Credits: Raphael
As long as you have now completed your life on Earth, have another long life in space and a fruitful mission.
Don't forget from time to time to give us GOOD NEWS : We do need it :-)
jeudi 8 avril 2010
Launch successful
Bye Bye CryoSat!
Credits: Raphael
As long as you have now completed your life on Earth, have another long life in space and a fruitful mission.
Don't forget from time to time to give us GOOD NEWS : We do need it :-)
Credits: Raphael
As long as you have now completed your life on Earth, have another long life in space and a fruitful mission.
Don't forget from time to time to give us GOOD NEWS : We do need it :-)
Launch day
For official information related to the CryoSat-2 launch please refer to ESA or CryoSat-2 web sites.
For the main milestones of the Count Down till lift off, please refer to the Campaign status on 6/4/2010.
For the main events after lift off please refer to Dniepr mission profile.
Watch the broadcasting of CryoSat-2 launch live.
Lift off @ 19:57 Baikonur (15:57 CEST)
Updates from launch team in Baikonur to be released later on today on this page.
All time below are Baikonur time (CEST= Baikonur time -4 hours).
After a perfect lift off, separation and the acquisition of the first telemetry data at ESOC:
Certainly life memories for the "Dream Team" after this fascinating adventure ...
and, en passant hello from MIK to all our friends from ESTEC, ESOC, ASTRIUM, THALES, ALENIA SPACE, CNES...sitting at the moment at ESOC.
...to be continued
For the main milestones of the Count Down till lift off, please refer to the Campaign status on 6/4/2010.
For the main events after lift off please refer to Dniepr mission profile.
Watch the broadcasting of CryoSat-2 launch live.
Lift off @ 19:57 Baikonur (15:57 CEST)
Updates from launch team in Baikonur to be released later on today on this page.
All time below are Baikonur time (CEST= Baikonur time -4 hours).
- 7h45 am local weather conditions: +8C, very slight breeze, sunny, no clouds
- 9:41 am Preparing boarding the bus to the cosmodrome (Stephane ESA Photographer)
- 10:38 am Passing (on the left) road to launch pad 109 (view from bus)
- 10:54 am Daily debriefing
- 11:20 am Observing launch pad 109 from second floor of building 40, site 31 (at the silo, crane on truck available to remove "silo cover")
- 11:57 am Count Down Procedure (CDM) started. Launch -8:00h. Team picture.
- 13:34 Installing CS-2 mascot : Polar bears in Baikonur, Penguins at ESOC (step not foreseen in the CDM procedure:-)
- 14:01 CryoSat-2 powered on
- 15:07 Local weather conditions: +21C, very slight breeze, hazy (launch pad 109 under left the lamp post, shot taken from building 40 second floor)
- 17:30 Silo cover removed (artist view of the launch pad as it should look like now)
- 17:54 Local weather conditions: +20,9C, slight breeze, good visibility to launch pad, becomes cloudy
- 19:15 Local weather conditions: +17,5C, slight breeze, hazy but good visibility to launch pad
After a perfect lift off, separation and the acquisition of the first telemetry data at ESOC:
- 20:25 CryoSat-2 launch is declared Successful !!! a lot of emotion here at the MIK .
Certainly life memories for the "Dream Team" after this fascinating adventure ...
and, en passant hello from MIK to all our friends from ESTEC, ESOC, ASTRIUM, THALES, ALENIA SPACE, CNES...sitting at the moment at ESOC.
...to be continued
mercredi 7 avril 2010
1st orbit Ground station coverage
During the first orbit*, the most exciting thing will be the acquisition of the first CryoSat-2 telemetry data at ESOC through the various tracking stations.
Just after launch, the following stations will track CryoSat-2:
*An orbit lasts approximately 1hour and 30 minutes
Just after launch, the following stations will track CryoSat-2:
- +12min00 Malindi AOS (Acquisition of Signal)
- +21min36 Malindi LOS (Loss of Signal)
- +31min28 Troll AOS (Troll is located in Antarctica and co-located with the Troll research station)
- 43min28 Troll LOS
- 1h26min13 Svalbard AOS
- 1h26min31 Kiruna AOS (later on Science data will be acquire by Kiruna)
- ...
*An orbit lasts approximately 1hour and 30 minutes
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*.
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)
- +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)
Campaign status 7/4/2010
Launch -1 Day
The following activities are planned today:
Later on today...
Russian State Commission meeting at Cosmonaut Hotel
Just after the meeting
Edi, Bill, Alexander, Klaus.
From left to right
The following activities are planned today:
- Battery top up - completed
- Off to Launch Mode (check of side A) - completed
- Update of EGSE parameters - completed
- Cleaning up points noted at the Dress Rehearsal 06/04 - completed
- Russian State Commission Meeting (19:00) - green light given at 19:30
Later on today...
- Ironing uniform for the D day...
Russian State Commission meeting at Cosmonaut Hotel
Just after the meeting
Edi, Bill, Alexander, Klaus.
