LAUNCHED: Soyuz ST-A Flight VS04 - Pleiades 1B - now December 2, 2012 (02:02UTC)

[Lewis007]

Arianespace launch kit

[jacqmans]

Arianespace's fourth Soyuz rolls out for the launch pad integration of its Pléiades 1B passenger in French Guiana
 
November 26, 2012 – Soyuz Flight VS04
 
The well-planned choreography involved in final pre-launch preparations of a Soyuz vehicle at the Spaceport is now underway as Arianespace’s flight with the Pléiades 1B satellite remains on schedule for liftoff on Friday, November 30 from French Guiana.
 
This activity started with creation of the mission’s payload “stack,” beginning with the installation of Pléiades 1B atop its Fregat upper stage on November 21.   Performed inside the Spaceport’s S3B payload processing building, the integration was followed by the “stack’s” completion on November 22 with its encapsulation by the two-piece Soyuz ST payload fairing.
 
In parallel, the Spaceport’s ELS launch site for Soyuz also was busy as the basic three-stage launcher was raised from the tooling used for its integration in the MIK assembly building and placed on a horizontal transporter/erector rail car November 23 for transfer to the launch pad.  Soyuz’ rollout from the MIK facility occurred today, enabling the Soyuz to be erected in its vertical position at the pad, where it is now suspended in place by four large support arms.
 
With this step completed, all was ready for the purpose-built 53-meter tall mobile gantry to be moved into position around the launcher, providing a protected environment for tonight’s installation of the Pléiades 1B payload “stack” – which will be hoisted inside the gantry and secured atop the Soyuz.
 
Friday’s nighttime Soyuz launch with Pléiades 1B is to mark Arianespace’s fourth mission for the medium-lift vehicle at the Spaceport since its French Guiana service entry in October 2011 – and the second performed by the company with the Russian-built launcher this year from South America.
 
With a fueled mass of approximately 1 metric ton, the dual-use Pléiades 1B spacecraft will provide very-high-resolution optical imaging coverage for the French and Spanish defense ministries, civil institutions and private users.   It will operate from a 695-km. circular orbit, joining the twin Pléiades 1A spacecraft launched by Arianespace last December on Soyuz’ second mission from the Spaceport.

The Pléiades prime contractor and system architect is France’s CNES space agency, which selected the Astrium division of EADS to build both the Pléiades 1B and 1A satellites.   

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2012/984.asp

[jacqmans]

http://www.federalspace.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=19717

[jacqmans]

Integration of the Soyuz is now complete for Friday’s Arianespace Spaceport mission with Pléiades 1B

November 27, 2012 – Soyuz Flight VS04
 
Arianespace’s fourth Soyuz for launch from the Spaceport in French Guiana is now undergoing final checkout for a November 30 evening liftoff following installation of its Pléiades 1B observation satellite atop the medium-lift vehicle.
 
Pléiades 1B’s mating with Soyuz occurred during the second half of yesterday, only hours after this Russian-built vehicle was rolled out to the launch pad in the Spaceport’s northwestern sector.  The satellite was fitted as part of an integrated payload “stack,” consisting of the very-high-resolution optical spacecraft, the Fregat upper stage that will place it into a circular orbit, and the Soyuz ST fairing.

This activity occurred inside the 53-meter-tall mobile gantry that provides a protected environment for the vertical payload installation – which is one of the main differences in launcher handling at the Spaceport compared to the horizontal processing of vehicles on Soyuz launch sites at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia.
 
The dual-use Pléiades 1B spacecraft has a fueled mass of approximately 1 metric ton, and is designed to offer optical imaging coverage for French and European defense ministries, institutions and civil users.   Operating from a 695-km. circular orbit, it will join the twin Pléiades 1A satellite launched by Arianespace last December on Soyuz’ second mission from the Spaceport.  Both spacecraft were built by the Astrium division of EADS.
 
France’s CNES space agency is prime contractor and architect for the Pléiades system, which is part of a joint effort with Italy’s Cosmo-Skymed satellite series, which provides radar imaging coverage of the Earth.  Participants in the Pléiades program are the space agencies of France, Austria, Belgium, Spain and Sweden; along with the defense ministries of France, Italy and Spain.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2012/986-vs04.asp

[jacqmans]

Arianespace’s Soyuz mission with Pléiades 1B is given the “go” for liftoff tomorrow from French Guiana
 

November 29, 2012 – Soyuz Flight VS04
 
The fourth Arianespace Soyuz mission from French Guiana has been given the green light for liftoff tomorrow night, following the launch readiness review held today.
 
This assessment – performed prior to each Arianespace flight – validated the “go” status of Soyuz and its Pléiades 1B satellite passenger, along with the Spaceport’s launch infrastructure and the network of tracking stations that will follow the mission.
 
