The crocodile closed its jaws

The truck is waiting to be loaded:


Once pushed to the truck, the encapsulated CryoSat-2 (CS-2) is lifted by a crane inside the open container and firmly fixed into it:


The full container is then tilted:


...and the crocodile closes its jaws,
Movie not processed, showing real time motion


The launcher fairing is put on the empty trolley and will follow the SC trailed by a separate truck.


After the closing of the hatch, the convoy will be ready to leave to the silo first thing on next Monday morning.

A Sticker show

At this very moment of the campaign, all parties wanted to exhibit their own stickers to be put on the fairing.

Here, Bill and Yuri (from left to right) exhibit the Russian one.
Note also from left to right, the Turkmenistan, Russian, Ukrainian, and Kazakh flags.
For the CryoSat-2 launch, An agreement has been reached with Turkmenistan for the drop zone of the rocket first stage.
The sticker also clearly flags the main players on the Russian side:

• Roscosmos, the Russian Space Agency
  
• The National Space Agency of Ukraine
  
• Kosmotras, joint Russian Ukrainian project to commercialise DNIEPR
  
• Yuzhnoe, rocket designer
  
• Yuzhmash, rocket manufacturer
  

ESA presents its own:


Astrium's one is handed by Edi and Raphael (from left to right).
A small sticker indeed ... but for an outstanding contribution!


Finally when all of these have been put at the right place, an overall picture of the Platform concluded this "sticker show":-)

CryoSat-2 moves to the crocodile

Empty trolley to be used for moving CryoSat-2 from area B to area C (where the crocodile stands).
note in the background, the DNIEPR integrated platforms already prepared for the next launch


Lifting and moving the encapsulated CS-2 towards the trolley:


Very slow move for the last bit and a perfect fitting:


CS-2 on the trolley:


...and then, the push to the crocodile.
Эй, ухнем! Ещё разик, ещё да раз!
Yo, heave ho! Once more, once again, still once more
famous song of the Volga Boatmen :-)


A group picture of (part) the "technical support" staff at the MIK during our campaign. They have all been extremely appreciated for their reliability and competence . A good opportunity to be thankful to them.

Completion of the CryoSat-2 Encapsulation

Starting the lift of Platform B


Slowly moving down Platform B on the Platform A


...till it almost perfect fit between top and bottom platforms is reached.


Encapsulation done!
...CryoSat-2 in the Space Head Module (SHM) on 10/02/2010 at 18:04 local time.


Few activities on the Russian side are still to be done before Spacecraft in the SHM can be loaded on the crocodile! (see previous note "SHM fit check on the launcher").

CS-2 Encapsulation starts

Spacecraft and adaptor (on a jig) ready to be lifted


... and transported towards Platform A.


After slowly moving down the SC till the the adatpor has reached its nominal place at the bottom of Platform A, CryoSat-2 is "half" encapuslated.


Last chance to remove the last red tag items
Here, Wolfgang is removing a lifting bracket.
This item as you can see was used till the very last minute for this activity.


...and install the last green tag items. Here a balance mass.
Note the use of a 10 tons crane for a few kgs cube of bronze! :-)

After this step a last careful visual inspection is performed.
A unique opportunity to see the mirrors of Laser Retro Reflector (on left) without their caps.


Then... the last part of the encapsulation can start.

CryoSat-2 goes onto its Adaptor

After a successful Flight Readiness Review (FRR) on 09/02/2010, Cryosat-2 (CS-2) was declared ready for flight. A significant milestone in the launch campaign.

This opens the door to the next activity: The Encapsulation of the Spacecraft (SC) in the Space Head Module (SHM) of the launcher.

This is done in 3 steps

• Mate the SC on its Adaptor
• Integrate both on Platform A
• Cover the platform A with Platform B.
  

CS-2 was moved from the MIK clean room 119 to zone B and put in vertical position


for being lifted and transported to the adaptor.


Mating the SC on its adaptor is a delicate operation that needs a lot of care and skills from the operators


mating almost completed....
Note the presence of the Russian crane operator. She did a remarkable job.
Cranes at the MIK are exclusively operated by Russians and in most of the cases

operators are women.

Once CS-2 stands on its adaptor, the step 1 of the encapsulation shall start. As it is the last time the CS-2 team will see the spacecraft, it was agreed to make a joined ESA/ASTRIUM team photo.

Spacecraft adaptor gets prepared for fligft

Good news: The Space Head Module (SHM) and the fairing, have now returned to the MIK building B. It is then assumed that the fit check on the launcher in the silo was positive and we get then closer to the encapsulation of the Spacecraft.

Below are the elements needed for this operation (from left to right) :

• platform A
  
• the complete adaptor (on a jig here)
  
• platform B (with the Gas Dynamic Shield in white)
• the fairing (seen for the first time)

The CryoSat-2 adaptor is made of 2 pieces

• the spacecraft adaptor (square)
  
• the launcher adaptor (circle)
  

In space, the separation of the spacecraft from the launcher will be done between these 2 elements by mean of four pyro bolts positioned in the four corners as showed below (but not installed yet)


The view below shows the very moment of the separation (between launcher and spacecraft adaptors) after activation of pyro bolts.
...as it was witnessed during the separation and shock test last July in IABG.



As you can see, after separation, the squared frame will stay on the spacecraft (SC) for the rest of the mission.
Therefore as for the SC, a thermal blanket called Multi Layer Insulation (MLI) needs to be installed on the SC adaptor. This work was performed today.

This is how the adaptor looks like after it got "dressed" for the flight.


Hope you can notice the difference!

French tourists lost in cosmodrome?

Surprise arriving at the MIK this morning, next to our bus:
A French coach from Carmaux, a quiet and beautiful village of 10.000 inhabitants in the Tarn departement ...


Apparently no one on board, no lost french tourists around in the steppe,
...but if someone has a clue how this bus has reached this place, please mail us. :-)

An nice opportunity to greet our friends from Midi Pyrenees and Toulouse in particular!

Sunday 7th February postcard

Dear all,

On Sunday as usual, no much writing but better a "pot-pourri" of city scenes from a cold but sunny/windy tour.

At the St George's Church, people put offerings on the altar.
The offered food will be then distributed later on to poor people.


From the church to the market...

where we had to pick up traditional Kazakh costumes, here some shapans models


a portrait of our saleswoman


bought some Uzbek pistaches from this nice stand


Then to the indoor market.
...crossing the "'vegetarian path"'


note at the bottom, the Japanese pears (nashi) that are served at the Hotel, slightly crunchy.


at the mandarine stand (very sweet but full of pits!)


On the way back to the hotel:

...Children seated next to their home


or other wanderers in the cold


and the beautiful Zhankozh Batyr Ulitsa (Zankhozha Batyra street, a Kazakh national hero)


... parallel to the Mir ulitsa (Peace street).
Both streets frame the Park of Peace... where proudly stands at the front the memorial of the first intercontinental SS-17 (15A15) missile (developed by M. Kuz'micha of the Yuzhnoe Design Buro in in the 70ies).



No way to escape from the Rocket business in Baikonur, even on Sunday! :-)

From Russia with love!

Kirill B.