Main Press and Communication activities for 2004
January,15/01,Paris, France: ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain meets the press, February,26/02,Kourou, French Guiana: launch of Rosetta, (launch window open until 17 March), ,tbc,Kennedy Space Centre, USA: delivery of ESAs Hexapod to the International Space Station tbc,Inauguration of the EGNOS ground receiving station in Torrejón, Spain tbc,Ceremony marking the start of work, in Kourou, French Guiana, on the ground segment infrastructure for the Vega launcher ,March ,tbc,ESA/EC joint meeting at ministerial level 16-19/03,London, United Kingdom: ESA stand at Oceanology International tbc,Bordeaux, France: 36th parabolic flight campaign tbc,Baikonur, Kazakhstan: launch of Skyplex ,April,13-17/04,Noordwijk, the Netherlands: Huygens Symposium, including international day for amateur astronomers (17/04) at ESA/ESTEC 19-29/04,Baikonur, Kazakhstan: launch of the Delta mission to the International Space Station, with ESA astronaut André Kuipers on board ,May,10-16/05,Berlin, Germany: ILA 2004 tbc,Noordwijk, the Netherlands: ATV media day at ESA/ESTEC tbc,Kennedy Space Center, USA: delivery of ESAs Cupola to the International Space Station ,June,tbc,Xichang, China: Double Star 2nd launch 11/06,Cassini/Huygens, fly-by of Phoebe tbc,Noordwijk, the Netherlands: availability of the first EGNOS signal; event at ESA/ESTEC tbc,Baikonur, Kazakhstan: launch of AmerHis tbc,Kourou, French Guiana: first Ariane 5 ECA qualification flight ,July,1/07,Huygens Saturn orbit insertion 18-24/07,Paris, France: COSPAR 19-25/07,Farnborough, United Kingdom: Farnborough International tbc,Bordeaux, France: 37th parabolic flight campaign ,August ,September,6-10/09 ,Salzburg, Austria: first Envisat Symposium from 12/09,Possible return to flight by the US Shuttle fleet tbc,Toulouse, France: beginning of long-term bedrest study, the first in which all the subjects will be women ,October,04-08/10,Vancouver, Canada: IAC 2004 tbc,Bordeaux, France: 38th parabolic flight campaign tbc,One year before launch of first Galileo test satellite: visit to the satellite building facilities in the UK ,November ,tbc ,Kiruna, Sweden: Maxus 6 launch tbc ,Plesetsk, Russia: launch of Cryosat ,December,25/12,Huygens probe separates from Cassini and heads towards Saturns moon Titan ,The dates of some events, especially launches, depend on various factors, such as readiness of the spacecraft and/or launcher, and thus remain tbc (to be confirmed) for some time. All Space Shuttle, Soyuz and Ariane launch dates are provisional and will be confirmed by NASA, Rosaviakosmos and Arianespace respectively in due time. For further information please contact: ESA Media Relations Service:,Franco Bonacina, Brigitte Kolmsee, Anne-Marie Rémondin,Tel. + 33(0)1.53.69.7155,Fax. + 33(0)1.53.69.7690