Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales
Encyclopedia
Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE; in English, National Space Activities Commission) is the civilian agency of the government of Argentina
in charge of the national space program.
In 1960 Tabanera was named head of the newly-created Comision Nacional de Investigaciones Espaciales (CNIE). CNIE worked with the Argentine Air Force's Instituto de Investigaciones Aeronauticas y Espaciales (IIAE) to develop a number of indigenous multistage high altitude sounding rockets and missiles. Argentina was the first country in Latin America to send an object into space using an indigenously-developed rocket.
During the 1970s Argentina regularly launched the American two-stage solid propellant Castor rocket up to 500 kilometers altitude. This rocket carried international experiments for several countries. In the 1980s Argentina took part in a multinational effort to develop the Condor intermediate range missile.
Under U.S. pressure, the Condor Program was canceled in 1991. The associated development and production facilities at Falda del Carmen were closed down, the Fabrica Militar de Aviones was purchased by Lockheed Martin company, the IIAE was closed, and the CNIE dismantled. Further work on propulsion and launch vehicles was banned. A new civilian space agency, CONAE was created, which concentrated on development of surveillance satellites for earth resource and environmental monitoring.
The CONAE was established as the CNIE , a forerunner agency founded in 1960. The new commission was created on May 28, 1991 during the government of Carlos Menem
, after the cancellation of the military Condor missile
program in an attempt to move all the commission efforts to civilian purposes. It received the Air Force
aerospace facilities in Córdoba
and Buenos Aires
of the former CNIE, as well as some of the civil personnel involved in the cancelled project. Since the 1990s the new commission signed agreements with NASA
and European agencies and has developed a number of Earth Observation satellites, including SAC-A, the failed mission SAC-B, and the SAC-C launched in 2000 and still operating.
, Tierra del Fuego Province, at the southern tip of Argentina, to enable the collection of data on the Antarctic continent.
).
The SAC series has been developed by the CONAE together with the Argentine company INVAP
and a number of local universities, in close cooperation with the NASA
. It has also included the participation of Brazil
, Denmark
, Italy
and Germany
.
Currently three Argentine satellites have been launched: SAC-B, which was devoted to scientific research; SAC-A, a technological demonstration satellite, and SAC-C, the first Earth Observation Satellite of Argentina.
In this context, CONAE has joined efforts with NASA
in the creation of the First International Earth Observation Constellation, with Argentine SAC-C and the U.S. Landsat 7
, EO-1 and Terra
missions.
The most recent satellite launched by CONAE was SAC-D/Aquarius, which was launched on June 10, 2011. It will carry the NASA-provided Aquarius mission for taking measurements of sea salinity which will contribute to the better understanding of the environment, together with CONAE-provided sensors which will contribute to monitoring possible fire focuses.
On the other hand, the SAOCOM
series involves the construction of two missions with an L-band full polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar
(SAR) as main payload, with Belgium and Italian partnership.
missions (see related article Orfeo Programme
). Knowing the great advantages of combining the information provided by L and X Band radars and the convenience of a shorter revisit period, Argentina and Italy are joining efforts to develop this system, which will be fully devoted the provision of information to lessen the consequences of natural disasters.
CONAE, in July 2003, joined the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters
, which aims to provide a unified system of space data acquisition and delivery to those affected by natural or man-made disasters through Authorized Users.
The agency secured an agreement with the European Space Agency
on June 24, 2009 for the installation of a 35-m antenna and other mission support facilities at the Pierre Auger Observatory
, near Malargüe, Mendoza. The facility will contribute to the ESA's Mars Express
, Venus Express
, and Rosetta space probe projects, as well as CONAE's own, domestic research and the ESA's planned Deep Space project. One of only three such ESA installations in the world, the new antenna will create a triangulation which will allow the ESA to ensure mission coverage around the clock.
Government of Argentina
The government of Argentina, functioning within the framework of a federal system, is a presidential representative democratic republic. The President of Argentina is both head of state and head of government. Executive power is exercised by the President. Legislative power is vested in both the...
in charge of the national space program.
History
During the 1940s Teofilo Tabanera organized a group of foreign and Argentine specialists as the Sociedad Argentina Interplanetaria, SAI (Argentine Interplanetary Society). Tabanera's efforts ensured that Argentina was the first Latin American nation to create a spaceflight organization and in 1952 was one of the founding members of the International Astronautical Federation. Argentinean Aldo Cocca was a pioneer in space law and helped originate the idea of space being the common heritage of humankind, later enshrined in United Nations treaties of the 1960s.In 1960 Tabanera was named head of the newly-created Comision Nacional de Investigaciones Espaciales (CNIE). CNIE worked with the Argentine Air Force's Instituto de Investigaciones Aeronauticas y Espaciales (IIAE) to develop a number of indigenous multistage high altitude sounding rockets and missiles. Argentina was the first country in Latin America to send an object into space using an indigenously-developed rocket.
