On 06:10am December 19 the TT&C (Telemetry Tracking and Command) networks of China and France conducted a successful cooperation in jointly monitoring a French experimental satellite. The Xi'an Satellite Control Center (XSCC) provided a 3-circle monitoring support to the French satellite through the relay of its three ground tracking and control stations. It supplied accurate measuring data for the determination of satellite orbit. This was the first time that the Chinese TT&C network has provided real time monitoring support service to an overseas satellite.

An official with the XSCC said that in the international tracking and control area sharing international TT&C network resources is an effective way to expand the function of space TT&C networks in various countries and offset the coverage inadequacy of TT&C networks. As the management institution of space TT&C networks in China the XSCC completed the construction of the S-frequency network in 1999, which is of international standard. It overcame such key technologies as information processing and transmission of heterogeneous networks and format conversion, and acquired preliminary conditions for networking with international TT&C resources.

During the China-France TT&C networking carried out Sunday morning the three ground monitoring stations under the XSCC accurately discovered and captured the satellite and provided smooth transmission of monitoring data in the 3-circle relay tracking and measuring, which furnished the French side with accurate measuring data in the determination of satellite orbit. It marks the maturing of sharing function of Chinese space TT&C network in terms of international networking, and the growing capability of China in international space cooperation.

By People's Daily Online