CryoSat-2 at the Silo

Launch-7 days
Activities planned for today have been successfully completed.
Again, not much more that was already said in Day-10:CS-2 travels to the Silo can be added.

The transport from MIK site 31 to Launch pad 109 was safely performed in 1 hour 15 minutes to run the 13.5 kilometers distance.
The convoy here is approaching the launch pad 109 (on the right).

Credits: Klaus

In parallel of this transport, the ESA/ASTRIUM team had to get the Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) and the NDIU (needed for the communication with the ESOC, the ESA control center in Darmstadt) down to the bunker. The few pictures below may show how inconvenient and risky this task is:
Approaching the Bunker entrance form the outside

Difficulty to pass through the bunker narrow door entrance

Descending the stair case (30 meters long) with 100kgs racks!

A pause between to levels

Finally all equipment successfully installed and connected!

The Spacecraft was successfully mated on the DNIEPR rocket as some Battery telemetry could already been read after the EGSE have been connected.
Next steps

• Spacecraft will be powered on 02/04.
• Battery charging and usual telemetry measurements
• Dress rehearsal 6/04