European X-ray space telescope flying high
The European Space Agency's new X-ray space telescope has reached operational orbit, a week after its successful launch from Kourou on 10 December 1999. The XMM spacecraft was manoeuvred to its final orbit on 16 December, requiring four firings of its thrusters to increase the velocity. It is now circling the earth with a highly eliptical orbit once every 48 hours, whilst monitored by teams in Perth, Kourou and Villafrance. The satellite appears to be responding well. Manager of XMM Spacecraft Operations, Dietmar Heger, said: 'XMM is flying so beautifully. The satellite is behaving better in space than all our pre-launch simulations and we have been able to adjust our shifts to this more relaxed situation.' Following a visit to the Darmstadt mission control centre at ESOC, XMM project manager Robert Lainé said: 'The perfect behaviour of XMM at this early stage reflects the constructive cooperation of European industrial companies and top scientists.'