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#20 by jacqmans on 02 Feb, 2016 08:30
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#21 by eeergo on 02 Feb, 2016 10:36
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Fueling has begun, per Twitter.
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#22 by jacqmans on 02 Feb, 2016 19:14
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02/01/2016
GO for the fueling of the Sentinel-3A satellite
Today the Rockot Launch Vehicle Team reported a successful dry-run on the launch pad with the ascent unit, the so called Upper Composite, on top of the Booster Unit - however not fueled and without the spacecraft under the payload fairing. This is the GO for the fueling of the Sentinel-3A satellite. The propellant loading operations had been thoroughly prepared during the preceding days. For the Upper Stage of the Rockot, the Breeze-KM, this means that the preparation of its fueling can now start as well.
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#23 by bolun on 03 Feb, 2016 09:14
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02/03/2016
Sentinel-3A fuelling commenced
The Spacecraft Team and the Launch Vehicle Team are now busy with fine-tuning the schedule for combined operations momentarily focusing on mating Sentinel-3A with the Upper Stage Breeze-KM before closure of the Rockot Payload Fairing.
Yesterday an important step, namely the fuelling of the spacecraft, took place and the activities will be finalized today (see picture below). Meanwhile the preparation for the fuelling of Breeze-KM has also started.
In a short briefing at the end of the day both teams in view of launching Sentinel-3A on Rockot on February 16th, 2016 proudly reported: All nominal!
http://www.eurockot.com/2016/02/sentinel-3a-fuelling-commenced/
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#24 by jacqmans on 04 Feb, 2016 12:50
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#25 by bolun on 06 Feb, 2016 13:35
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02/06/2016
Combined operations started
Yesterday was the first day of the so called combined operations aiming at stacking the spacecraft on top of the upper stage.
The mechanism that holds both together, the Adapter System, has also the task to separate and inject the spacecraft when the target orbit is reached. It mainly consists of a tightened clamp band or ring which is released by means of a pyro element at time of separation.
Khrunichev has started the electrical checkouts on the Adapter System to make sure that not only the mechanical interfaces perfectly match but also the electrical interfaces.
http://www.eurockot.com/2016/02/combined-operations-started/
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#26 by Artyom. on 08 Feb, 2016 08:43
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SENTINEL-3A MEETS FLIGHT AND LAUNCH ADAPTERS
Over the weekend, Sentinel-3A was mated with the flight and launch adapters in the next steps to prepare it for launch next week.
While Saturday’s mating with the flight adapter was successful, there was a minor hiccup:
In order to install the clamp-band which fixes the satellite to the adapter, it needs to be positioned, heated up to 100°C, clamped and then cooled. During the cooling, the pre-tension of the clamp-band increases and at ambient temperature the nominal clamp-band tension has to be reached, otherwise the entire process needs to be repeated. Once the tension is reached, the adapter spring actuators are installed, the spacecaft umbilicals are connected and the adapter pyros are installed. The total process takes between 5 and 7 hours.
Saturday’s pre-tensioning process had to be repeated twice in order to reach the correct value, leading to a completion of this activity at around 20:00 in the evening.
The first switch-on of the satellite on the adapter was then successfully performed, together with a set of electrical checks to prove that the new assembly is working properly.
Yesterday, Sentinel-3A and the flight adapter was transferred from the 101A cleanroom to the 101B cleanroom where the launch adapter, called the Breeze Upper Stage, is located. Both the 101B cleanroom and the Breeze had underwent a deep cleaning in order to comply with requirements.
The satellite was then hoisted in the air and lowered onto the Breeze. By 16:00 the mating of the satellite and flight adapter with the Breeze was completed.
Today’s activities will be mainly dedicated to finalising the satellite and Breeze configurations, as well as the satellite switch-on and electrical testing with the Upper Stage.
http://blogs.esa.int/eolaunches/2016/02/08/sentinel-3a-meets-flight-and-launch-adapters/
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#27 by bolun on 10 Feb, 2016 11:18
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02/09/2016
Sentinel-3A fairing encapsulation
Today was the last day when all Launch Campaign participants had an opportunity to see Sentinel-3A for the last time. Today the fairing encapsulation took place. From now on till the fairing jettison the spacecraft will stay reliably protected under the launch vehicle fairing.
Tomorrow Sentinel-3A as well as Eurockot logos will be fixed on the fairing. After that all Launch Campaign participants will leave their signatures on the logos.
http://www.eurockot.com/2016/02/sentinel-3a-fairing-encapsulation/
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#28 by jacqmans on 11 Feb, 2016 11:54
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02/10/2016
Good wishes for Sentinel-3A and Rockot
Today we followed the nice tradition to sign the fairing logo in memory to all people who were involved in the project.
