VA-224 Main Flight events

For those interested by the important launcher events after the  H0, the chronology of the VA-224 mission is provided below:

• H0 Reference time
• H0+1 sec, EPC (Etage Propulsion Cryogénique/ Main Cryogenic Stage) ignition
• H0+7,05 sec, EAP1&2 (Etage d'Accéleration à poudre/Solid Booster 1 and 2) ignition
• H0+7,5 sec, Lift-off
• H0+2 min 21 sec, EAP separation
• H0+3 min 43 sec, Fairing jettison
• H0+8 min 58 sec first stage separation
• H0+ 24 min 53 sec, Injection
• H0+28 min 19 sec, StarOneC4 separation
• H0+30min, MSG acquisition by Malindi tracking station
• H0+30min 59sec, SYLDA separation
• H0+40min 22 sec, MSG-4 separation

L0 Launch attempt 15/07/2015

Follow the MSG-4 launch live on Arianespace TV, ESA, and EUMETSAT web sites.

All time of the chronology below are local/Kourou time (i.e. Universal Time -3 hours)

The launch window starts today 15/07/2015 at H0 18:42

Duration of the Launch window: 37 minutes,
Launch windows ends at 19:19.

07:10 am: Arriving at S1 B (few kilometers from the launch pad). An overview of the the weather over the place this morning: wet and cloudy, no rain and light breeze.

07:30 @ EPCU S1B LBC2. The D-Day has started. Arrival of the teams.

 View on LBC 2 (satellite control room) just before the arrival of the teams

08:39 am (H0-10h03m) ; Start of the Countdown in Jupiter

09:40 am (H0-9h02m): MSG-4 is authorised to be switched on

In the meantime we got a visitor to support us in the LBC2...perched next to Jean-Claude, the RPS (Spacecraft Preparation Manager).

 

Toco, MSG-4 mascot

10:07 am (H0-08h35m): the RPS is asked to test Spacecraft RED status (Green back 10 minutes later)...

11:27 am  (H0-07h15m): MSG-4 Status for meteo debrief: MSG status is green. S/C is ON. Temperatures are OK.

12:01  (H0-06h41m):  Meteo is GREEN (in particular high altitude wind are OK) 

12:12 (H0-06h30m ): MSG-4 RF transmitter in ON. Below, Gérard in front of the RF bays. Telemetry received by ESOC via NDIU.

13:11 (H0-05h31m): All parameters in Jupiter 2 are GREEN.

13:30 (H0-05h12): Meteo is confirmed GREEN (no requirement anymore for EOLE plan. Launch attempt targeted for H0)

13:58 (H0-04h44m): All parameters GREEN 

 in the meantime, there is evidence from the wall monitors in S1B giving live views from the launch pad, that the cryogenic fueling of the launcher has started.

15:37 (H0-03h05m): Status of the MSG-4 Spacecraft is GREEN

15:45 (H0-02h57m): View on the launcher on the ELA-3 (from wall monitor).

 

16:42 (H0-02h00m): Status of the MSG-4 Spacecraft is GREEN. All parameters in Jupiter 2 are GREEN.

17:17 (H0-01h25m):  Status of the MSG-4 Spacecraft is GREEN.

17:42 (H0-01h00m):  Status of the MSG-4 Spacecraft is GREEN. Meteo is confirmed GREEN. Below a quick look on the LBC-2 clocks: the first line UT and second line count down.Still one hour to go!, We get closer.

 

LBC-2 clocks 

18:10 (H0-32m00s):  Status of the MSG-4 Spacecraft is GREEN.

18:20 (H0-22m00s): MSG can go on internal power.

18:31 (H0-11m00s) MSG on internal Power and Status of the MSG-4 Spacecraft is GREEN. Meteo is GREEN. 

18:35 (H0-07m00s): Start of the synchronized sequence.

18:42 (H0) and lift-off. 

19:22 (H0+40m22s): MSG-4 Separation. Mission is declared successful! 

 

Separation from the launcher...Bye Bye MSG-4!

Credits: Arianespace

It is time now to celebrate in LBC-2.

