DNIEPR Mission profile

In addition to the Count Down partly described in Campaign status 06/04/2010, the DNIEPR mission profile may be of interest for those willing to follow the launch tomorrow*.

• +5 sec 1st stage motor ignition and lift off
• +1min50 1st stage separation
• +5min09 PayLoad Fairing separation

• +5min54 2nd stage motor shutdown, 2nd stage separation
• +6min00 3rd stage motor ignition, start of the 180 deg. rotation of the Upper Stage (US)
  
• +6min07 End of the 180 deg. rotation of the US, 3rd stage motor enters to throttled-back operation mode
• 16min25 Platform A and B (with Gas Dynamic Shield) separation (not quiet exactly represented on the picture below because CS-2 has the "'Long Space Head Module" configuration)
  
• 16min28 CryoSat-2 Separation
• 17min 09 Upper stage propellant depletion (end of DNIEPR Mission?)
  

Here below is an artist impression of the separation:

* A live TV broadcasting of the CryoSat-2 launch should be available on the ESA web site tomorrow (TBC)