Vega Flight VV05 - Sentinel-2A - June 23, 2015 (01:52 UTC)

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http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2015/1281.asp

Assembly of the Vega for Arianespace’s Flight VV05 with Sentinel-2A was initiated at the Spaceport this week, as the vehicle’s first stage was rolled out to the launch zone. The first stage is powered by a P80 advanced solid propellant motor, and has now been positioned on the pad at the Spaceport’s ZLV launch site – initiating the vertical build-up process for Vega.

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ESA - Sentinel-2 updates

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=12739.0

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http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2015/1281.asp

The latest in Europe’s series of Sentinel Earth observation satellites landed at French Guiana today in preparation for its orbiting on an Arianespace Vega vehicle during June, while build-up of the lightweight launcher was initiated at the Spaceport this week.

Sentinel-2A was delivered by a chartered Antonov An-124 cargo jetliner that touched down at Cayenne’s Félix Eboué Airport, where the spacecraft’s protective shipping container was unloaded along with support equipment for transfer by road to the Spaceport.

To be orbited on Arianespace’s Flight VV05, this 1,140-kg. satellite will deliver high-resolution optical images from around the globe – becoming part of Europe’s Copernicus initiative that is headed by the European Commission in partnership with the European Space Agency.

[jacqmans]

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Sentinel-2A ready and waiting

Sentinel-2A appears safe and sound after its journey from Germany. Now in the cleanroom at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana it will spend the next weeks being thoroughly tested in preparation for launch on 11 June 2015.

http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2015/04/Sentinel-2A_ready_and_waiting

Related article:

- Preparing to launch colour vision satellite

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-2/Preparing_to_launch_colour_vision_satellite

Credit: ESA–C. Wildner

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Processing begins with the Sentinel-2A payload for Arianespace's Vega launch in June

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2015/1287.asp

Switched on

http://blogs.esa.int/eolaunches/2015/04/27/switched-on/

Tight light

http://blogs.esa.int/eolaunches/2015/04/29/tight-light/

[jacqmans]

Arianespace’s launcher family keeps up the pace: the fifth Vega takes shape for its flight with Sentinel-2A
 

May 7, 2015 – Vega Flight VV05

The fifth Vega launcher continues its integration process in French Guiana for a mission this summer to orbit Europe’s Sentinel-2A Earth observation satellite.
 

During activity at the Spaceport’s ZLV launch site, Vega’s Zefiro 23 solid propellant second stage has now been integrated atop the vehicle’s P80 first stage, which also uses solid propellant.

This vertical assembly process is underway inside the launch pad’s mobile gantry, and will be followed by installation of Vega’s solid-propellant Zefiro 9 third stage and a top-off with the bi-propellant liquid upper stage called AVUM (Attitude and Vernier Upper Module).

The four-stage Vega was conceived as a capable lightweight launcher that complements Arianespace’s other two launch vehicles: the medium-lift Soyuz and heavyweight Ariane 5, creating a complete family.  Vega is tailored to orbit small- to medium-sized satellites, including institutional and scientific spacecraft.  Its development was performed in a European program led by Italy’s ASI space agency and industrial prime contractor ELV SpA.

The Sentinel-2A payload to be lofted by Vega this summer is the latest in Europe’s series of Earth observation satellites for the Copernicus initiative, headed by the European Commission in partnership with the European Space Agency.  With its “color vision,” the 1,140-kg.-class Sentinel-2A spacecraft will deliver high-resolution and multispectral capabilities – providing a 290 km.-wide coverage path and frequent revisits.

Sentinel-2A was built by prime contractor Airbus Defence and Space.  It will join Sentinel-1A, which carries an advanced radar instrument for all-weather, day-and-night imaging of the Earth’s surface and was orbited by Arianespace in April 2014 on a Soyuz launcher.

For Vega’s upcoming mission, the launch is designated Flight VV05 in Arianespace’s numbering system.  It follows Vega launches performed last February (Flight VV04, using a suborbital trajectory to evaluate the European Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle spaceplane demonstrator); in April 2014 (Flight VV03, with Kazakhstan’s KazEOSat-1/DZZ-HR Earth observation satellite); Flight VV02 in May 2013 (orbiting the Proba-V, VNREDSat-1 and ESTCube-1 spacecraft); and Flight VV01 in February 2012 (with the LARES and ALMASat-1 payloads, accompanied by multiple cubesats).

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2015/1291.asp

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Vega’s third stage is integrated for a summer mission with Europe’s Sentinel-2A satellite

May 14, 2015 – Vega Flight VV05

The “stacking” of Vega’s solid propellant propulsion systems is complete with integration of its Zefiro 9 third stage at the Spaceport in French Guiana.

