00	Operational strategies of the current PROBA satellites (invited talks) What lessons have you learned from the development and operations of your satellite/instrument that you think the builders or operators of the next PROBA mission would benefit from? PROBA-1 - Bianca Hoersch (ESA) PROBA2 - David Berghmans/Bogdan Nicula(ROB) PROBA-V - Wouter Diereckx (VITO) Operations at the PROBA satellite nursery. Differences, lessons learned and future evolutions - Etienne Tilmans (Redu)
12:20	Sandwich Lunch
13:20	Contributed Topics PROBA-V science: Experimental moon calibration method - Stefan Adriaensen (VITO) Instrument aspects, operations and science of EPT - Viviane Pierrard (BIRA), Sylvie Benck (UCL/CSR) and Stanislav Borisov (UCL/CSR) Coronal Imaging with SWAP - Dan Seaton (ROB) Solar irradiance measurements with LYRA - Marie Dominique (ROB) Results and operations of micro-cameras on PROBA-1 and PROBA2 - S. Beauvivle (MICROCAMERAS) LEO environment: impacts on PROBA satellites - Erwin De Donder (BIRA)
15:20	Coffee Break
15:50	Future PROBAs - approved and/or conceived missions: their goal, technical & programmatic status, operations concept The Altius mission - Didier Fussen (BIRA) The PROBA-3 mission - Andrei Zhukov (ROB) OLIVIA - Study of a passive companion micro-satellite to the SAOCOM-1B satellite of Argentina, for bistatic and interferometric SAR applications - Christian Barbier (CSL)
16:50	Round Table What have we learned from each other? What are the strengths and future of the PROBA missions? PROBA missions are technology demonstrators but also science platforms. What is the right balance to strengthen both aspects?
18:00	Adjourn

Registration & Logistics

Free sandwich lunch & coffee is foreseen for people listed on http://tinyurl.com/mvttjes. If you are not listed but would like to participate, please contact david.berghmans at sidc.be

Venue: Meridian Room - Royal Observatory of Belgium, Ringlaan - 3 - Avenue Circulaire, B1180 Brussels see on a map

This meeting is supported by the Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence (STCE) and the PROBA2 Science Center (ESA contract 22653/09/NL/NR).