During the 1970s Argentina regularly launched the American two-stage solid propellant Castor rocket up to 500 kilometers altitude. This rocket carried international experiments for several countries. In the 1980s Argentina took part in a multinational effort to develop the Condor intermediate range missile.
Under U.S. pressure, the Condor Program was canceled in 1991. The associated development and production facilities at Falda del Carmen were closed down, the Fabrica Militar de Aviones was purchased by Lockheed Martin company, the IIAE was closed, and the CNIE dismantled. Further work on propulsion and launch vehicles was banned. A new civilian space agency, CONAE was created, which concentrated on development of surveillance satellites for earth resource and environmental monitoring.
The CONAE was established as the CNIE , a forerunner agency founded in 1960. The new commission was created on May 28, 1991 during the government of Carlos Menem
Carlos Menem
Carlos Saúl Menem is an Argentine politician who was President of Argentina from 1989 to 1999. He is currently an Argentine National Senator for La Rioja Province.-Early life:...
, after the cancellation of the military Condor missile
Condor missile
The Argentine Condor missile program started in the 1970s as a multinational space research program with significant contract work being performed by German company MBB ....
program in an attempt to move all the commission efforts to civilian purposes. It received the Air Force
Argentine Air Force
The Argentine Air Force is the national aviation branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic. , it had 14,606 military and 6,854 civilian staff.-History:...
aerospace facilities in Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
and Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
of the former CNIE, as well as some of the civil personnel involved in the cancelled project. Since the 1990s the new commission signed agreements with NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
and European agencies and has developed a number of Earth Observation satellites, including SAC-A, the failed mission SAC-B, and the SAC-C launched in 2000 and still operating.
Space Center Teofilo Tabanera
The Teofilo Tabanera Space Center,or CETT (Centro Espacial Teofilo Tabanera), is located 30 km southwest from Cordoba City, in a region called Falda del Carmen and houses the following installations:Cordoba Ground Station
Responsible for the tracking, command and control (TT&C) of the Argentine satellites, and for the ingestion, cataloging and archiving of satellite data products.CONAE's Córdoba Ground Station (ETC) has been in operation since 1997. It has capacity for data reception and TT&C. Currently, it receives data from 12 international satellites, besides the data from Argentine missions. The National Space Program foresees the setting up of a second ground station in UshuaiaUshuaia
Ushuaia may refer to the following:*Ushuaia, a city in Argentina.**Ushuaia Department, an administrative division**Ushuaia River**Ushuaia International Airport**Colegio Nacional de Ushuaia, National School of Ushuaia....
, Tierra del Fuego Province, at the southern tip of Argentina, to enable the collection of data on the Antarctic continent.
Mission Operation Center
Responsible for planning, commands elaboration and monitoring the Argentine satellites. Today the SAC-C Mission Operation Center is fully operative and SAC-D MOC is being implemented in order to control the future SAC-D/Aquarius satellites.Testing and Integration Facilities
In charge of integrating domestic satellites and running environmental and qualification testsInstitute for Advance Space Studies "Mario Gulich"
For the promotion of advanced knowledge and innovative use of space information; it also aims at developing highly skilled human resources.It has been named in honor of former CONAE physicist Mario Gulich, who conceived the first Argentine satellite for scientific applications: the SAC-B. Mr. Gulich died in 1994.Satellite systems
The national space program provides for two satellite series and both are devoted to Earth Observation: one with main Argentine instruments in the optical range (SAC) and the other one in the microwave range (SAOCOMSAOCOM
SAOCOM is a planned Earth observation satellite series of the Argentine Space Agency CONAE. Two satellites are planned, SAOCOM 1A and SAOCOM 1B. Both will be equipped with a L-band full polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar...
).
The SAC series has been developed by the CONAE together with the Argentine company INVAP
INVAP
INVAP S.E. is an Argentine high-technology company dedicated to the design, integration, construction and delivery of high complexity equipment, plants and devices.-Background:...
and a number of local universities, in close cooperation with the NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
. It has also included the participation of Brazil
Brazilian Space Agency
The Brazilian Space Agency is the civilian authority in Brazil responsible for the country's burgeoning space program. It operates a spaceport at Alcântara and a rocket launch site at Barreira do Inferno...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Italy
Italian Space Agency
The Italian Space Agency is a government agency established in 1988 to fund, regulate and coordinate space exploration activities in Italy...
and Germany
German Aerospace Center
The German Aerospace Center is the national centre for aerospace, energy and transportation research of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has multiple locations throughout Germany. Its headquarters are located in Cologne. It is engaged in a wide range of research and development projects in...
