Bermuda has played a key role in tracking a rocket launch aimed at putting six satellites in orbit around the Earth.In 2011 the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Bermuda Government signed an agreement which authorised ESA to establish and operate a transportable and temporary station on Cooper’s Island to track and receive telemetry data for ESA launch vehicles.The first launch to be tracked from Bermuda stemming from this agreement took place on December 16 2011, when the Soyuz rocket was launched from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, on the north-east coast of South America. The French space agency Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) implemented this agreement on behalf of ESA.The launch was deemed “successful” because its goal to place six satellites in orbit at the correct locations, pointing the correct directions and at the correct times was reached.“Bermuda is an ideal location to track ESA launch vehicles heading north after lift-off,” explained Michel Starozinski, New Stations Project Manager at CNES. “We always need a downrange tracking station after the loss of the signal by the Kourou station in Guiana, which occurs about 1,800km away from the launch pad. When we launch to the North what is the only island after the West Indies between South and North America? Bermuda!”Mr Starozinski continued: “This launch, from the T0 (Time Zero) to the end of the mission was particularly long (more than four and a half hours), and during this time, all important phases need to be controlled by the Control Centre.“That is why we use several stations to receive, process and transmit in real time the telemetry data sent by the launcher (or ‘rocket’) to the Control Centre in Guiana. Telemetry data provides information on the rocket’s trajectory, including its position, velocity and acceleration, and its performance parameters in particular pressure, temperature, voltage, currents and flight control computer data, as well as main events such as separations of stages and satellites, ignitions and shutdowns of the engines.“Bermuda was one of the ‘main stations’ during this launch as it was from there that we saw the first ignition of the upper stage of the launcher (Fregat) after its separation and the entire boost of the engine until its shutdown about four minutes later.”The Cooper’s Island station tracked the launcher during this first pass from the South West on the horizon, about nine minutes after the launch, to the North East at the level of the St Davids Lighthouse. About 90 minutes later, the station tracked the launcher for a second pass from the South East to the North East.Other stations used for this launch were Kourou in French Guiana, Lucknow in India, Jeju in South Korea, Perth in Australia and Saskatoon in Canada.The Bermuda station at Cooper’s Island consists of a 4.5 meter parabolic antenna, its transport container and a technical shelter to store operational electronic equipment, including a no-break power system, and a power shelter housing two generators and a fuel tank.These facilities will be rolled out only for the launches set to be tracked from the station and will be removed thereafter. The installation needs about one week and can be done by two or three trained technicians. Two overseas technicians will arrive on the island to dismantle the station at Cooper’s Island next week.Environment Minister Marc Bean said: “I am extremely proud of the role Bermuda played recently regarding the success of the Soyuz rocket mission on December 16 an event which I believe will pave the way for many similar launches to come.“I am extremely pleased that we could be of assistance to our friends at ESA while, at the same time, being mindful of the sensitive environment we safeguard at Cooper’s Island through the requirement that the tracking station be temporary in nature. ESA and the Government of Bermuda will work together to further identify and pursue projects of common interests, in particular the promotion of educational opportunities for students in the country.”