The launch of VV10 (Optsat and Venus satellites) is scheduled for August 2017,
DutchSpace @DutchSpace 1m1 minute agoAlso the #Vega #VV10 third stage Zefiro 9 has arrived, #opsat3000 #VENUS
DutchSpace @DutchSpace 3m3 minutes agoThe next #Vega launch is also getting closer, #P80 lifted into place at #ZLV launch currently planned for 1st of August at 22:58 local
DutchSpace @DutchSpace 4m4 minutes agoOffloading of #OpSat1 (Opt-Sat 3000 ?) and #Venus through the side and nose of the Boeing 747 at #Cayenne for launch on #Vega #VV10
[...]The OPTSAT 3000 Earth observation satellite will be built by IAI (Israel Aircraft Industry) for the Italian Ministry of Defense, on behalf of the prime contractor team, CGS S.p.A. and Telespazio (Finmeccanica/Thales). Weighing about 400 kg at launch, it will be placed into a Sun-synchronous orbit.[...]
Quote from: beidou on 09/30/2015 07:52 pm[...]The OPTSAT 3000 Earth observation satellite will be built by IAI (Israel Aircraft Industry) for the Italian Ministry of Defense, on behalf of the prime contractor team, CGS S.p.A. and Telespazio (Finmeccanica/Thales). Weighing about 400 kg at launch, it will be placed into a Sun-synchronous orbit.[...]Why Italy pay Israel to build the satellites when they already have very good satellite manufacturing companies?
It's an offset for the M-346 training jets Israel bought from Italy.
DutchSpace @DutchSpace 47m47 minutes agoNice shot of #Vega #VV10 Zefiro 9 third stage being lifted into place during launcher integration at #ZLV
Nice view of #Venµs one of the payloads for the #Vega #VV10 launch, also featuring #Galileo sticker "spam" we left on #CCU2 during IOV
Vega July 17, 2017Vega is prepared for the twin Earth observation payloads to be orbited on Arianespace’s August 1 missionThe lightweight Vega launcher for Arianespace’s upcoming mission is undergoing final checkout in French Guiana, readying it to receive a dual payload of Earth observation satellites – consisting of OPTSAT-3000 (as the upper passenger) and Venµs (in the lower passenger position).Vega was integrated at the Spaceport’s SLV launch site, bringing together the solid propellant P80 first stage, Zefiro 23 second stage and Zefiro 9 third stage; followed by the liquid bipropellant fourth stage, called the AVUM (Attitude and Vernier Upper Module).The August 1 mission is designated Flight VV10 in Arianespace’s launcher family numbering system, and it will mark Vega’s 10th launch since the 2012 start-up of operations with this vehicle – all of which were successfully performed from French Guiana.As the smallest member in Arianespace’s launcher family operated at the Spaceport, Vega complements the company’s medium-lift Soyuz and heavyweight Ariane 5 in offering a full range of launch service capabilities.A pair of passengers for VegaBoth satellite passengers on Flight VV10 – Venµs, developed in a joint project of the Israel Space Agency (ISA) and the French CNES space agency; along with OPTSAT-3000 for the Italian Ministry of Defense – will be delivered by Vega to Sun-synchronous orbits. Venµs (for Vegetation and Environment monitoring on a New MicroSatellite) is designed to provide close-up and regular monitoring of vegetation on Earth’s surface. By observing plant growth and health status, the spacecraft will help scientists to determine the impacts of environmental factors, human activities and climate change on Earth’s land surfaces.To fulfil its scientific objectives, Venµs will acquire frequent, high-resolution, multi-spectral images of over 100 sites of interest around the world. Capturing these images will be this spacecraft’s super-spectral camera, which is characterized by 12 narrow spectral bands ranging from 415 nm to 910 nm.Both Vega payloads were built by Israel Aerospace Industries As the first Israeli-made satellite created for environmental research purposes, Venµs was built by Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) Space Division in collaboration with Elbit, which developed the telescope, and Raphael, providing the propulsion system. The camera was supplied by CNES.The liftoff mass of Venµs is set at 264 kg. Its scientific mission will be followed by a technological mission at a lowered altitude, which will gauge the performance of IAI-developed Hall-effect thruster technology to counter a satellite’s orbital decay caused by atmospheric drag.Flight VV10’s other passenger, the OPTSAT-3000 Earth observation satellite, will enable national defense entities to acquire and use high-resolution images from any part of the globe.The OPTSAT-3000 system was supplied by Telespazio as prime contractor, with responsibility for supply of the entire system: from the satellite to the ground segment, launch and early operation services, the preparation and execution of operations and logistics, through to in-orbit tests and commissioning.The satellite was built by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), chosen by the Italian Ministry of Defence based on inter-governmental Italian-Israeli agreements. OHB Italy is responsible for the launch services and related engineering support.OPTSAT-3000 will have a liftoff mass set at 368 kg. and a design life of seven years.
Vega assembly activity for Arianespace’s Flight VV10 is highlighted in these images from the Spaceport, beginning with the P80 first stage’s positioning at the SLV launch site (photo at left). The Zefiro 23 second stage was then installed atop the P80 first stage (center photo), followed by integration of the Zefiro 9 third stage (at right) and the AVUM (not shown).
OPTSAT-3000 and Venµs (left and right, respectively) are shown during their separate checkout processes, both of which were performed inside the Spaceport’s S1 payload preparation facility.