ADM-Aeolus - Vega - Куру/CSG - 22.08.2018

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http://blogs.esa.int/eolaunches/2018/07/06/aeolus-unveiled-and-switched-on/

Posted on July 6, 2018 by Mariangela

AEOLUS UNVEILED AND SWITCHED ON

Following its arrival at Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 29 June, the Aeolus satellite has been taken out from its transport container, placed on its integration trolley for testing and connected to its electrical support equipment.

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Aeolus revealed (ESA – G. Labruyère)

Initial checks indicate that both Aeolus and its instrument have withstood its journey from France in good condition.


Aeolus positioned on trolley (ESA – G. Labruyère)

ESA's Aeolus project manager, Anders Elfving, said, "We are obviously all extremely pleased that Aeolus has now arrived at the launch site. An awful lot of work and planning went into making sure it arrived safe and sound  – now it's full steam ahead for preparing the satellite for liftoff on 21 August."

The team has also done the ' launch adapter fit check', which is to make sure that the satellite actually fits the Vega rocket adapter and confirms that everything is aligned. This too went well.


Checking that Aeolus fits its launch adapter (ESA – G. Labruyère)

Cranes were then used to position Aeolus back on its integration stand.


...and back on the trolley (ESA – G. Labruyère)

It hasn't been all work work work for the team though. Some of them managed to get a quick look at the launch site: the Aeolus flag, the Ariane 5 rocket moving on the launch pad and the Soyuz launch pad.


Aeolus flag (ESA)

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Ariane 5 moving on the launch pad (ESA)
 

In front of the Soyuz launch tower (ESA)

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http://blogs.esa.int/eolaunches/2018/07/10/aeolus-shiny-telescope-hairy-spider/

Posted on July 10, 2018 by Honora

AEOLUS: SHINY TELESCOPE, HAIRY SPIDER

With the campaign to launch ESA's Aeolus wind satellite on 21 August well underway, the satellite's telescope has been opened and expected to make sure it is perfectly clean and shiny.

While Aeolus' novel laser technology is arguably the sexy part of the instrument, its telescope, which measures around 1.5 m across, it pretty dominant and equally important. It is used to collect backscattered light from the atmosphere and direct it to the receiver.

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Super shiny telescope. (ESA)

In short, the laser system generates a series of short pulses of ultraviolet light which are beamed down into the atmosphere. The telescope collects the light backscattered from particles of gas and dust in the atmosphere. The time between sending the light pulse and receiving the signal back determines the distance to the 'scatterers' and therefore the altitude above Earth. As the scattering particles are moving in the wind, the wavelength of the scattered light is shifted by a small amount as a function of speed. The Doppler wind lidar measures this change so that the velocity of the wind can be determined.


Reflection of hands in telescope. (ESA)

It is clearly important to make sure that the instrument is absolutely spotless, so engineers at the launch site in Kourou have first turned to the telescope before its cover is replaced.

ESA's Gilles Labruyere said, "It's always is an optical puzzle to look into the telescope and try to identify what one sees and in what direction! The surfaces of the two mirrors are almost perfectly reflective. The engineers who do this certainly have to adjust their eyes afterwards."

Following the inspection they concluded that the telescope is 'very clean and can fly as is'.
While the telescope is clean and shiny, some of the wildlife that the team has encountered outside the cleanroom seems to be quite the opposite.


Local friend. (ESA)

A lovely black hairy spider for instance .... about 8 cm across .... eeeek!
Kourou is, of course, very close to the equator with tropical jungle on the door step, so the local wildlife is certainly...... well let's say 'interesting'.


Swampy jungle. (ESA)

Back in Europe, the spacecraft operations team in German has completed another series of orbit simulations. The simulations were supported by a big 14 people team from Airbus Defence & Space France, Airbus Defence & Space UK, Leonardo and ESA.


Running orbit simulations. (ESA)

And .... although getting a satellite ready for liftoff and its life in orbit is an extremely high-tech and skilled job, our engineers sometimes have to turn their hand to something a little more mundane like fixing a chair ... all part of a day's work!


Satellite engineer and chair fixer. (ESA)

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Earth from Space: special edition

European Space Agency, ESA

Опубликовано: 11 июл. 2018 г.

Discover more about our planet with the Earth from Space video programme. In this special edition, ESA's Aeolus mission scientist, Anne Grete Straume, joins us in the cleanroom at Airbus Defence and Space in Toulouse, France. She explains how winds are generated, how they affect our weather, and how Aeolus will measure the wind and how this information will be used to improve weather forecasts and climate models.

(8:18 )

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http://blogs.esa.int/eolaunches/2018/07/13/aeolus-engineer-or-surgeon/

Posted on July 13, 2018 by Honora

AEOLUS: ENGINEER OR SURGEON?

