(C37) L-3 succesful RAL

Today (10/07), an important milestone was achieved: A review called RAL (Revue Aptitude Lanceur/Launch Readiness Review) was successfully completed. An exhaustive status of the launcher, the two payloads and the launch base was presented to the Ariane technical committee and management which gave the formal authorisation to proceed with the launch campaign. The outcome of the RAL allows the following events to take place in the coming days:

• Monday 13/07 (L-1), Roll out of the launcher (VA-224) from BAF to the the launch pad (ELA-3)
• Tuesday 14/07 (L-1 bis), France National Day, Bank holiday for the launcher as well  :-)
• Wednesday 15/07 (L0), Launch day. The launch window will start from 18:42 up to 19:19 Local Time (i.e. 23:42-00:19 Western Europe time).

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Shiny Cowbird/Vacher Luisant, females, (Molothrus Bonariensis), Parking of the S1 building, CSG, Kourou. 09/07/2015 @ 07:15 am local time

Family picture (4)

A family picture with all parties involved in the POC was shot this morning (09/07) in front of the CDL-3 (Centre de Lancement).

This family picture regroups some of the people representing the following organisations and project teams:

• CNES, 
• Arianespace and their industrial contractors (Astrium Defense and Space, RUAG...),
• For MSG-4 : EUMETSAT, ESA, Thales Alenia Space,
• For StarOne C4: Embratel, Loral...

All efforts of this large family are converging for a VA-224 launch hopefully on 15/07/2015!

VIII - Forever spinning… in E.L. Kirchner's Paintings

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880 - 1938) founded with few other young artists of his generation the group called "Die Brücke" which is usually considered as the basis of the German expressionism. Subjects and objects are represented not according to the reality but for the potential expression and distortion  they may produced on our senses. If examples of expressionism may be found far before the turn of the XXth century, the German expressionists (Die Brücke and Der Blaue Reiter) have been major contributors to this genre. Their simplified drawing lines to mold the shapes opened new roads (e.g. cubism). Their strong and vivid colors were deliberately used to amplify our sense of perception. Finally their caricature-like drawings were particularly appropriate to underline postures and movements. 

The very short selection of works below that are extracted from dance and circus themes reflects well how rotation may be rendered in E. L. Kirchner's paintings. A move that is sometime not far from spinning...

Two dancing girls, 1910/11, Private collection

Circus, Circus Horsewoman, 1913, Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich

Variété, English dancing couple, 1909/26, Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main

Dancing Nude, Gret Palucca, 1929/30, Private collection

Credit: Wikipedia

Dancing couple, 1931/32, Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main

(C36) L-6 bis - Second MSG-4 encapsulation

We have done it twice! These words may summarise the second encapsulation that has been successfully performed today (07/07). The few pictures below attempt to provide slightly different views of this second encapsulation though it repeats exactly what has already been performed on 30/06 (L-6).

 

Bringing the Upper Composite (StarOneC4/Sylda/Fairing) in the BAF airlock

 

Lifting the Upper Composite through the "chimney" onto the the top of the launcher

 

The Upper Composite over MSG-4 at the level of the PFES (Plateforme Elevatrice Superieure)

 

MSG-4 encapsulation almost done...

Screwing of the fairing on the Ariane 5 Launcher (420 bolts!)

MSG-4 is now locked up again for its space journey, an important achievement in the campaign. 

Some days…Orbit  should not be a dream for longtime anymore :-)

(C35) Last inspection of MSG-4

The additional inspection of the StarOneC4 spacecraft has taken place during the last week end and has fortunately revealed no issues. As a consequence, the upper composite (StarOneC4/Sylda/Fairing) has been re-assembled. Today (06/07), a last inspection of MSG-4 spacecraft took place in oder to prepare for the second re-encapsulation planned tomorrow (07/07). In parallel to this inspection, the two caps protecting the two axial thrusters from contamination during this short stand-by period have been removed.

 

Two axial  thruster protective caps (Non Flight also called Red Tag items) before being stowed in the drawers of the Flight Non flight chest

A new detailed planning for this last bit of the campaign is being discussed; MSG-4 launch should be very soon back on track!