It takes place before the Space Head is leaving the cleanroom. Everybody wrote down good wishes for the spacecraft and the rocket.
Tomorrow the Space Head will be moved to the General Hall.
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#29 by eeergo on 12 Feb, 2016 21:46
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Mating with the booster has been completed. This launch (#25 for Rokot) has the designation "Libra" because its constellation can be drawn with 25 stars. Apparently it's a Russian tradition in Plesetsk (also elsewhere?). Also a French teammember broke an ankle slipping in the icy paths
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#30 by Lewis007 on 13 Feb, 2016 06:59
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Attached are some Sentinel-3A brochures and factsheets
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#31 by Artyom. on 13 Feb, 2016 12:19
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Some information from the Khrunichev website:Quote
Sentinel-3A is the third satellite to be launched for Europe’s Copernicus environmental monitoring programme, previously known as the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security programme (GMES). Sentinel-3A is the Copernicus operational wide-swath medium-resolution ocean and land mission designed for providing continuity to optical and altimetry data of the ENVISAT mission and vegetation data of the SPOT (from French «Satellite pour l’Observation de la Terre») mission.
Sentinel-3A will globally monitor ocean, ice and land combining a multi-spectral optical mission which provides sea/ land colour data and surface temperatures and an altimetry mission contributing to the determination of the sea surface, ice surface and in-land water topography. In addition, as complementary objectives, the Sentinel-3A mission provides vegetation, fire identification and atmospheric products.
ESA is developing six families of Sentinel satellites specifically for Copernicus. Each operational Sentinel system comprises two identical satellite flight models to comply with tight revisit and product delivery latency. The Contracts procuring additional flight models for some of the Sentinel mission have been recently signed, ensuring continuity of Copernicus data for at least two decades. The Sentinel-3 mission is based on a constellation of two identical satellites, the first two called Sentinel-3A and Sentinel-3B, launched separately. Sentinel-3A, the first satellite model of the Sentinel-3 twin-satellite constellation, will be launched on a Russiabuilt Rockot launch vehicle from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia, located at 63°N, 40°E.
Copernicus is the most ambitious Earth observation programme to date, conducted jointly by the EC, ESA, EUMETSAT and the member states. Supporting European policies, Copernicus uses accurate and timely data to provide key information services to improve the way the environment is managed, help mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure civil security. In essence, Copernicus will help shape the future of our planet for the benefit of all.http://coopi.khrunichev.ru/main.php?id=735
edit by mod:should be http://coopi.khrunichev.ru/main.php?id=747
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#32 by eeergo on 15 Feb, 2016 13:19
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Launch rehearsal complete one day prior to the real thing:
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/All_dressed_up_with_somewhere_to_go -
#33 by input~2 on 15 Feb, 2016 16:08
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ARCTIC.
BARENTS SEA.
ROCKETS.
DNC 22.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 1740Z TO 1840Z DAILY
16 AND 17 FEB IN AREA BOUND BY
72-18-15N 030-54-30E, 72-10-15N 031-46-10E,
71-48-55N 032-18-27E, 71-31-42N 032-06-30E,
71-39-40N 031-16-30E, 72-00-55N 030-43-05E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 171940Z FEB 16.//
Authority: NAVAREA XX 14/16 120530Z FEB 16.
Date: 120535Z FEB 16
Cancel: 17194000 Feb 16
NOTAM for 1st stage debris
G0584/16 - TEMPO DANGER AREA ACT WI COORD: 713142N 0320630E-713142N 0320630E-713200N 0320500E- 715800N 0320500E-714855N 0321827E-713142N 0320630E. SFC - UNL, DAILY 1740-1840, 16 FEB 17:40 2016 UNTIL 17 FEB 18:40 2016. CREATED: 12 FEB 07:35 2016
for 1st stage and fairing debris
A0512/16 - FOLLOWING RECEIVED FM MAIN AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT CENTER OF RUSSIA AT 1602090825: PLANS TO LAUNCH MISSILE IN THE SPACE IN THE PERIOD FROM 1740 TO 1840 ON FEBRUARY 16, 2016 (ALT. DATE: FEBRUARY 17, 2016 FROM 1740 TO 1840) AND TO SINK ITS FRAGMENTES IN THE WATERS OF THE BARENTS SEA. CHARACTERISTICS OF IMPACT AREAS: AREA 1: 721824N 0305430E - 721024N 0314612E - 714854N 0321830E - 713142N 0320630E - 713942N 0311630E - 720054N 0304306E - 721824N 0305430E AREA 2: 742336N 0253918E - 742706N 0273400E - 740142N 0283930E - 733336N 0275230E - 733018N 0260336E - 735454N 0245618E - 742336N 0253918E. GND - UNL, 16 FEB 17:40 2016 UNTIL 17 FEB 18:40 2016. CREATED: 09 FEB 11:15 2016
for 2nd stage debris
B0451/16 - DAH IS AMENDED AS FOLLOWS: CYD 999 ROCKET HAZARD AREA BOUNDED BY 7736N 7552W-7735N 7408W- 7707N 7306W-7647N 7421W-7647N 7600W-7701N 7658W-7722N 7705W- 7736N 7552W. SFC TO UNL. ACFT SHOULD REMAIN CLR OF AREA DUE TO DANGER FM FALLING DEBRIS. SFC - UNL, DLY 1740-1840, 16 FEB 17:40 2016 UNTIL 17 FEB 18:40 2016. CREATED: 12 FEB 21:35 2016
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#34 by input~2 on 15 Feb, 2016 16:42
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Could it be possible to recover debris from the 2nd stage on the ice floe?