.
Currently three Argentine satellites have been launched: SAC-B, which was devoted to scientific research; SAC-A, a technological demonstration satellite, and SAC-C, the first Earth Observation Satellite of Argentina.
In this context, CONAE has joined efforts with NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
in the creation of the First International Earth Observation Constellation, with Argentine SAC-C and the U.S. Landsat 7
Landsat 7
Landsat 7, launched on April 15, 1999, is the latest satellite of the Landsat program. Landsat 7's primary goal is to refresh the global archive of satellite photos, providing up-to-date and cloud-free images. The Landsat Program is managed and operated by the USGS, and data from Landsat 7 is...
, EO-1 and Terra
Terra (satellite)
Terra is a multi-national NASA scientific research satellite in a sun-synchronous orbit around the Earth. It is the flagship of the Earth Observing System...
missions.
The most recent satellite launched by CONAE was SAC-D/Aquarius, which was launched on June 10, 2011. It will carry the NASA-provided Aquarius mission for taking measurements of sea salinity which will contribute to the better understanding of the environment, together with CONAE-provided sensors which will contribute to monitoring possible fire focuses.
On the other hand, the SAOCOM
SAOCOM
SAOCOM is a planned Earth observation satellite series of the Argentine Space Agency CONAE. Two satellites are planned, SAOCOM 1A and SAOCOM 1B. Both will be equipped with a L-band full polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar...
series involves the construction of two missions with an L-band full polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar
Synthetic aperture radar
Synthetic-aperture radar is a form of radar whose defining characteristic is its use of relative motion between an antenna and its target region to provide distinctive long-term coherent-signal variations that are exploited to obtain finer spatial resolution than is possible with conventional...
(SAR) as main payload, with Belgium and Italian partnership.
Airborne Systems
CONAE is actually operating a self developed airborne SAR called SARAT. The radar is capable of obtaining full polarimetric L band data with a resolution of 3 x 0.4 m. It is intended as a pre SAOCOM test bench.International cooperation
These missions will be part of the Italian-Argentine System of Satellites for Emergency Management (SIASGE), together with the Italian COSMO-SkyMedCOSMO-SkyMed
COSMO-SkyMed is an Earth observation satellite system funded by the Italian Ministry of Research and Ministry of Defence and...
missions (see related article Orfeo Programme
Orfeo Programme
The Orfeo programme is composed of 6 next-generation, high-resolution satellites: 4 Cosmo-Skymed X-band satellites from Italy, and 2 Pleiades optical satellites from France.Spain, Belgium, Sweden and Austria will also be users of this system....
). Knowing the great advantages of combining the information provided by L and X Band radars and the convenience of a shorter revisit period, Argentina and Italy are joining efforts to develop this system, which will be fully devoted the provision of information to lessen the consequences of natural disasters.
CONAE, in July 2003, joined the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters
International Charter on Space and Major Disasters
The International Charter on Space and Major Disasters is a charter which provides for the charitable retasked acquisition of and transmission of space satellite data to relief organizations in the event of major disasters...
, which aims to provide a unified system of space data acquisition and delivery to those affected by natural or man-made disasters through Authorized Users.
The agency secured an agreement with the European Space Agency
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
on June 24, 2009 for the installation of a 35-m antenna and other mission support facilities at the Pierre Auger Observatory
Pierre Auger Observatory
The Pierre Auger Observatory is an international cosmic ray observatory designed to detect ultra-high-energy cosmic rays: single sub-atomic particles with energies beyond 1020 eV...
, near Malargüe, Mendoza. The facility will contribute to the ESA's Mars Express
Mars Express
Mars Express is a space exploration mission being conducted by the European Space Agency . The Mars Express mission is exploring the planet Mars, and is the first planetary mission attempted by the agency. "Express" originally referred to the speed and efficiency with which the spacecraft was...
, Venus Express
Venus Express
Venus Express is the first Venus exploration mission of the European Space Agency. Launched in November 2005, it arrived at Venus in April 2006 and has been continuously sending back science data from its polar orbit around Venus. Equipped with seven science instruments, the main objective of the...
