Update from Charlotte Beskow in Kourou

In Kourou today, 560 kg of Nitrogen Tetroxide will be loaded, 280 kg into each of the two tanks. That will complete the loading of Russian fuel.

The Main Inspection point (MIP) for this operation took place yesterday, 26 May, and ended with an inspection of the loading set-up at 20:00 in the evening! (Long day! – Ed.)

This picture was taken a few days earlier, and shows the NTO degassing set-up. Degassing is one of the steps to prepare for NTO loading. The message on the loudspeaker just now announced the start of the operation.

ATV-5 prepared for NTO loading. Credit: ESA

ATV-5 prepared for NTO loading. Credit: ESA