Solutions

Purpose

The purpose of external spacecraft monitoring is to provide feedback of spacecraft status during deployment of e.g. antennas, instrument booms and solar arrays. The classical approach using indirect information collection from sensors is becoming impractical when spacecraft and space stations grow larger and have more appendices. A new approach has therefore been introduced using visual systems for direct visual confirmation of spacecraft conditions to complement the classical methods. The use of visual monitoring gives additional benefits such as detection of structural deformation, in-orbit spacecraft surface damage analysis and failure diagnostics.

Missions

Mars Express

The purpose of mounting a VMC on the Mars Express Orbiter was to capture the separation of Beagle2 lander as it drifts towards the Martian surface. Later on, the aim of the camera will be re-directed as it will become the first Mars Webcam.

XMM-Newton

The purpose of mounting the VMC’s on XMM was to observe the deployment of the solar arrays and the sunshield. A secondary objective was to provide visual feedback for public relations purposes.

Cluster-II

The purpose of mounting the VMC’s on the Cluster II Spacecraft was to capture the separation of 2 unmanned satellites as they drift apart. A secondary objective was to provide visual feedback for public relations purposes.

Recently, this camera was awoken from hibernation and served as training module for students and engineering at ESA (operations). Read more on this link.

OIP’s Participation

OIP was responsible for the development of the miniaturised VMC cameras. These cameras showed successful results during the XMM,
CLUSTER II and the MARS-EXPRESS mission.

Status

The VMC became a great Outreach success for ESA as all used VMC, with intended ‘mission life’ of a few weeks to months, have been re-commissioned after several years in hibernation to become so called space webcams. The most famous one is the Mars Webcam, which even has it own Mars Webcam blog.

3 Years after capturing the last picture of the Beagle-2 lander drifting away, the decision was taken to study the possibility of reviving the VMC camera in a completely different role. With its wide field of view, and unique (for a ‘webcam’) location around the planet Mars, it provided a very attractive prospect to ESA public relations and of interest even to the science community. With success. The camera helps the scientific community and even helps young students and ESA/ESOC trainees in their courses and education. What an achievement for a tiny camera. It put OIP on the camera picture map at ESA and the VMC was mentioned at the Europlanet Outreach Awards (Award).