While the Sentinel-5P is ready to be fuelled, before this can go ahead, the rocket has to be tested. So, on Sunday the rocket booster unit was taken to the launch pad and yesterday the ‘ascent unit’, minus the satellite, was also moved to the pad and hoisted up onto the booster unit.

The complete rocket system is now being tested.

When this is done, we will get permission to fuel the satellite.

Ready for fuelling. (ESA)

The satellite completed a pressure test in preparation for fuelling and the fuel has now been moved into the cleanroom.

Hydrazine fuel for Sentinel-5P. (ESA)

So while the military were moving around parts of the rocket over the weekend, we had Sunday off. The weather was overcast with a bit of rain. There was a run going on in Plesetsk, and some of us experience a Russian sauna, which was different!

Plesetsk run. (ESA)

Liftoff – planned for 13 October at 09:27 GMT (11:27 CEST) – is getting close now, we are looking forward to passing the next milestone, fuelling the satellite!

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

Read more about Sentinel-5P