Over the weekend, Thales Alenia Space continued busily testing the Sentinel-1A satellite to ensure that everything is working okay after its long journey to the launch site.

Visiting the MIK and launch pad. (ESA–B. v/d Elst)

Visiting the MIK and launch pad. (ESA–B. v/d Elst)

A highlight over the weekend for the ESA team was an invite to visit the MIK, which is a building where the Soyuz rocket is assembled, and to see the launch pad.

Visiting the Soyuz launch pad. (ESA–B. v/d Elst)

Visiting the Soyuz launch pad. (ESA–B. v/d Elst)

The team received some background information about the process involved in assembling the launcher and we got a close up of the rocket in its current state of integration.

Post from Svein Lokas (ESA’s Sentinel-1A Launch Campaign Manager), French Guiana, 2 March 2014.