MSG-3 has been moved to the Final Assembly Building or ‘BAF’ as it is known at the launch site and mated to the top of the Ariane 5 rocket. This is one of the final steps in the campaign to make MSG-3 ready for launch on 5 July.

The satellite was first placed in the payload container so that it could be safely towed by truck to the BAF. It’s about 10 km between facilities so the transfer took about two hours.

The pictures below offer some insight into what’s being going on in Kourou over the last couple of days. Since the mating procedure is Arianespace’s responsibility, only a few of the campaign team were there to witness the event. The photos of the mating were captured from the TV monitor so they are a bit fuzzy.

MSG-3 being mated to the Ariane 5

MSG-3 sealed within the payload container for transfer to the BAF

MSG-3 positioned within the payload container before sealing