And this just came in from ESTRACK station engineer Gerhard Billig, one of our ESOC colleagues, who is at Santa Maria station (also referred to as Monte des Flores), in the Azores.

ESA ESTRACK engineers and local operations team at SMA station for Ariane 5 VA205 launch tracking, 23 March 2012 Credit: ESA/G. Billing

ESA ESTRACK engineers and local operations team at SMA station for Ariane 5 VA205 launch tracking, 23 March 2012 Credit: ESA/G. Billing

Gerhard writes: “For the launch countdown we have already performed the station internal tests and are now in the middle of a network-wide simulation of the flight. I attach a picture of the team here in Santa Maria.”

Activity at SMA station preparing to track Ariane VA205, 23 March 2012 Credit: A. Majorosi

Activity at SMA station preparing to track Ariane VA205, 23 March 2012 Credit: A. Majorosi