The launch campaign team has been reunited with EarthCARE after removing their precious satellite from its transport container.
A few days ago, the container was taken out of storage in the NASA building and moved by truck to the Astrotech where work to ready the EarthCARE satellite for liftoff has now begun. Both buildings are near the launch site in California.
After being packed up in Germany, a long voyage to the US and then a month in storage, the team was certainly anxious to see EarthCARE again.
But they had to have a bit more patience after the container was safely in the Astrotech building as the container had to be left overnight to acclimatise to its new surroundings.
Watching with anticipation. (ESA)
There she is. (ESA)
Lifting EarthCARE off the container base. (ESA)
Happy guys. (ESA)
But now, EarthCARE has now been carefully removed from the container, and the team has been reunited with their precious satellite.
ESA’s EarthCARE launch campaign manager, Bill Simpson, said, “EarthCARE’s journey to California and subsequent few weeks of storage all went really well, but we were anxious to actually lay eyes on the satellite again.
“So, when we were able to open the container and hoist EarthCARE out, we were all very excited. This hoisting manoeuvre is a very careful one – our satellite is over 2000 kg of very sensitive equipment.
“I’m extremely happy to report that EarthCARE looks fit and well, but we obviously have to run a series of tests to make absolutely sure that it survived the journey ok.”
Once out of its container, the team moved the satellite to a side room so that the main door of the cleanroom could be opened to put the container outside. After the team then ensure that the cleanroom was spick and span, they moved the satellite back.
The following day, one of the first tasks on the launch campaign to-do list was to give the satellite some energy by charging up its batteries.
In parallel, the team at ESA’s Operations Centre in Germany is running a series of all-important simulations – these simulate what they will have to do during liftoff and the ‘early orbit’ phase of the mission.
Launch simulations in ESA’s Operations Centre in Germany. (ESA)
On Saturday 13 April, the team had a get together to welcome everyone to the start of the campaign to launch EarthCARE.
Get together to welcome everyone to the launch campaign. (ESA)
And on Sunday – a day off, some of the team members set off for a walk in the hills.
Time for a walk. (ESA)
Back to the ‘office’ on Monday and the team switched on the satellite for the first time since it left Europe. Then they did a fit-check with the launch vehicle adapter, which involved carefully lifting the satellite and placing it on the adapter, fitting the clamp band to hold it in place, then installing the umbilical and purge connections to ensure they fitted correctly.
Ready to fit the the anechoic caps. (ESA)
The umbilicals are needed to power up and monitor the satellite during the countdown phase and the purge line keeps the instruments clean up to the point of liftoff.
All jobs well done, so a great way to finish a Monday!
Read more about EarthCARE.
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