Almanach

 …April 2015

Saturday April 18th, 2015
KL2003 Amsterdam - Paris. Leaving The Netherlands while springs seems to come...

View of the numerous Taxi ways at Schiphol just after take-off

Sunday April 19th
Monday April 20th

MSG in its transport container in Cannes with a rain coat ready for the rainy season in French Guiana:-)

Credit: Thales

Tuesday April 21st
RAV Revue Aptitude Vol/Flight Readiness review @ Arianespace in Evry
Wednesday April 22nd
AF 852 Paris - Cayenne

Last view of Europe before reaching coats of French Guiana (from top to down): Prequ'île de Quiberon and the îles d' Houat and Hoëdic

Thursday April 23rd
Acceptance of S1 facilities
Safety training...

Friday April 24th
Security Notes finalisation
VA-222 Launch postponement. Roll-in of the launcher from ELA-3 to BAF. New launch date targeted on 26/04 @ 16:38 (local time)

Credit: Christian

Saturday April 25th
In front of the Ariatel hotel: Training of the "Coyottes girls"!

Sunday April 26th
Successful VA-222 launch (see dedicated post)

L'aigrette Bleue, 1 Avenue Boudinot-Front de mer, Kourou

Monday April 27th: Konnigsdag (NL)
Transportation meeting
Antonov-124 in Nice

Antonov 124 in Munich in January 2010 for the transport of Cryosat-2 to Baïkonur

Tuesday April 28th
MSG- travels from Nice to French Guiana (via Dakar)

Traffic jam ca 07:45am at the entrance of the Centre Spatial Guyanais due to social protest

Wednesday April 29th

Arrival at Centre Spatial Guyanais

Thursday April 30th
MSG-4 spacecraft Transport Container opening
Move from TC to the dolly

Bar des Sports at lunch time; surprisingly, no cars...yet !

May 2105

Friday May 1st: Labour day
Free day

Landscape of the Guatemala area (10 kms South of Kourou)

Saturday May 2nd
Work day
PTR transport, Start of the SA inspection

 Arrival at S1 on this worked Saturday

Sunday May 3rd

Roundabout when arriving at Sinnamary: (Scarlet ibis in the mangrove)

Monday May 4th
07:30 MSG-4  ON

Entrance of the Post office at Montsinéry-Tonnegrande

Tuesday May 5th
The rainy season has eventually started in Kourou! it is raining the hell this morning. Flooding in Camopi the last week end (South East part of the Fr. Guiana)
Safety test (Propellant tank pressurisation)

House with artwork on the facade in Tonate/Macouria (after the village heading to Kourou)

Wednesday May 6th
End  of the depressurisation phase

Old brick pier in Montsinéry

Thursday May 7th

 Surprise on the car this morning when leaving the Hotel... Blue grey Tanager/Tanagra Eveque (Thraupis Episcopus)
Friday May 8th Liberation Day (F)
Free day
Boss of the Boss' arrival

Table of aperitifs at the Creolia, Village Dacca 97311 Roura

Saturday May 9th

Laterite colours along the road RN2 between Roura and Regina

Sunday May 10th
Visit to the îles du Salut

Capucin brun/Tufted Capuchin (Cebus Apella), Salvation islands, French Guiana

Monday May 11th

Mangrove landscape close to Montsinéry

Tuesday May 12th

"Matoutou" spider (Avicularia avicularia or metallica) observed on the wall of the Hotel bungalow, Kourou

Wednesday May 13th

 

Fish market in Regina along the Approuague river

Thursday May 14th: Ascension/Himmelfahrt

Free day

 

Crane on a bull, Sentier Saint Elie, Sinnamary

Friday May 15th

Crique Canceler, north of Sinnamary

Saturday May 16th
Initially planned as work day, but not worked :-) due to completion of activities by Thales on day earlier than expected. Good Job!

La Pointe des Roches seen form the Tropic Alizés Catamaran sailing to the Salvation islands

Sunday May 17th

Two poison dart frogs (Dendrobathes), Patawa camp

Monday May 18th

Heliconia Bihai, Grand Balisier (Heloconiaceae)

Tuesday May 19th

 

Moco Moco/Moucou Moucou (Montrichardia Arborescens) growing in Pripri de Yiyi swamp

Wednesday May 20th

Decomposition of a fallen tree in the forest

Thursday May 21st

 

Sea snail?, Kourou

Friday May 22nd
Arrival of StarOne C4 in Cayenne (TBC), MSG-4 co-passenger for VA-224
Mounting of the batteries

 

At the gas pump station in Kourou...

Saturday May 23rd
work day
Mounting of the tops antennas'

Welcome committee at the entrance of the hotel bungalow, Kourou

Sunday May 24th: Pentecote, Pentacost

Not identified insect, Montsinéry

Monday May 25th
Working day

 New roundabout just before entering Kourou city (may 2015)

Tuesday May 26th
Integration of Solar array panels

 

Local car registration plate for French Guiana

Wednesday May 27th
Planned VA-223 Launch @ 18:16 
Solar Array panel  flood test

 

Credits: Christine

Leatherback turtle dissimulating the nest after breeding, Remire-Montjoly beach

Thursday May 28th

Parking at the S1E (offices): Where is my car?