And now the LEOP team in ESOC (Darmstadt) will take over... All the best from Kourou!

L-1 Bis Launcher on ELA-3

The Ariane 5 Launcher for the VA-224 mission spent its first night on the ELA-3 Launch pad.

 

Credits: CNES/AE

Due to the French national day on 14th of July, there were not enough resources at work in French Guyana required for a Launch. This means that the Ariane 5 launcher had to stay during this Bastille day on the ELA-3 launch pad. During these additional 24 hours, ThalesAleniaSpace performed few routine activities on MSG-4 (e.g. battery charging…). On the launcher side, the ventilation under the fairing will be continued in order to keep the critical items (tanks and batteries) under their required limits. This is necessary as the temperature under the sun during the day can be close to 40 deg. C. So far all monitoring measurements are well within the specifications required for the launch. It is noteworthy to mention that the weather this morning in Kourou was overcasted and rainy. The picture below gives a nice day view of the launcher on its launch pad.

Credits: CNES/AE

From the S1B, the wall monitors give now live views of the launcher on its pad and also close up on  the Vulcain engine.

 

Vulcain Enine of the Ariane 5 Launcher

If everything goes well, tomorrow (15/07), 10 seconds before 18:42 (Kourou time, i.e 23:42 Western Europe time), Damien should pronounce from Jupiter 2 these well known and formal words:

-A tous de DDO,  Attention pour le décompte final, 10, ...

Follow with us the final chronology, tomorrow 15/07 starting from 07:30 am (Kourou time).

L-1 Launcher Roll Out

Today (13/07), the Ariane 5 Launcher to be used for the VA-224 mission (MSG-4/StarOneC4) has been transferred, as it was planned, from BAF (Batiment d'Assemblage Final/Final Assembly Building) to the Launch pad (ELA-3).

The pictures below give an impression of the Roll Out of the launcher taken from the Galilée building (excepted picture#1).

 

1-Openining of  the BAF main door

 

2-First hundred meters of the roll out. View of the BIL and BAF buildings (respectively on the foreground on the right hand-side).

3 - The Ariane 5 carriage close to the water tower

4- Last glance at the palm trees before the big journey.

5-Ariane 5 launcher approaching the ELA-3 launch pad... for new adventures. 

Successful VV-05 Launch

On 22/06, a Vega launcher lifted-off from the Centre Spatial Guyanais at 22:52 local time to put into Orbit an ESA/EU spacecraft: Sentinel-2A. The mission was declared successful about one hour after lift off  when the spacecraft separated from the launcher and the expected telemetry was acquired.

 

Overall view in the Jupiter Control Room during the count down

VV-05 take-off

Credits: ESA M. Pedoussaut

 Vega carrying Sentinel-2A on its way!

This is of course a major achievement for all the teams who contributed for this outstanding success. We do want to congratulate  in particular our ESA colleagues who have been working very hard during the last months to reach this point. Well done!

Now for MSG-4 : la voie est libre!

MSG-4 Launcher transferred for BIL to BAF

Today (16/06) the Ariane 5 launcher for the Flight VA-224 has been transferred for the Launcher Integration building (BIL) to the Final Assembly Building (BAF). In this last facility, the two spacecrafts StarOneC4 and MSG-4 will be mated on the launcher respectively in upper and lower positions. Our colleague Christian witnessed this event and forwarded the following pictures to the MSG-4 teams:

 

1-Overall view of the Ariane 5 Launcher during the transfer

 

2-Launcher between BIL and BAF seen from the Orchidée platform

 

3-View of the launcher during transfer from the CDL-3

4-Launcher in BAF

Successful VA-223 Launch !

On 27/05/2015 @ 18:16 an Ariane 5 launcher lifted-off from the CSG European Spaceport in Kourou to put in orbit two TV satellites: Direct TV-15 and Sky Mexico-1 respectively built by Airbus Defense and Space and Orbital ATK.

The launch was seen from the "Toucan" observation point (ca 5 kms for the ELA-3 launch pad where the pictures below have been taken.

