15 episodes
ESA Explores Space Operations European Space Agency
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- Technology
From ESA's mission control in Darmstadt, Germany, spacecraft are flown in Earth orbit; taking the pulse of our unique planet, and across the Solar System; exploring our local environment and looking out to the universe beyond.
It is from here, too, that we keep watch over hazards in space – from solar flares to asteroids to space debris – working to mitigate these risks, keeping us, and the infrastructure we've come to rely on, safe.
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ESA‘s riskiest flyby – Solar Orbiter faces Earth debris
We talk to Julia Schwartz, expert in flight dynamics, and Klaus Merz, space debris, about Solar Orbiter's upcoming risky Earth flyby. On 27 Nov, it will pass almost as close as the International Space Station in one of the closest flybys on record, which will see the spacecraft pass through two regions of hazardous debris. Could Solar Orbiter swerve from collision, if needed? Has the recent 'fragmentation event' increased the risk?
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Rescuing Integral: No thrusters, no problem
A year ago today, a failure on the Integral spacecraft meant it fired its thrusters for likely the last time. Hear Richard Southworth, Operations Manager for the mission explain how in the 365 days since, the spacecraft in Earth orbit has continued to shed light on the violent gamma ray Universe.
Not only that, Integral should soon be working even more efficiently than before, as mission control teams implement an ingenious new way to control the 18-year-old spacecraft. -
Your chance to name the next space weather mission
ESA needs you. We need a name for our new spacecraft. Its mission? To spot potentially hazardous solar storms before they reach Earth.
We speak to Jussi Luntama, ESA's Head of Space Weather about the mission, why it needs a new name, and what kind of submissions he's hoping for.
Submit your proposal at: https://www.esa.int/Safety_Security/Space_weather/Name_ESA_s_new_mission -
A fictional asteroid impact
Once every two years, asteroid experts around the globe meet up and pretend an asteroid impact is imminent. Why? To prepare for the likely – but plausible – scenario in which this comes true.
In this episode, we speak about the hypothetical impact scenario playing out at this year's Planetary Defense Conference and why it matters, with Detlef Koschny, ESA's Head of Planetary Defence.
Get the full story on hypothetical asteroid 2021 PDC on the Rocket Science blog: https://blogs.esa.int/rocketscience/2021/04/26/deep-fake-impact/ -
André Kuipers on sheltering from oncoming space debris
André Kuipers is one of a handful of astronauts who has had to 'shelter-in-place' from a piece of marauding space debris.
In 2012, a debris fragment was spotted heading towards the International Space Station. Its orbit was hard to predict but it looked like it could pass at a distance of approximately 10 kilometres: that meant code red.
ESA astronaut André, along with his fellow passengers, had to seek shelter in the two Soyuz spaceships which function as safe houses and as lifeboats. Fortunately, the debris passed safely by. We spoke to André about what this experience was like, and also to his wife Helen who recounts the exact moment she found out. -
ESA & UNOOSA talk trash: Directors Josef Aschbacher and Simonetta di Pippo in conversation
In the final episode of the ESA-UNOOSA podcast on space debris, Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency, and Simonetta di Pippo, Director of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, discuss this topic of global concern.
What are the two leading organisations doing to tackle space debris? What more needs to be done? Is there reason to be hopeful?