Things are moving again

Launch - 9 days.
Good news!: last electrical tests of the modified unit on the launcher were successfully completed this morning and green light was given to prepare CryoSat-2 (CS-2) to move to the silo.
For this transport:

• The Space Head Module (SHM) needs to be prepared for integration on the crocodile
  
• and the PayLoad Fairing (PLF) needs to be fitted on its dedicated trolley.
  

This activity was performed under the responsibility of Yuzhnoe, the Ukrainian company which developed the DNIEPR launcher.

As we have already done this activity in February (see CroySat-2 moves to the crocodile), there is nothing you don't know already :-). Let's try however to point a couple of new things...
Here under the encapsulated CS-2 is mated temporarily on a trolley that will be needed tomorrow to roll it up to the crocodile. What is new is the second (empty) SHM on the left. This SHM will be used in few week time for another launch campaign with a similar DNIEPR launcher. The Spacecraft will be this time a German Earth Observation Satellite called Tandem X. The mission is to measure land surface elevation with a high accuracy.
All precautions have been taken to prevent SHM mix up and make sure that the empty one won't go to the Silo on next Thursday!

Here below, a view on the 2 SHMs and the PLF (on the left):

In the background, in parallel, the ASTRIUM team continues packing... This activity is planned from long and has already started as it can't be done at the last minute after launch.

The PLF has also been put on its dedicated trolley for transport to the silo. The short movie shows Yuzhnoe team pushing it closer to the SHM.

Job has been completed for today.

...Time again to shot farewell pictures:
Here part of the Yuzhnoe team.
First lady on the right is the Yuzhnoe Product Assurance Representative

Then the ESA/ASTRIUM team.

Not to forget:
As promised, Yuzhnoe people kindly offered us a Ukrainian specialty to complement our lunch today. This was a tray of small pieces of bread covered with horse radish, calo (Сало), pickles and coriander leaves...
It was absolutely delicious and particularly indicated if we want to pick up a Sumo career!

Next short term steps:

• 31/03 SHM to be integrated in the crocodile

• 01/04 transport of the SHM+PLF to the Silo and EGSE to the Bunker*!

*For getting all 3 EGSE racks (100kgs each) and 1 NDIU rack (200kgs) down to the bunker chamber there is no lift but a 30 meter long and narrow staircase. It is so small and so unpractical that the heavy gang had problems to move in it and not to bump the hardware against the walls and the lateral handrail.
Due to the fragility of this old hardware and the associated risks of the handling, ESA/ASTRIUM team (even if not yet a Sumo fighter team despite the calo supplement at lunch) decided to perform this task on its own (6 persons) and not to rely on external help. As you can imagine this will be a painful task/day that we would imagine in no case to repeat for a 3rd time!