VA-223 on the ELA-3 launch pad @17:44 (local time)

VA-223 few seconds after lift-off

Already gone...

Fumes left over on the ELA-3 launch pad after the VA-223 lift-off

Today, the success of the VA-223 is an important milestone for MSG-4 which will be taken to orbit by the next Ariane 5 launch (VA-224 mission) early July. In between, a Vega launch with an ESA/EU spacecraft (Sentinel-2) on-board is scheduled.

VA-224 - Launcher Status (2)

The upper composite has been integrated in the BIL (Batiment Intégration Lanceur) on 19/05/2015. This element contains the "intelligent units" of the launcher i.e. the on-board computer, the control and navigation systems...

 

Credits: ESA/Arianspace/CNES

 

Credits: ESA/Arianspace/CNES 

Credits: ESA/Arianspace/CNES

A more complete overview about the VA-224 launcher can be found on the CNES blog

VA-224 - Launcher Status (1)

An Ariane 5 ECA rocket will put MSG-4 in orbit. The VA-224/L-578  (i.e. the 224th of an Ariane 5 rocket and the 78th of on Ariane 5 rocket) launch will be a double launch with StarOne C4 in upper position and MSG-4 in lower position.

In parallel to spacecraft preparation, the launcher is being integrated in the BIL (Batiment Integration Lanceur).  Once ready, the Ariane 5 will be transferred to the BAF (Final Assembly Building), where the two spacecrafts will be mated on the top and covered by the fairing. An overview of the launcher status on 15/05/2015 is given below. Credits for all pictures: ESA-Arianespace

1-Transfer of EAP (Solid Propellant Booster) to BIL (Launcher Assembly Building)

2-EPC (Cryogenic Core Stage) integration in the BIL

 3-EPC is hoisted in BIL

4-EPC erection in BIL before assembly of the EAP (Solid Propellant Boosters)

A more complete overview about the VA-224 launcher can be found on the CNES blog.

Successful VA-222 Launch !

The VA-222 flight already rescheduled twice was planned to lift-off from Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG) ELA-3 on 26/04/2015 @ 16:38 (local time). This dual launch was delivering today in GEO orbit THOR 7, a Norwegian Broadcasting Satellite (manufactured by Loral) and SICRAL 2 an Italian Ministry of Defense and French DGA Satellite (manufactured by Thales Alenia Space).

The MSG-4 team decided to attend the VA-222 Launch from the Kourou beach. 

View of the Kourou beach towards the Pointe des Roches

As the flight had a delay of about 30 minutes,  there was enough time  to observe few typical birds of the guyanese seashore...

Identification to be provided later

… and few other migrating birds. As they were equipped with professional camera equipment one may assume that there were dedicated "rocket hunters" or "rocket paparazzi". Let us know if you have more :-). En passant, a huge thank to Ben and Matthijs for the great job they did to prepare for the arrival of the MSG-4 team in S1.

But suddenly crossing the Kourou sky, one could observe the rocket of the VA-222 mission just over our heads. The sound came in fact very late and the low frequencies are always impressive. Today the Ariane 5 was beautifully heading to Moon. Note also that day launches are not so frequent. We were then particularly lucky.

V-222  roughly two minutes after lift-off!

Few minutes later, as usual, the exhaust smokes were making live art in the Guyanese sky which had by chance cleared up in the afternoon. The separation of the two spacecrafts from the rocket concluded the mission of the launcher successfully.

VA-222 exhaust smokes

This day is in fact an important date for all the space community working with Arianespace and CNES at the CSG because this now leaves the floor free for the next Ariane 5 launch to come: VA-223. This new launch planned on mid-May 2015 is in fact the last Ariane-5 launch before "our" VA-224 (MSG-4/StarOne C4) launch expected on 02/07/2015. But before the MSG-4 launch, the light European launcher VEGA will put in orbit Sentinel 2, another ESA spacecraft. As you can imagine, the workload on the CSG is extremely important at this moment with an intensive use of all the resources to meet customer needs.
Today, let's warmly congratulate our predecessors and all teams who contributed to the success of the VA-222 launch!