Definitions list
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La NiñaClimatic phenomenon observed in the Pacific Ocean that follows certain El Niño events. Its effects are opposite, causing surface waters to cool and sea level to fall.
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landerSpacecraft designed to land on the surface of a planet or celestial object.
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launch areaArea where the facilities required for final preparation and launch of a spacecraft are located.
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launch baseBase where satellites are launched. A launch base provides facilities required for satellite preparation and final assembly, fuelling and launch, and for post-launch tracking. There are 15 launch bases operating in the world today.
The Guiana Space Centre
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launch campaignPeriod spanning preparation of the payload and its launch vehicle at the launch base, and launch vehicle operations. Also used for balloon launches.
How launchers work
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launch complexA launch complex houses the facilities required to prepare and launch a spacecraft. It may comprise a launch area, staging area, launch control centre and assembly buildings.
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launch control centreFacility located near the launch area, usually protected against blasts or impacts, where launch vehicle operations up to lift-off are directed. It houses the equipment required to remotely control and command electrical and fluid circuits, and systems for monitoring the launch vehicle and its environment.
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launch padArea where the facilities required for final preparation and launch of a spacecraft are located. Synonym: launch area.
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launch rampOrientable structure used to support and guide a launch vehicle on the launch pad. It provides the electrical connections and fluid lines between the launch vehicle and ground support equipment.
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launch systemTerm encompassing all the facilities, equipment and resources required to place a payload into its intended orbit. It comprises the launch vehicle, its production and test facilities, and all the ground support equipment needed for launch operations.
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launch tableHorizontal, fixed or mobile platform that supports and holds the lower part of a launch vehicle until lift-off.
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launch windowInterval during which a spacecraft may be launched at any moment. The launch window is usually determined by the nature of the mission.
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launcher
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lidarUses the same principle as radar and transmits light out to a target. Acronym for "Light detection and ranging."
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light-yearUnit of distance used in astronomy. It is the distance travelled by light moving in a vacuum in the course of one year, at its accepted velocity of 300,000 kilometres per second. One light-year equals about 9,460 billion km. At this scale, the Sun is 8.3 light-minutes from Earth.
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locationDetermination of the position of a point with respect to a reference system. In space terminology, it denotes the determination of a spacecraft’s position with respect to Earth, or the position of a mobile (a transmitter or beacon, for example) on the surface of the globe.
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low Earth orbitOrbit of a man-made satellite whose altitude at apogee is low compared to a geostationary orbit. The exact altitude depends on the satellite’s mission. When referring to the capability of a launch vehicle, low-Earth orbit is at around 200 km. For satellites, it may be several thousand kilometres. Telecommunications satellites orbit at about 1,000 km.
What is an orbit?