The Aeolus launch campaign team at Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, reports that the 'functional tests' has been done and that Aeolus is working well.

The satellite is held in a vertical position, allowing engineers to access the different components. They have tested the pressure of the propulsion tanks, piping, valves, filters and thrusters.

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Vertical for testing. (ESA)

The most recent tests included working on the radiator. The photo shows one of the 'quality engineers' taking a very careful look here. He looks a bit like a surgeon!


Engineer or surgeon? (ESA)

Some tests are automated, such as checking the onboard software and making sure that the satellite receives commands.So with everything going well, the next milestone will be the all-important reviews on this first part of the campaign, after which the focus will be mainly on fuelling the satellite.


Aeolus standing proud. (ESA)

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Liftoff set for: 21 August at 21:20 GMT (23:20 CEST).

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http://www.arianespace.com/mission-update/aeolus-arrival/

Vega | July 16, 2018

Europe's Aeolus "wind satellite" arrives in French Guiana for Arianespace's August launch with Vega


Enclosed in its protective shipping container, Aeolus is unloaded fr om its sea-going transport vessel after arriving at French Guiana's Port of Cayenne.

The Aeolus passenger for Arianespace's next Vega mission is now in French Guiana, where payload preparations are beginning for an August liftoff from the Spaceport.

While most spacecraft are delivered to the South American launch site via cargo aircraft, Aeolus – a "wind satellite" carrying one of the most sophisticated instruments ever to be put into orbit – was transported by ship.

Considering the instrument's sensitivity to pressure change, engineers decided this was the safest method to transfer Aeolus from France, wh ere it was produced by prime contractor Airbus. The voyage took approximately 12 days to complete, concluding at French Guiana's Port of Cayenne.

Once at the Spaceport, Aeolus was removed from its protective shipping container in the S5 payload preparation facility, enabling the pre-launch checkout process to begin.

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Enabling more accurate forecasts

Developed as part of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Living Planet Program, Aeolus aims to further knowledge of Earth's atmosphere and weather systems. By recording and monitoring the weather in different parts of the world, it will allow scientists to build complex models of the environment – which can then be used to help predict how that environment will behave in the future.


In the Spaceport's S5 payload preparation facility, Aeolus is readied for removal from the container that protected this Airbus-built spacecraft during its trans-Atlantic crossing from Europe to South America.

The pioneering Aeolus mission uses powerful laser technology that probes the lowermost 30 km. of Earth's atmosphere to yield vertical profiles of the wind, as well as information on aerosols and clouds. While there are several ways of measuring wind from a satellite, Aeolus will utilize the active Doppler Wind Lidars (DWL) method – which is the only one able to provide the required data globally, from direct wind observations.

Designated VV12 in Arianespace's numbering system, next month's Vega mission will mark the light-lift vehicle's 12th flight from French Guiana since beginning operations from this equatorial launch site in 2012. It also will be the first Vega mission performed by Arianespace in 2018.

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http://blogs.esa.int/eolaunches/2018/07/19/aeolus-remove-before-flight/

Posted on July 19, 2018 by Honora

AEOLUS: REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT

When preparing a satellite for launch, the engineers use big red tags to mark components that must be removed before the satellite is encapsulated in the rocket fairing and launched. The idea is to remove these components as late as possible in the launch campaign, and the red tags serve as an important reminder do so.

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Startracker covers to be removed before flight. (ESA)

These items are usually covers that protect things like optics, connectors and so on. Very careful attention is paid to removing these items because if one is forgotten, the satellite will not work properly and there's a good chance that the mission will be lost.

ESA's Gilles Labruyère, who is currently working on the Aeolus campaign in Kourou, said, "There are stories of satellites being lost because an antenna or a solar array couldn't deploy.

"To make sure nothing is forgotten, all of the items are listed and get checked off on removal. We also have cases with holes that are the same shape of every red tag. If a hole remains unfilled, liftoff is prohibited."


Red tag items. (ESA)

While the engineers have spent the last couple of days making sure that this painstaking task is done, they were also able to witness something pretty exciting, albeit fr om afar – an important milestone in the development of Europe's new generation of launchers.

On 16 July, there was the hot firing of the P120C solid-propellant motor to prove its flight-worthiness for use on the Vega-C rocket next year and on Ariane 6 from 2020. Read more: Hot firing proves solid rocket motor for Ariane 6 and Vega-C.


Hot firing of the P120C solid-propellant proves flight-worthiness for Vega-C next year and on Ariane 6 from 2020. (D. Thibault)

The photo above shows the cloud of smoke from the test site several kilometres away. The yellow and white building on the right is the cleanroom wh ere Aeolus is being prepared for launch on 21 August.


