After having Sunday off to recharge, the team has been forging ahead this week putting Sentinel-5P through its series of health checks, which we’ve now finished.

Job done. (ESA)

We have also done the network countdown rehearsal.

Network countdown. (ESA)

Here the satellite ‘takes part’ in a test with ESA’s European Space Operations Centre, ESOC, in Germany, and the ground stations used for tracking and commanding the satellite.

The team has been running flat out to this point and can now relax a little. (ESA)

Airbus Defence and Space NL, who are responsible for the satellite’s Tropomi instrument has confirmed that all is well.

In fact, yesterday, the team declared that everything is ready to continue to the next stage of the launch campaign.

Sentinel-5P almost ready for fuelling. (ESA)

With the satellite declared as healthy the electrical ground support equipment can be disconnected and prepare the satellite for fuelling.

The fuelling team are ready now for this milestone. It may look like a scene from Star Trek, but these are the suits (pictured below) are needed to protect the team from the toxic properties of the fuel used by the satellite propulsion system.

Might look a bit odd, but these suits are needed to protect the fuelling team. (ESA)

Also, electrical checks on the Rockot upper stage are continuing and the booster is being prepared for shipment to the launch complex.

The weather here is slowly changing as the evening draw in and the days are getting cooler.

Working on Sentinel-5P. (ESA)

From the ESA Sentinel-5P launch campaign team in Plesetsk

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