Author Topic: LIVE: SMOS and PROBA-2 Launch - November 2, 2009 (Read 35483 times)

jacqmans · « **Reply #20 on:** 09/25/2009 11:45 am »

With the launch of ESA’s water mission SMOS just six weeks away, members of the team are testing the satellite and preparing for liftoff from Russia on 2 November. In the run-up to launch, ESA has published a website where you can learn about the mission, meet key team members, stay abreast of updates and follow the launch live.

Visit the website at:

http://www.esa.int/smos

jacqmans · « **Reply #21 on:** 10/05/2009 04:35 pm »

ESA's next Earth Explorer mission SMOS and a secondary payload, the technology demonstrator Proba-2 satellite, are set for launch on 2 November 2009.

Follow the countdown to launch on our dedicated websites.

For SMOS:
http://www.esa.int/smos

For Proba:
http://www.esa.int/proba

patchfree · « **Reply #22 on:** 10/05/2009 09:15 pm »

News from Plesetsk http://www.eurockot.com/alist.asp?cat_id=105&main=3&subm=105

jacqmans · « **Reply #23 on:** 10/06/2009 10:24 am »

As the first snow of the winter arrives in Plesetsk, the team has reached a significant milestone in the launch campaign – the launch authorities have given the green light to fuel the satellite.

Read more at:

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/smos/SEMYM6XRA0G_0.html

jacqmans · « **Reply #24 on:** 10/08/2009 03:09 pm »

The hazardous task of fuelling the SMOS satellite with 28 kg of hydrazine propellant has been completed. The team from Thales Alenia Space carried out this important part of the launch campaign yesterday. They wore special protective clothing called a Self-Contained Atmospheric Protective Ensemble (SCAPE).

Read more at:

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/smos/SEM1DKXRA0G_0.html

jacqmans · « **Reply #25 on:** 10/08/2009 03:11 pm »

08 October, 2009 / L-25

http://www.eurockot.com/alist.asp?cnt=20041065&main=3

For the launch vehicle (LV) team this day started with the tension check of the CASA clamp band that was installed yesterday. The tension was inside the nominal value. Today the umbilical connectors will be installed on the LV adapter system and after that the adapter electrical checks will be carried out. Meanwhile the upper stage and fairing stack was transferred from the MIK general hall into the upper stage clean room.

As to the spacecraft today the contamination activity will be finished as well as the MLI installation. The SMOS team is going to perform also the final SC inspection before installing the SMOS SC on the LV adapter tomorrow.

jacqmans · « **Reply #26 on:** 10/09/2009 11:48 am »

Matthias Drusch has been involved with the SMOS mission since joining ESA in 2008. As Mission Scientist, his role in supporting the mission preparations has been to ensure that the satellite, ground data processing systems and resulting product quality are compatible with the expectations of the scientific community.

Read more at:

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/smos/SEM1PKXRA0G_0_iv.html

jacqmans · « **Reply #27 on:** 10/12/2009 08:03 am »

Daily 09 October, 2009 / L-24

http://www.eurockot.com/alist.asp?cnt=20041066&main=3

The SMOS launch campaign in Plesetsk cosmodrome is going on well according to the schedule. Today there should be MLI (multi-layer isolation) installation on the SMOS spacecraft finished as well as decontamination of the hydrazine cart. At the same time in order to give some more space for the PROBA-2 team that will arrive this Sunday, some of SMOS EGSE was transferred from the clean room into the general hall.

The latter action will be also carried out with the upper stage (i.e. transfer from the clean room to the general hall) that will be processed for further transportation to the fuelling station. The transportation to the fuelling station itself will take place on Monday October 12. Also the launch vehicle adapter will be covered by MLI today.

jacqmans · « **Reply #28 on:** 10/12/2009 08:04 am »

Daily 10 October, 2009 / L-23

http://www.eurockot.com/alist.asp?cnt=20041067&main=3

This Saturday started with the transfer of the LV (launch vehicle) adapter from the LV clean room to the SC (spacecraft) clean room. After that the SMOS SC was lifted by the crane and installed on top of the LV adapter. Immediately after that the activities on the CASA 937 clamp band tensioning began.

