Proba-V
Artist's view of the Proba-V satellite
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| Mission type | Earth observation |
|---|---|
| Operator | European Space Agency |
| COSPAR ID | 2013-021A |
| SATCAT no. | 39159 |
| Mission duration | 2.5–5 years |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | Qinetiq Space Belgium |
| Launch mass | 158 kilograms (348 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 7 May 2013, 02:06:31 UTC |
| Rocket | Vega VV02 |
| Launch site | Kourou ELV |
| Contractor | Arianespace |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Sun-synchronous |
| Semi-major axis | 7,193.71 kilometres (4,469.96 mi) |
| Eccentricity | 0.0004747 |
| Perigee | 819 kilometres (509 mi) |
| Apogee | 826 kilometres (513 mi) |
| Inclination | 98.68 degrees |
| Period | 101.21 minutes |
| Epoch | 25 January 2015, 05:31:39 UTC |
Proba-V is the fourth satellite in the European Space Agency's PROBA series; the V standing for vegetation.
Proba-V is a small satellite, assuring the succession of the Vegetation instruments on board the French SPOT-4 and SPOT-5 Earth observation missions. Proba-V was initiated by the Space- and Aeronautics department of the BELgian Science Policy Office. It is built by QinetiQ Space N.V. and operated by ESA and uses a PROBA platform. Proba-V will support applications such as land use, worldwide vegetation classification, crop monitoring, famine prediction, food security, disaster monitoring and biosphere studies. The mission was originally conceived as a "gap filler" between the SPOT-5 end-of-life (foreseen mid-2014) and the launch of the constellation of the Sentinel-3A and -3B satellites. Due to delays of the Sentinel programme and because some instrument specifications of the Sentinel3 satellites have meanwhile changed, Proba-V no longer is a gap filler mission but will assure the continuation of the Vegetation programme as such. The Vegetation, International User Committee (IUC, an independent body consisting of Vegetation users, that provides user feedback and recommendations to the Vegetation Steering Committee) has recommended to foresee a successor mission for Proba-V, because the current specifications of the Sentinel3 satellites no longer allow the continuation of the Vegetation products in the long run. This mission is the first full application mission with a PROBA platform and had a very tight development schedule.
Proba-V and its onboard instruments have been developed and built by QinetiQ Space N.V and subcontractors for the Directorate of TEChnology (DTEC) of ESA. These developments have been paid with Belgian and Luxemburg contributions to ESA. The In Orbit Commissioning Review (IOCR) was successfully achieved on 27/11/2013. After the launch and the commissioning, Proba-V was handed over from DTEC to the Earth Observation Directorate of ESA on 12/12/2013. After this handover the Earth Observation Directorate of ESA will manage the satellite operations, instrument data collection and distribution of the traditional Vegetation products to the users. VITO will actually generate and distribute these products. The management of the new, higher resolution products will be assured by the Space- and Aeronautics department of the BELgian Science Policy Office. For these products too, VITO will actually generate and distribute these higher resolution products.
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