July 8, 2016

Organization

organization during the exploitation phase

The technical part of the CoRot mission exploitation is mainly composed of operational activities (instrument and satellite monitoring and programming), processing activities and data production for the scientific community as well as maintenance activities. All the technical activities are based on a project organization under CNES general responsibility, with a high involvement of INSU laboratories and as part of an international cooperation framework.

Beyond this, the collection of stellar field characteristics data, scientific analysis of the data supplied by the satellite after processing and the additional observation programmes from the ground are conducted by the scientific community. The choice of the observation programme and the coordination of Corot scientific teams (Stellar seismology team, Exoplanet programme team, Stellar physics team, ground observation team) are made by the Corot Scientific Committee, which also defines the data distribution and scientific publications policy.

National level

The CoRot satellite operations, the instrument programming and monitoring activities, the level L0 and L1-alarm data production are carried out at the CoRot Control Centre (CCC) and CoRot Mission Centre (CMC) located in Toulouse (see page "Ground Segment").

Data management, particularly the stellar catalogues, the levels L1 and L2 data production and distribution are performed by the CoRot Data Center (CDC). This centre is distributed between several INSU (Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers) laboratories: the IAS (Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale) in Orsay, LAM (Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille), LATT (Laboratoire d'Astrophysique Toulouse Tarbes) and LESIA (Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique).

The instrument technical expertise is under LESIA's responsibility.

International level

The mission exploitation is conducted as part of an international cooperation framework. Germany (maintenance of the instrument DPU software), Austria (BEX electronics box expertise and reception station in Vienna as back-up), Belgium (stray light expertise), Spain (CMC software maintenance), Brazil (ALCANTARA station operation for the PLMT2 instrument data reception) and ESA (DPU electronics expertise). These different contributors are also highly involved in the CoRot scientific programme.

organization during the development phase

The CoRot project is carried out in international cooperation.

French Contribution

  • CNES is responsible of the entire system.

  • CNES is responsible for the launch contract.

  • Thales Alenia Space Satellite industrial architect:
     
    • platform supplier,
    • satellite engineering,
    • satellite AIT,
    • launch campaign.

  • CNES is the instrument manager.
    The instrument is composed of 4 subsystems managed by french laboratories:

    • LAM (Marseille),
    • Paris-Meudon Observatory,
    • IAS (Orsay).

Instrument Cooperation

bpc_corot-organisation-developpement_fr.png

Ground Segment Cooperation

  • Spain and Brazil contribute to the Ground Segment.
    The GMV company is responsible for the development of the CoRot Mission Centre Software.
    Brazil brings the Alcantara earth terminal, and 5 Brazilian engineers/researchers have been seconded to work in France on the development of the User Ground Segment (definition of calibration and data processing methods).