, and Rosetta space probe projects, as well as CONAE's own, domestic research and the ESA's planned Deep Space project. One of only three such ESA installations in the world, the new antenna will create a triangulation which will allow the ESA to ensure mission coverage around the clock.
Launches
- SAC-A: December 3, 1998 (Space ShuttleSpace ShuttleThe Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
). Conceived to test systems and as a technological model.
- SAC-B: November 4, 1996 (Pegasus rocketPegasus rocketThe Pegasus rocket is a winged space launch vehicle capable of carrying small, unmanned payloads into low Earth orbit. It is air-launched, as part of an expendable launch system developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation . Three main stages burning solid propellant provide the thrust...
). The first Argentinian scientific satellite, whose main goal was the study of solar physicsSolar physicsFor the physics journal, see Solar Physics Solar physics is the study of our Sun. It is a branch of astrophysics that specializes in exploiting and explaining the detailed measurements that are possible only for our closest star...
and astrophysicsAstrophysicsAstrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
. Launching problems prevented it from been deployed in orbit. As it was still attached to the rocket, it could not extend its solar panels and was only operated while the batteries lasted.
- SAC-C: November 21, 2000 (Delta rocketDelta rocketDelta is a versatile family of expendable launch systems that has provided space launch capability in the United States since 1960. There have been more than 300 Delta rockets launched, with a 95 percent success rate. Two Delta launch systems – Delta II and Delta IV – are in active use...
). Still operational. Launched as part of the AM Constellation together with NASA's Landsat 7Landsat 7Landsat 7, launched on April 15, 1999, is the latest satellite of the Landsat program. Landsat 7's primary goal is to refresh the global archive of satellite photos, providing up-to-date and cloud-free images. The Landsat Program is managed and operated by the USGS, and data from Landsat 7 is...
, TERRATerra (satellite)Terra is a multi-national NASA scientific research satellite in a sun-synchronous orbit around the Earth. It is the flagship of the Earth Observing System...
and EO-1Earth Observing-1The Earth Observing-1 Mission is part of NASA's New Millennium Program , to develop and validate a number of instrument and spacecraft bus breakthrough technologies designed to enable the development of future earth imaging observatories that will have a significant increase in performance while...
. Carries a Multispectral mid resolution sensor (MMRS), a high resolution technological camera (HRTC), a high sensitivity camera (HSTC) and the GPS Occultation and Passive reflection experiment (GOLPE). All instruments where provided by CONAE except GOLPE, which was provided by NASA.
- SAOCOMSAOCOMSAOCOM is a planned Earth observation satellite series of the Argentine Space Agency CONAE. Two satellites are planned, SAOCOM 1A and SAOCOM 1B. Both will be equipped with a L-band full polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar...
: Under development. Satellite that will carry a Synthetic Aperture RadarSynthetic aperture radarSynthetic-aperture radar is a form of radar whose defining characteristic is its use of relative motion between an antenna and its target region to provide distinctive long-term coherent-signal variations that are exploited to obtain finer spatial resolution than is possible with conventional...
(SAR), and will be part of a constellation of other satellites in partnership with the Italian Space AgencyItalian Space AgencyThe Italian Space Agency is a government agency established in 1988 to fund, regulate and coordinate space exploration activities in Italy...
. - SAC-DSAC-DSAC-D , also known as Aquarius after its primary instrument, is an Argentine Earth science satellite built by INVAP and launched on June 10, 2011. It carries seven instruments to study the environment, and a technology demonstration experiment. Its primary instrument, Aquarius, was built by and...
: SAC-D was launched on June 10, 2011.. Part of a cooperation program between CONAE and NASA (Goddard Space flight Center and JPLJet Propulsion LaboratoryJet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The facility is headquartered in the city of Pasadena on the border of La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena...
). It carries seven instruments to study the environment, and a technology demonstration.
- SAC-E: Unknown launch date. Satellite for the observation and information recollection on water and food on the MercosurMercosurMercosur or Mercosul is an economic and political agreement among Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Founded in 1991 by the Treaty of Asunción, which was later amended and updated by the 1994 Treaty of Ouro Preto. Its purpose is to promote free trade and the fluid movement of goods, people,...
area, developed together with the Brazilian Space AgencyBrazilian Space AgencyThe Brazilian Space Agency is the civilian authority in Brazil responsible for the country's burgeoning space program. It operates a spaceport at Alcântara and a rocket launch site at Barreira do Inferno...
. - SAC-F: No information available.
External links
- Official website
- Space Research in Argentina NASA archive from 1965