This activity took place at the Spaceport’s ZLV launch site inside a protective mobile gantry, where the Zefiro 9 was placed atop Vega’s two other solid propellant stages: the Zefiro 23 second stage and the P80 first stage.

The next step will be Vega’s “top off” with its bi-propellant liquid upper stage, called the AVUM (Attitude and Vernier Upper Module).

Vega’s summer mission will loft the Sentinel-2A payload, which is the latest in Europe’s series of Earth observation satellites for the Copernicus initiative – led by the European Commission in partnership with the European Space Agency.  The goal of Copernicus is to provide accurate, timely and easily-accessible information for improving management of the environment, as well as understanding and mitigating climate change effects, while also contributing to civil security.

The 1,140-kg.-class Sentinel-2A spacecraft is well suited for Arianespace’s lightweight Vega, which was conceived as a capable lightweight launcher in the company’s complete family – complementing its other two vehicles: the medium-lift Soyuz and heavyweight Ariane 5.

Vega’s development was performed in a European program led by Italy’s ASI space agency and industrial prime contractor ELV SpA.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2015/1294.asp

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Sentinel-2a has been fueled.
Source: CSG Facebook

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Sentinel-2A in the cleanroom at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
The second satellite in Europe’s Copernicus programme is set for launch from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 23 June at 01:52 GMT (03:52 CEST 23 June; 22:52 local time 22 June).
Credit: ESA/F. Gascon

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New launch date set for Sentinel-2A

4 June 2015

The second satellite in Europe’s Copernicus programme is set for launch from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 23 June at 01:52 GMT (03:52 CEST 23 June; 22:52 local time 22 June). Fuelling of the satellite was completed yesterday at the launch site.

An ESA and industry advisory board meeting over the past few days signed off on an investigation into Vega’s fairing separation and the replacement of a gas pressure sensor on the vehicle, allowing the new launch date to be confirmed.

Sentinel-2 carries an innovative wide-swath, high-resolution multispectral imager with 13 spectral bands for a new perspective of our land and vegetation. The second in the two-satellite mission – Sentinel-2B – is being prepared for launch in 2016.

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-2/New_launch_date_set_for_Sentinel-2A

[Lewis007]

Logos have been placed on the fairing.
Credit: CSG Facebook.

[jacqmans]

Fueled for its Vega launch: Sentinel-2A receives onboard propellant load at the Spaceport
 

June 4, 2015 – Vega Flight VV05

The Sentinel-2A satellite has been fueled at the Spaceport as preparations continue for its launch on Arianespace’s next Vega mission, which is scheduled for liftoff from French Guiana on June 22.

Built by Airbus Defence and Space as prime contractor, the spacecraft received its propellant load this week in the S5A fueling and integration hall – with the activity coming after Sentinel-2A’s pre-launch checkout process.

The upcoming mission is designated Flight VV05, signifying the fifth launch of the lightweight Vega vehicle – which has joined Arianespace’s medium-lift Soyuz and heavyweight Ariane 5 for a complete launcher family to orbit commercial, governmental, institutional, scientific and experimental payloads. Vega’s development was performed in a European program led by Italy’s ASI space agency and industrial prime contractor ELV SpA.

Flight VV05 also will mark Arianespace’s fifth mission this year using a member of its launcher family, underscoring the company’s sustained operational pace at the Spaceport in 2015. It follows two previous flights for Ariane 5, plus one each with Soyuz and Vega.

Sentinel-2A is the latest Earth observation satellite for Europe’s ambitious Copernicus initiative, which is headed by the European Commission in partnership with the European Space Agency. Copernicus’ goal is to provide accurate, timely and easily-accessible information for improving management of the environment, as well as understanding and mitigating climate change effects, while also contributing to civil security.

The 1,140-kg.-class Sentinel-2A will deliver high-resolution and multispectral capabilities, providing a 290 km.-wide coverage path and frequent revisits; and is to join the Sentinel-1A spacecraft orbited by an Arianespace Soyuz mission in April 2014.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2015/1302.asp

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Sentinel-2A during its installation on its payload adapter

Sentinel-2A being installed on its payload adapter, on 6 June 2015 at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

The second satellite in Europe’s Copernicus programme is set for launch from Europe’s Spaceport on 23 June 2015.

Sentinel-2 carries an innovative wide-swath, high-resolution multispectral imager with 13 spectral bands for a new perspective of our land and vegetation. The second in the two-satellite mission – Sentinel-2B – is being prepared for launch in 2016.

For more information on the mission, visit www.esa.int/sentinel2

http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2015/06/Sentinel-2A_during_its_installation_on_its_payload_adapter

Image credit: ESA–M. Pedoussaut, 2015

[jacqmans]

Press Release
N°18-2015

Paris, 8 June 2015

Call for Media: New satellite for unprecedented Earth monitoring

Sentinel-2A, the first optical imaging satellite in the EU's Copernicus programme, is set for launch from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana at 01:52 GMT 23 June (03:52 CEST 23 June; 22:52 local time 22
June) aboard a Vega rocket.