As far as the launcher itself is concerned today the LV upper stage preparation for the fuelling continued. The other activity that was planned for today was the LV fairing cleaning.

jacqmans · « **Reply #29 on:** 10/13/2009 06:44 am »

Daily 12 October, 2009 / L-21

http://www.eurockot.com/alist.asp?cnt=20041068&main=3

Yesterday after a couple of weeks break the PROBA-2 team arrived in Plesetsk again. And though it was Sunday it was decided to work yesterday as well. The PROBA-2 team unpacked their satellite and performed its inspection. After that the GSE set-up was done. Today PROBA-2 SC is going to be switched on. After that the battery will be charged.

As to the SMOS SC today the Khrunichev ground cables were connected via the LV adapter to the SMOS satellite. After that the SC electrical check-outs were started.

Also today the LV upper stage will be transported to the fuelling station.

jacqmans · « **Reply #30 on:** 10/13/2009 09:06 pm »

Jordi Font was one of the scientists that proposed the mission. As Lead Scientist for ocean salinity, his role has been to maintain the scientific integrity of the mission as it went from a paper design to a real satellite.

Read more at:

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/smos/SEM031YRA0G_0_iv.html

jacqmans · « **Reply #31 on:** 10/14/2009 08:53 pm »

As preparations for the launch of SMOS on 2 November continue to progress well at the launch site in Russia, a milestone in the schedule has been passed as the satellite joins the Rockot launch adapter.

Read more at:

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/smos/SEMDR7YRA0G_0.html

jacqmans · « **Reply #32 on:** 10/14/2009 09:08 pm »

Daily 13 October, 2009 / L-20

http://www.eurockot.com/alist.asp?cnt=20041069&main=3

Today the Proba-2 team finished the functional test and started charging the flight batteries. The satellite "stated" that it is in a "good health" and ready for mating with the adapter system.

The SMOS team switched on the SMOS satellite in the morning. At that point of time, this is a hazardous operation; everyone had to leave the cleanroom for one hour. Afterwards, the fuelling team could go on with the packing activities as planned today.

On the launcher side the Breeze KM upper stage was fuelled today. This took place in the fuelling facility of the Russian Space Forces. In parallel Khrunichev specialists cleaned the fairing halves in the cleanroom 101B.

anik · « **Reply #33 on:** 10/16/2009 07:30 am »

According to http://www.space-center.ru/Timeline.aspx, the launch is planned at 01:50:51 UTC on November 2nd.

jacqmans · « **Reply #34 on:** 10/16/2009 01:19 pm »

Yann Kerr was one of the scientists that proposed the mission. As Lead Investigator for soil moisture, his role has been to maintain the scientific integrity of the mission as it went from a paper design to a real satellite.

Read more at:

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/smos/SEM2ELYRA0G_0_iv.html

Danderman · « **Reply #35 on:** 10/17/2009 04:12 pm »

Quote from: anik on 10/16/2009 07:30 am

According to http://www.space-center.ru/Timeline.aspx, the launch is planned at 01:50:51 UTC on November 2nd.

It happens that I will be in St. Petersburg on that date - what is the conversion to local time from UTC? I think it should 04:50 DMT.

Since this is flying into a high 98 degree orbit from Plesetsk, it may be visible from St. Petersburg.

anik · « **Reply #36 on:** 10/17/2009 05:21 pm »

Quote from: Danderman on 10/17/2009 04:12 pm

what is the conversion to local time from UTC?

04:50:51 local time (on October 25th the time will be changed from UTC+4 to UTC+3 there).

jacqmans · « **Reply #37 on:** 10/20/2009 04:58 pm »

Another major milestone in the SMOS launch campaign has been passed as the satellite was secured on top of the Breeze-KM upper stage of the launcher yesterday.

Read more at:

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/smos/SEMXJZYRA0G_0.html

anik · « **Reply #38 on:** 10/20/2009 06:20 pm »

Images from http://coopi.khrunichev.ru/main.php?id=21

jacqmans · « **Reply #39 on:** 10/21/2009 01:45 pm »

As preparations for the launch of SMOS and Proba-2 continue on schedule, the engineers and technicians at the Russian launch site say goodbye as both satellites are encapsulated within the half-shells of the Rockot fairing.

Read more at:

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/smos/SEMMX8ZRA0G_0.html