From left to right
mardi 6 avril 2010
Campaign status 6/4 /2010
Launch - 2 Days
Sequence of important events today @ Baikonur time (-4h for CEST):
The dress rehearsal went very smoothly (few minor things will be addressed at the debriefing and fixed by the 8/4). This gives confidence on the readiness of all parties involved in the launch.
*ESOC European Space Control Center
**LCC: Launch Control Center
Sequence of important events today @ Baikonur time (-4h for CEST):
- 10:47 Arrival of CS-2 team at MIK site 31, Baikonur
- 11:07 launch pad 119 observation with binocular from MIK second floor: it was possible to see clearly a man dressed with a long white clothing. This type of gear is not the usual staff worn by the "Silo operators". Our best guess is that it is the Priest blessing the Rocket (slightly earlier than expected).
- 11:57 Count down started (8 hours before Launch)
- 12:12 Contact established with ESOC* (voice and time checks)
- 13:55 Spacecraft (SC) Switch-on
- 16:12 SC set in Pre-Launch mode completed
- 17:50 MIK dumps and clears on-board System log
- 18:00 Team swap at ESOC, Team A at console
- 18:40 1st Launcher time synchronization
- 19:07 Command from LCC** to switch to internal power
- 19:07 MIK confirms to ESOC "GO for launch"
- 19:17 MIK states "CryoSat-2 Go for launch" (launch-40 mn)
- 19:20 2nd launcher lime synchronization
- 19:20 SC in Launch Mode
- 19:42 Start of Launcher sequence ( launch -15mn)
- 19:49 Readiness of Ground stations for first acquisition
- 19:52 Last possibility for an abort launch by ESA (Launch -5mn)
- 19h54 "Start" button pressed at LCC (Launch -3mn)
- 19:56 Launch Readiness 1 minute from LCC
- 19:57 Aborted launch today because it is a simulation!
The dress rehearsal went very smoothly (few minor things will be addressed at the debriefing and fixed by the 8/4). This gives confidence on the readiness of all parties involved in the launch.
*ESOC European Space Control Center
**LCC: Launch Control Center
lundi 5 avril 2010
Campaign status 5/4/2010
Launch -3 days
Last Friday the following activities on the spacecraft were successfully completed:
Preparation at MIK for Dress Rehearsal: Count Down Manual procedure last checks, Room set up and connections check up...
In parallel the packing continues.
Next milestones before launch:
This short message leaves room to report some parallel news about life at the MIK site 31.
As it has been already said for the city, MIK also prepares for the seasonal transition and the few pieces of land around the buildings have been nicely "groomed".
Noteworthy to mention: today there is no water at the MIK. Russians switched from winter to summer the water distribution system on Site 31 (including our building 40). This activity will necessitate some seasonal maintenance that will cut off the water distribution for roughly 24 hours. No real impact on us as long as we rely on bottled water, and sufficient hygiene water has been foreseen for this period.
We were also informed that a safety drill will take place today at 14:00 meaning that all people in buildings on site 31 have to leave and gather at the meeting point. By the way we never noticed the alarm in the offices... but we were compliant with the evacuation request. Fortunately this activity, we were just informed about today, was not planned for tomorrow, in such a case this would have seriously interfered with our dress rehearsal!
Last but not least, our MIK "friends" have grown up a bit since last January and are doing well as they have evidently found enough food in the vicinity to pass the winter... They are still very timid and it is very difficult to approach them.
Last Friday the following activities on the spacecraft were successfully completed:
- Full Battery charging (33,8V)
- Full check of sides A and B
Preparation at MIK for Dress Rehearsal: Count Down Manual procedure last checks, Room set up and connections check up...
In parallel the packing continues.
Next milestones before launch:
- Dress Rehearsal 6/4/2010 (see Preparing for the Dress Rehearsal and MIK gets prepared)
- Final checks: 7/4/2010: Spacecraft Power on, Battery re-charging if necessary, side B again?. No venting foreseen, +...
- Russian State Commission "green light" 7/4/2010
This short message leaves room to report some parallel news about life at the MIK site 31.
As it has been already said for the city, MIK also prepares for the seasonal transition and the few pieces of land around the buildings have been nicely "groomed".
Noteworthy to mention: today there is no water at the MIK. Russians switched from winter to summer the water distribution system on Site 31 (including our building 40). This activity will necessitate some seasonal maintenance that will cut off the water distribution for roughly 24 hours. No real impact on us as long as we rely on bottled water, and sufficient hygiene water has been foreseen for this period.
We were also informed that a safety drill will take place today at 14:00 meaning that all people in buildings on site 31 have to leave and gather at the meeting point. By the way we never noticed the alarm in the offices... but we were compliant with the evacuation request. Fortunately this activity, we were just informed about today, was not planned for tomorrow, in such a case this would have seriously interfered with our dress rehearsal!
Last but not least, our MIK "friends" have grown up a bit since last January and are doing well as they have evidently found enough food in the vicinity to pass the winter... They are still very timid and it is very difficult to approach them.
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