Copernicus is headed by the European Commission in partnership with ESA. It will provide accurate, timely and easily accessible information to improve the management of the environment, understand and mitigate
the effects of climate change, and ensure land monitoring, emergency management and security. 

The new fleet of Sentinel satellites will deliver a wealth of data and images that are central to the ambitious Copernicus programme. 

The mission is based on a constellation of two identical satellites, Sentinel-2A and Sentinel-2B, launched separately and placed in the same orbit, separated by 1800. Every five days, the satellites will
jointly cover all land surfaces, large islands, and inland and coastal waters between latitudes 56°S and 84°N, optimising global coverage and data delivery for numerous applications. 

The mission carries an innovative high-resolution multispectral camera with 13 spectral bands for a new perspective of land and vegetation. The combination of high resolution, novel spectral capabilities,
a field of vision covering 290 km and frequent revisit times will provide unprecedented views of Earth.
 
Among its applications, the mission will provide information for agricultural practices, helping in the management of food security. It will also be used to map the status and changes in land cover and
to monitor the world's forests. 

It will furthermore provide information on pollution in lakes and coastal waters. Images of floods, volcanic eruptions and landslides will contribute to disaster mapping and help humanitarian relief efforts.


Sentinel-2, like Sentinel-1, is equipped to benefit from another ESA programme, the European Data Relay System (EDRS). EDRS is creating a network of geostationary laser communication payloads for the continuous
relay of low-orbit satellite data, and will enable the Sentinel's Earth observation data to be transmitted faster than ever, using laser links. 

By supplying 'colour vision' for Copernicus, Sentinel-2A is a perfect complement to the all-weather, day-and-night radar imagery provided by the first in the Sentinel fleet, Sentinel-1A, launched on 3 April
2014. 

Sentinels are crucial investments to deliver a wide spectrum of operational data over a period of 20 years to benefit European citizens. In the year Sentinel-1A has been in service, more than 7000 users
have registered to access some 145 000 different online data products, and over a million downloads - the equivalent of some 1.3 terabytes of data - have been recorded.

Sentinel-2A is the result of close collaboration between ESA, the European Commission, industry, service providers and data users. It is designed and built by a consortium of 60 companies led by Airbus
Defence and Space. 

Sentinel-2B, its twin satellite, is scheduled for launch in mid-2016.

Learn more about Sentinel at:
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/
Sentinel-2

Learn more about Copernicus at: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus

Learn more about EDRS at: 
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Telecommunications_Integrated
_Applications/EDRS


Covering the launch

Media representatives are invited to follow the launch via satellite, online or attend the main launch event at ESA's ESOC operations centre in Darmstadt, Germany.

ESA TV
ESA TV will provide video coverage through a partnership with Arianespace. Several stories have also been prepared on the mission and its technology. More information at: http://www.esa.int/esatv/Television

Website
ESA's Portal will cover the launch live on www.esa.int, providing the videostream and updates on the launch.

Images
The latest high-resolution images can be found at:
ESA's Multimedia Gallery: 
http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Missions/Sentinel-2

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Encapsulation_begins

Sentinel-2A being encapsulated within the half-shells of the Vega rocket fairing.

Liftoff from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, is set for 23 June at 01:52 GMT (03:52 CEST; 22:52 local time on 22 June), on 6 June 2015 at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2015/06/Encapsulation_begins3

Related article:

- Sentinel-2A sealed from view

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-2/Sentinel-2A_sealed_from_view

Image credit: ESA–M. Pedoussaut, 2015

[jacqmans]

[Mark McCombs]

Launch Kit


English

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Vega VV05 upper composite integration

Integration of the fully integrated fairing of Vega VV05, carrying Sentinel-2A, in the launcher assembly area at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 11 June 2015.

http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2015/06/Vega_VV05_upper_composite_integration3

Image credit: ESA–M. Pedoussaut, 2015

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Vega VV05 in its mobile gantry

ESA’s Vega VV05, carrying Sentinel-2A, is all set for launch, at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

The second satellite in Europe’s Copernicus programme is set for launch from Europe’s Spaceport on 23 June at 01:52 GMT (03:52 CEST; 22:52 local time on 22 June).

Sentinel-2 carries an innovative wide-swath, high-resolution multispectral imager with 13 spectral bands for a new perspective of our land and vegetation. The second in the two-satellite mission – Sentinel-2B – is being prepared for launch in 2016.

For more information on the mission, visit www.esa.int/sentinel2

http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2015/06/Vega_VV05_in_its_mobile_gantry

Image credit:  ESA–M. Pedoussaut, 2015