Liftoff of the Soyuz on November 30 is set for a precise moment – 11:02:50 p.m. local time in French Guiana – initiating a 55-minute mission to deploy Pléiades 1B in a 695-km. circular orbit, inclined 98.2 deg.
 
With a fueled mass of approximately 1 metric ton, the dual-use Pléiades 1B spacecraft will provide optical imaging coverage for French and European defense ministries, institutions and civil users.   It is to join the twin Pléiades 1A satellite launched last December by Arianespace on Soyuz’ second mission from the Spaceport.   
 
With great agility, a quick-response ground segment and daily revisit capability, the Pléiades system offers a new generation of “real-world” satellite Earth imagery at a resolution of 70 cm.

France’s CNES space agency is prime contractor and architect for the Pléiades system, which is part of a joint effort with Italy – whose Cosmo-Skymed satellite series delivers radar imaging coverage of the Earth.  The Pléiades 1A and 1B spacecraft were built by EADS’ Astrium division.
 
Participants in the Pléiades program are the space agencies of France, Austria, Belgium, Spain and Sweden; along with the defense ministries of France, Italy and Spain.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2012/987.asp

[Galactic Penguin SST]

As usual, those CNES guys have a pretty complete set of shots documenting the pre-launch activities (and launch) from French Guiana: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pkpro/sets/72157631966834541/ 

[Chris Bergin]

Moved for live coverage.

[anik]

One hour ago at CSG.

[Chris Bergin]

T-60 mins.

[Starlab90]

I just checked the Ariane site. They have a countdown clock showing the broadcast will begin around 20 minutes before launch, or in less than 40 minutes.

[Chris Bergin]

I just checked the Ariane site. They have a countdown clock showing the broadcast will begin around 20 minutes before launch, or in less than 40 minutes.

Yes, this is very much like their Ariane 5 coverage. Always very slick.

[Mapperuo]

Always a pretty sight.

[Chris Bergin]

SCRUB!!

[Prober]

scrubbed

[Chris Bergin]

No reason given. Apparently Mr Le Gall was speaking before they went live and the commentator said they are scrubbing for 24 hours. Strange, but oh well.

[catdlr]

Mission Update

Postponement of the Soyuz launch with Pléiades 1B

November 30, 2012 – Soyuz Flight VS04

Arianespace’s Soyuz mission with the Pléiades 1B optical imaging satellite from French Guiana has been postponed for 24 hours after an anomaly occurred during the countdown.

Liftoff at the Spaceport’s ELS launch site is now rescheduled for December 1 at 11:02:50 p.m., local time in French Guiana.

The launch vehicle and its satellite payload will remain in a safe standby mode for a resumption of the final countdown.

[patchfree]

Google automatic translation from french:
Thirty minutes before departure of the fourth mission
Russian launcher in French Guiana, a red "launch complex" came
bar table operations.

Arianespace has decided
to postpone the launch of 24 hours. According to Jean-Yves Le Gall,
chief executive of Arianespace, "switching equipment that
regulates electric waves coming from launcher "sending" of
signals not normal. "

Despite two-way operational
this equipment, Arianespace was willing to take risks. immediately
decision, technicians began dismantling and
change the offending equipment. A new chronology is
scheduled for this Saturday night, always with a H0, that is to say, without window
firing.

http://www.franceguyane.fr/actualite/economie-consommation/soyouz-reporte-de-24-heures-145707.php

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Google automatic translation from french:
Thirty minutes before departure of the fourth mission
Russian launcher in French Guiana, a red "launch complex" came
bar table operations.

Arianespace has decided
to postpone the launch of 24 hours. According to Jean-Yves Le Gall,
chief executive of Arianespace, "switching equipment that
regulates electric waves coming from launcher "sending" of
signals not normal. "

Despite two-way operational
this equipment, Arianespace was willing to take risks. immediately
decision, technicians began dismantling and
change the offending equipment. A new chronology is
scheduled for this Saturday night, always with a H0, that is to say, without window
firing.

http://www.franceguyane.fr/actualite/economie-consommation/soyouz-reporte-de-24-heures-145707.php

Yup, it appears that one of the three power channel switching devices went down. Interestingly one Russian Soyuz veteran (Vladimir Antipov) remarked that the Soyuz would have already been launched with just two operational power channels if this launch is from Baikonur! 

http://novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/forum/forum12/topic13093/?PAGEN_1=5

http://www.forum-conquete-spatiale.fr/t14423p30-lancement-soyouz-st-a-vs04-pleiades-1b-2-decembre-2012

The equipment is replaced, and it looks good for launch right now!

[Chris Bergin]

Realigned for the second attempt.

[Prober]