18-03-2009

Chapter Name: The Hague (The Netherlands) By: Air Cdre RNLAF retd. Ir. Gerrit Schoonderbeek

Summary of Meeting:

On 18 March 2009 Afcea Chapter The Hague in co-operation with the Netherlands Industries for Defense and Security Organization NIDV held its March meeting at the European Space Research and Technology Centre ESTEC in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.

Mr. Rob van Dort, Business Development Manager of the NIDV, opened the meeting and gave some more insight in the (upcoming) activities of his organization. Then he gave the floor to the first speaker: Mr. Erwin Duhamel, Head Security, Strategy and Partnership Development Office of ESTEC.

Mr. Duhamel‘s main topics included ESA (European Space Agency), European Space Policy and some ESA Security related programs. The European Space Agency (ESA) and its 18 Member States work together to pursue a wide range of ambitious and exciting goals in space. Together, they create fascinating projects that would not be feasible for the individual Member States. These projects generate new scientific knowledge and new practical applications in space exploration, and contribute to a vigorous European aerospace industry.

ESA's purpose is to provide for, and to promote, for exclusively peaceful purposes, cooperation among European States in space research and technology and their space applications, with a view to their being used for scientific purposes and for operational space applications systems. ESA has sites in several European countries. The European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), the largest site and the technical heart of ESA - the incubator of the European space effort - is in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. Most ESA projects are born here, and this is where they are guided through the various phases of development. More than 2000 specialists work here on dozens of space projects. Except for launchers, nearly all ESA projects are managed from ESTEC. In Noordwijk, people work on science missions, on human spaceflight, telecom, satellite navigation, and Earth observation. ESTEC also houses a large pool of people with highly specialized technical knowledge, who are assigned to space projects when their expertise is needed for missions.

In a joint effort with the European Commission, ESA is building the Galileo satellite navigation network. Galileo will provide a highly accurate, guaranteed global positioning service under civilian control. Galileo needs a constellation of 30 satellites and an associated network of ground stations spread around the globe, each satellite carrying atomic clocks for precise navigation signals. The Sentinels will be the first series of operational ESA satellites dedicated to the Earth observation needs of GMES. GMES (Global Monitoring for Environmental Security) is a joint initiative of the European Commission and ESA. ESA is also working on multi-mission facilities and ground segment operations for GMES.

Mr. Duhamel also discussed the European Crisis Management Architecture and the Fly-safe Bird avoidance Model for the Netherlands and Belgian Air Forces.

The next speaker was Mr. Frank Zeppenveldt, System Engineer - Satellite Communications Department at ESTEC. He discussed the European Data Relay System (EDRS) to be launched in approx. 2012. Initially it will be used for GMES purposes, but later on other applications will be added, such as UAV’s (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), LEO, ASTRA, etc. Also the European Air Traffic Control Centre with a system wide information management systems, using Air Traffic Communications via satellites was presented.

After these presentations, a tour was organized through the testing facilities of ESTEC and the meeting was concluded with an informal lunch.

Definition of used acronyms:
NIDV = Netherlands Industries for Defense and Security Organization
ESTEC = European Space Research and Technology Centre
ESA = European Space Agency
GMES = Global Monitoring for Environmental Security
EDRS = European Data Relay System
UAV = Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
LEO = Low Earth Orbit
RNLN = Royal Netherlands Navy

Guest Speaker(s):

Speaker’s Full Name	Position	Rank	Organization
Erwin Duhamel	Head Security, Strategy and Partnership Development Office	Civilian	ESTEC
Frank Zeppenveldt	System Engineer - Satellite Communications Department	Civilian	ESTEC

Photograph #1:		Photograph #2

Mr. Rob van Dort welcomes the members of the NIDV and Afcea Chapter The Hague at ESTEC, Noordwijk		The members of NIDV and Afcea Chapter The Hague listening to the ESTEC presentations

Photograph #3:

Rear Admiral LH (ret) Willem Voogt, President Afcea Chapter The Hague, presents a Certificate-of-Appreciation to Mr. Frank Zeppenveldt, System Engineer-Satellite Communications Department at ESTEC, for his presentation on ESA Telecommunications activities and Security

Position	Full Name	Rank	Branch of Service	Organization
Left	Willem Voogt	Rear Adm LH (ret)	RNLN	President Chapter The Hague
Right	Frank Zeppenveldt	Civilian		ESTEC

Photograph #4:

Mr. Erwin Duhamel, Head Security, Strategy and Partnership Development Office at ESTEC, receives a Certificate-of-Appreciation from Rear Admiral LH (ret) Willem Voogt, President Afcea Chapter The Hague, for his introduction to ESA and his presentation on ESA’s Security activities

Position	Full Name	Rank	Branch of Service	Organization
Left	Erwin Duhamel	Civilian		ESTEC
Center	Rob van Dort	Civilian		NIDV
Right	Willem Voogt	Rear Adm LH (ret)	RNLN	President Chapter The Hague