Tag Archives: MetOp-B

Mission control team in simulation training this AM

And a brief note on a simple tool used in mission operations...

Here are some quick photos taken this morning at ESA's European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), Darmstadt, Germany, where the MetOp-B mission operations team is conducting a simulation in the Main Control Room (MCR).

Specifically, it's the 'B'-team doing the sim; the team is split into an A- and a B-team so as to provide 24-hour-per-day staffing in the MCR during the ~72-hour launch and early orbit phase (LEOP) prior to handover to Eumetsat.

MetOp-B Simulation training at ESOC 7 Sep 2012 Credit: ESA

MetOp-B Simulation training at ESOC 7 Sep 2012 Credit: ESA

ESA's Andreas Rudolph (see at far right in the photo above) is the Flight Director for the B-team.

MetOp-B Simulation training at ESOC 7 Sep 2012 Credit: ESA

MetOp-B Simulation training at ESOC 7 Sep 2012 Credit: ESA

ESOC's newly renovated MCR makes it a little tough to get good photos from behind the glass in the briefing room (we didn't want to disturb the sim too much by going in), but there are in deed engineers sitting at each of the console positions!

Ground Operations console team during sim training for MetOp-B launch, 7 Sep 2012. Credit: ESA

Ground Operations console team during sim training for MetOp-B launch, 7 Sep 2012. Credit: ESA

In this photo, the Ground Operations Team – responsible for coordinating the ground tracking stations, networks and ground system software – can be seen; they sit in the MCR at the left rear, behind the Spacecraft Operations Manager (SOM) and the operations engineers.

ESOC Briefing Room planning board - a simple yet critical tool in mission operations! Credit: ESA

ESOC Briefing Room planning board - a simple yet critical tool in mission operations! Credit: ESA

A slightly blurry photo of the planning board in the Briefing Room, where the operations team as well as representatives from flight dynamics, ground stations and other supporting teams gather for review/debriefing periodically during simulations and during actual live operations.

Crucial planning tool

You'll note the hand-inked discussion points and information plastered all over the board; but this is no random scribbling!

In fact, as each of the teams provide their input into how the current phase of the mission is going, the flight director marks a careful record of the discussion on the board. He or she also adds in proposals and comments on the best way forward or on how to deal with any problems or issues that have come up that aren't catered for by standard procedures.

This often includes real-time information coming from the the project team (from ESTEC), from Eumetsat (the satellite's owner/operator), the ground stations or the flight operations team, or real-time brainstorming/inspiration.

When time is short (as it always is during any mission's critical LEOP period), the information, plans and conclusions written on the board are the latest record of 'the way ahead'.

ESOC Briefing Room planning board - a simple yet critical tool in mission operations! Credit: ESA

ESOC Briefing Room planning board - a simple yet critical tool in mission operations! Credit: ESA

Therefore, to ensure that everyone is in agreement with the discussion, you'll note at top right of the board the initials of each of the team leads, indicating their concurrence with the content – a simple yet effective way to ensure that nothing gets forgotten and that all the expert team leads are in agreement!

MetOp readied for fuelling

From Damiano (ESA), Baikonur 17 April

The MetOp launch campaign has now reached the end of the first preparation phase during which a number of activities have been successfully carried out.

A team effort!

Straight after the arrival at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the MetOp Payload Module and the Service Module were mated together. MetOp was then tested to verify the health of the instruments and equipment onboard.

Following the functional verifications, we have performed some mechanical verification. The building up of the spacecraft has continued with the integration of the solar array, the pyrotechnical devices and the finalisation of the thermal blankets – the multilayer insulation.

Close inspection of MetOp

To close this first phase of operations, we performed a first ‘launch countdown rehearsal’ to check the procedure to be used during the real countdown.

MetOp is now ready to be transferred to another facility, inside the Cosmodrome, where it will be filled with propellant.

Container close to MetOp for transfer to HPF

Container close to MetOp for transfer to HPF

After this very critical operation the satellite will return back to the UCIF to start the combined operation with the launcher that will finally end up with MetOp being encapsulated in the upper composite of the launcher!

 

A happy team after MetOp-B health check

 

From Damiano Serlenga (ESA), Baikonur Cosmodrome, 19 March 2012

MetOp-B launch campaign team

 Still snowing here in Baikonur! This photo of the team was taken in front of the MIK-112 after Test Review Board of the ‘satellite health check’. This test confirms the instruments on MetOp-B are ‘alive’. There were about 80 of us involved in the test, including support teams from Europe, USA and Canada. The whole teams has been working a double shift for a week to get through the test.

Everything has gone well and we’re now ready for the next milestone: integrating MetOp-B’s solar array.

 

 

MetOp launch campaign takes off

From Damiano Serlenga (ESA), Baikonur Cosmodrome, 6 March 2012

Loading MetOp-B

Loading MetOp-B onto the Antonov aircraft at Toulouse airport

We have arrived at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. We flew on an Antonov cargo aircraft from Toulouse, France along with several containers of ground support equipment we need to prepare MetOp-B for launch on 23 May.

The shipment from France to Kazakhstan was made by three Antonov cargo aircraft. The first carried 12 containers of equipment needed to prepare the satellite for launch, the second carried the MetOp-B satellite (the payload module and service module) along with another 6 containers and the third flight carried MetOp-B’s solar array and 10 more containers. 

The journey hasn’t been easy as the weather caused delays. In fact, the satellite shipment was held up in Moscow for more than three days because of snow.

Antonov arrival

 MetOp-B will follow on from MetOp-A, which was launched in 2006, to provide essential data for weather predication and climate monitoring. Since MetOp-A is still in service, the two satellites will fly in tandem.

The series of MetOp satellites carry a host of sensitive instruments to measure a wide range of variables such as temperature and humidity, wind speed and direction over oceans, ozone and other atmospheric gases.

The coming weeks will be spent integrating and testing this second MetOp satellite before it joins its Soyuz launcher that will take it into polar orbit.