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#35 by AirmanPika on 15 Feb, 2016 18:44
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Could it be possible to recover debris from the 2nd stage on the ice floe?
Hmmmmm I wonder if we'll see the reentry up here. That's only 80ish miles from Thule. -
#36 by input~2 on 15 Feb, 2016 19:03
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2 more to be complete!
A0028/16 (BIRD)- TEMPORARY DANGER AREA ESTABLISHED WITHIN BGGL FIR. RUSSIAN MISSILE LAUNCH WILL TAKE PLACE. DEBRIS IMPACTED AREA IN THE BAFFIN SEA BOUNDED BY: 7736N07552W 7735N07408W 7707N07306W 7647N07421W 7647N07600W 7701N07658W 7722N07705W 7736N07552W. FL195 - UNL, DAILY 1740-1910, 16 FEB 17:40 2016 UNTIL 17 FEB 19:10 2016. CREATED: 10 FEB 13:04 2016
A0041/16 (BGGL)- TEMPORARY DANGER AREA ESTABLISHED RUSSIAN MISSILE LAUNCH WILL TAKE PLACE. DEBRIS IMPACTED AREA IN THE BAFFIN SEA BOUNDED BY: 7736N07552W 7735N07408W 7707N07306W 7647N07421W 7647N07600W 7701N07658W 7722N07705W 7736N07552W. SFC - FL195, DAILY 1740-1910, 16 FEB 17:40 2016 UNTIL 17 FEB 19:10 2016. CREATED: 10 FEB 08:50 2016 -
#37 by input~2 on 15 Feb, 2016 19:10
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Yep, you could go to the impact zone on a skidoo and search for debrisCould it be possible to recover debris from the 2nd stage on the ice floe?
Hmmmmm I wonder if we'll see the reentry up here. That's only 80ish miles from Thule.
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#38 by input~2 on 16 Feb, 2016 05:27
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Sentinel-3A launch event
http://m.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-3/Sentinel-3A_launch_event
Live from ESA, follow the event to celebrate the launch of the third satellite for Europe’s Copernicus environment monitoring programme.
The first in the two-satellite mission, Sentinel-3A, is set for launch from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia on 16 February at 17:57 GMT.
During the event at ESA’s ESOC European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, a number of the key players in the mission will talk about preparing the satellite for launch and discuss its benefits and applications.
The live webstream will begin at 17:00 GMT and end at 19:40 GMT, with a break 18:25–19:10 GMT.
Programme (all times in GMT)
17:00 Introduction and welcome addresses by representatives from ESA, the European Commission and the German government
17:20 Status check and introduction to the Plesetsk Cosmodrome
17:30 Introduction to the Copernicus programme and the Sentinel-3 mission
17:50 Live broadcast from Plesetsk
17:57 Liftoff
18:05 Discussion with a panel of Sentinel-3 data users
18:20 Flight update
18:25 Break
19:10 Live broadcast from Plesetsk: status check
19:20 Presentation on the Copernicus programme and ESA heritage
19:30 Watch the first acquisition of signal live from the Mission Control Room
19:40 End of live coverage from ESOC -
#39 by eeergo on 16 Feb, 2016 12:01
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Quote from: @esa 31m ago
Launch update: Sentinel3A satellite is now in launch configuration and powered by flight batteries. Green for launch.
Quote from: @esaoperations 53m agoFirst to acquire Sentinel3A tonight is
#ESTRACK Kiruna station in Sweden http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/EstrackQuote from: @esaoperations 1h agoT-6 hours - network countdown has begun - a synchronised sequence by facilities worldwide to support Sentinel3A launch
