Tag Archives: Soyuz

Successful integration of the upper composite, containing MetOp-B and the Fregat, with the Soyuz Block I

Taken from EUMETSAT, 12 September

The mechanical integration of the Upper Composite with Soyuz Block was performed successfully on 11 September, and electrical tests are now underway.

The Upper Composite and Soyuz Block I integrated in the MIK 40 facility (Gökhan Kayal)

Weighing about 12 tonnes (12,000 kilos), the Upper Composite was carefully lifted with a crane onto a train on the afternoon of 10 September. The train and its precious cargo made a slow and steady journey overnight, finally arriving at its destination the following morning.

The Upper Composite is unloaded in the MIK 40 facility (EUMETSAT)

Once safely inside the MIK 40 processing facility, the mechanical integration of the Upper Composite and Soyuz Block I was initiated and completed. The launch team is now conducting a series of electrical tests and everything is running according to schedule.

Metop-B is due to be launched from the base at Baikonur, Kazakhstan at 16:28:40 UTC on 17 September.

Integration with Soyuz Block I (EUMETSAT)

The Metop satellites are Europe’s first operational meteorological satellites in polar orbit. They constitute the space segment of the EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS) delivering data for numerical weather prediction (NWP) – the basis of modern weather forecasting – and climate and environmental monitoring.

Integration with Soyuz Block I (EUMETSAT)

 

Yes ! We finally did it!

From Damiano (ESA), Baikonur, 10 September

MetOp-B is in its Soyuz fairing ready to be transported to the Mik-40 for  integration on the launcher.

Mating MetOp-B to the launch adapter. (ESA)

It’s been a very busy two weeks here in Baikonur. Getting closer to the end of the campaign, in fact, means also having less time to recover any time spent in solving unexpected issues. And, unfortunately, we’ve had a few …. so, busy long days for the teams. However, we got the green light in the end and we can move closer to the launch pad.

On the launch adapter. (ESA)

 After fuelling MetOp we started the combined operation with the launcher. First the spacecraft was mated to the launcher adapter and, in this configuration, we did a functional check to be sure that with the new harness bundles it was still possible to command and control the spacecraft.

Fregat upper stage. (ESA)

 

The electrical configuration used to perform the test is, in fact, the same configuration that will be used when the launcher is on the pad.

Checking MetOp-B is 'ready for flight'. (ESA)

In parallel, Starsem prepared the Fregat upper stage for mating with MetOp. It has been interesting to see how the Russian operators finalised the thermal closure of Fregat; it was like a dressmaker tailoring a piece of clothing on a customer!

Prior to encapsulation: MetOp and the Fregat upper stage. (ESA)

The MetOp/Fregat mating was carried out last week. Starting from that moment on, the whole MetOp team (ESA, EUM, NASA/NOAA, CNES, Selex/Galileo, Astrium) has been busy to finalise the spacecraft and to declare it ready for flight. The sensible device protections (red tag items) have been removed and all the missing flight parts (green tag items) have been installed on the satellite.

Last look as MetOp-B is encapsulated (ESA)

Here in Baikonur, the western space engineering rules and the Russian ones meet … and the differences are big. Before the encapsulation, MetOp, weighing about four tonnes, was tilted, attached to Fregat with less than 10 bolts!

On Saturday, before the encapsulation, we said goodbye to MetOp. One of our Astrium colleague played a serenade …. and then the Russians started to move the fairing towards MetOp.

Encapsulated (ESA)

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.