Friday May 29th,

Red handed tamarin/Tamarin à main jaunes (Saguinus Midas), Montsinéry/Tonnegrande

Saturday May 30th
Working day

 Guianese Zebus (male and female), Guatemala Road near by Kourou

Sunday May 31st
ESA Party

 Getting ready for the Quad tour...

June 2015

Monday June 1st

 

Sand Fiddler Crab/Crabe violoniste (Uca Pugilator)

Tuesday June 2nd

 

Arrival at the Salvation islands (Ile Saint Joseph) with the Tropic Alizés catamaran

Wednesday June 3rd

Green lizard seen in Roura

Thursday June 4th
Helium tanks pressurisation 

 

Hotel des Roches, Tour Dreyfus, Pointes des Roches, Kourou

Friday June 5th
MSG-4 transfer from S1B to S5B

Water lilies/Nénuphars (Nymphaeacea), Lac du bois au diable, Kourou

Saturday June 6th

Meteosat Model, Musée de l'Espace, Kourou

Sunday June 7th

Not identified tree, Roura

Monday June 8th
MSG-4 Dry weighing

Tanagra des palmiers/Pam Tanager (Thraupis Palmarum) observed in S1, CSG, Kourou

Tuesday June 9th

Plage des salines/Salines Beach, Remire-Montjoly

Wednesday June 10th: Abolitionism day (Fr. Guiana)

Carrefour Vidal at Remire

Thursday June 11th

Mouth of the Mahury river

Friday June 12th

Green Iguana/Iguane vert (Iguana iguana) in a tree

Saturday June 13th

Guanese sky over the CSG

Sunday June 14th

Crique Tatou, ca 20kms from Saint Laurent du Maroni

Monday June 15th
EUMETSAT party

Flower of wild ananas, Chute Voltaire 

Tuesday June 16th
VA-224 launcher transferred form BIL to BAF

Wild Bromeliaceae growing on a tree

Wednesday June 17th
Start of the MSG-4 fueling (MON)

Morpho, unidentified species

Thursday June 18th

Black Manwood/Huacapu/Bois Cathédrale/Mecouart (Minquartia Guianensis)

Friday June 19th
BAF acceptance

Bananas, Saint Laurent du Maroni's market

Credits: Christine

Saturday June 20th
Work day

 

Couple of scarlet macaws, Saül

Credits: Stéfane

Sunday June 21st

Frank Duval's work (collages) exhibited in Restaurant l'Ancre, Kourou

Monday June 22nd
VV-05 sentinel-2A launch

 

Cabiai/Capybara (Hydrocherus Hydrochaeris), Kourou, Centre Spatial Guyanais

Tuesday June 23rd

D. Jado's fresco in Café des Palmistes, Cayenne

Wednesday June24th

Voltaire's fall, Chutes Voltaire

Credits: Christine

Thursday June 25th
MSG-4 enters POC
MSG-4 mating/clamping on ACU 

Cow in a flooded meadow, Guatemala road

Friday June 26th
MSG-4transfer onto CCU_2

Breadfruit/Arbre à Pain (Artocarpus Altitis), Saint Laurent du Maroni

Saturday June 27th
MSG-4 transfer from S5B to BAF

Vegetables and fruits stand at the Saint-Laurent du Maroni market

Credits: Christine

Sunday June 28th

Savanna landscape at dusk, Guatemala road

Credits: Christine

Monday June 29th

Inside of the snakewood/Bois canon (Cecropia Peltata). Natural habitat for the Atzeca ants 

Tuesday June 30th

Grape of fruits of the Palmier Comou (Oenocarpus Bacaba). Fine food for the Toucans!

July 2015

Wednesday July 1st

The macaw and the umbrellas…Restaurant l'Oasis, RN-1, 5kms from Kourou direction St Laurent

Thursday July 2nd

Start of the Montabo (coastal) trail, Cayenne

Friday July 3rd

Green lizard, Roura

Saturday July 4th

Guyanese clouds at sun set, Kourou

Sunday July 5th

The last tree facing news horizons, La Pointe des Roches, Kourou

Monday July 6th

Blanc manger coco, Creole dessert

Tuesday July 7th

Gold Tegu (Tupinambis Nigropunctatis), Sinnamary

Wednesday July 8th

Unidentified insect, Sinnamary

Thursday July 9th

Self defense...

Friday July 10th

Colibri, Saül,

Credits: Stéfane

Saturday July 11th

 

 Unidentified Caterpillar, Kourou

Sunday July 12th

Unidentified green lizard in a tree, Guatemala road, Kourou

Monday July 13th

Unidentified blooming plant, Kourou

Tuesday July 14th, National Day (FR)

Dried fruit found on the path in the rain forest, Chutes Voltaire

Wednesday July 15th
Launch day (18:42 - 19:19) Kourou time

 

Unidentified night butterfly, Kourou

Credits: Denis 

Thursday July 16th
Post launch party 

Fruits of the Canonball tree/Boulet de canon (Couroupita Guianensis)

Friday July 17th
Time to pack

Papaya/Papayer (Carica Papaya), in a garden in Roura

Saturday July 18th
Flying back to Europe

Wall Fresco, Restaurant l'Oasis, Remire Montjoly

See aso A French Guiana Almanach (MSG-3 Launch Campaign)