Finishing the thermal blanket and disconnecting the electronics cabinets. (ESA)

The campaign to launch ESA's Aeolus wind satellite is well underway and going well. Any spare time that the engineers have can be spent trekking through the wonderful tropical forest of French Guiana!


Opportunities for walking in spare time. (ESA)

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http://blogs.esa.int/eolaunches/2018/07/25/aeolus-clean-for-the-big-day/

Posted on July 25, 2018 by Honora

AEOLUS: CLEAN FOR THE BIG DAY

Usually work is well and truly focused on cleanroom activities, but today some of the Aeolus team in Kourou were lucky enough to get a view of the launch of four Galileo on an Ariane 5.


Galileo lifts off. (ESA)

Galileo is Europe's own global satellite navigation system, consisting of both the satellites in space and their associated ground infrastructure. These latest four Galileo satellites will bring the constellation in orbit up to 26 satellites.

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Being moved from the integration stand. (ESA)

Good timing Aeolus team!


Cleaning in process. (ESA)

Back to Aeolus and tasks are being ticked off the 'to do' list in the run up to launch on 21 August.


An ultraviolet torch is used to detect dust. (ESA)

The satellite has been cleaned, centimetre by centimetre. A faint purple light can be seen in the photo above, but this is actually a powerful ultraviolet torch the team uses to detect particles of dust. If any particles are found, they are removed with a soft brush and a vacuum cleaner.  This is a bit of a tedious task, but one that is necessary.


Fuel waiting. (ESA)

The satellite has also been placed on a vertical stand, which will be used for fuelling. And the fuel is ready and waiting – and and the photo shows, the team is a happy team.


Happy team. (ESA)

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http://blogs.esa.int/eolaunches/2018/08/02/aeolus-fuelled/

Posted on August 2, 2018 by Honora

AEOLUS FUELLED

With liftoff less than three weeks away, ESA's Aeolus satellite has been fuelled and is almost ready to be sealed within its Vega rocket fairing.

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Getting a satellite ready to be launched involves a long list of jobs, some of which are trickier than others.

Since hydrazine is extremely toxic, only specialists dressed in bulky astronaut-like suits remained in the cleanroom for the duration of the activity.


Fuelling team. (ESA/CNES/Arianespace)

Aeolus has been at Europe's spaceport near Kourou, French Guiana, since early July where it has been tested and now being readied for liftoff on 21 August at 21:20 GMT (23:20 CEST).

Now that Aeolus is fuelled, the next job on the list is to place it in the Vega rocket fairing.


Aeolus and Vega fairing. (ESA)

This pioneering mission is set to provide global wind-profile data, using powerful laser technology that probes the lowermost 30 km of our atmosphere to yield vertical profiles of the wind and information on aerosols and clouds.

The mission will improve our understanding of how atmosphere dynamics work and contribute to climate change research. At the same time, it will also help to predict extreme events such as hurricanes and help us to better understand and model large-scale wind patterns driving weather such as El Niño.

It is also expected to bring considerable benefits to society by improving weather forecasts. Its global wind measurements, delivered almost in real time, are exactly what meteorological centres are looking for to improve their forecasts.

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http://www.arianespace.com/mission-update/vv12-aeolus-fueling/

Vega | August 7, 2018

Aeolus is fueled in preparation for Arianespace's Vega launch of this climate-monitoring satellite

Europe's satellite for the first space mission to profile the wind on a global scale has taken a major step closer to its Vega launch by Arianespace this month with the spacecraft's fueling at the Spaceport in French Guiana.

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Aeolus is fueled in the Spaceport's S5 payload preparation facility as the LIDAR-equipped satellite is prepared for an August 21 Arianespace mission with the light-lift Vega launcher.

The Aeolus spacecraft was "topped off" during activity in the Spaceport's S5 payload preparation building. The next step will be Aeolus' encapsulation in the fairing that is to protect the satellite during Vega's climb-out through the atmosphere's denser layers.

Aeolus will be lofted on Arianespace's Flight VV12, signifying the 12th mission with the company's light-lift Vega. Its scheduled liftoff on August 21 will be performed from the Spaceport's Vega Launch Complex, with the launcher provided to Arianespace by production prime contractor ELV.

The satellite will provide much-needed data to improve the quality of weather forecasts and contribute to long-term climate research. It was built by Airbus and carries a single instrument – a laser Doppler wind LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) system called Aladin, which is to probe the lowermost 30 km. of the atmosphere to measure winds around the Earth.

A powerful laser for Aeolus' wind measurements

Aladin fires a powerful ultraviolet laser pulse down through the atmosphere and collects backscattered light using a large 1.5-meter-diameter telescope. The data is analyzed on board by highly sensitive receivers to determine the Doppler shift of the signal from layers at different heights in the atmosphere.

The LIDAR's near-real-time observations will provide reliable wind-profile data to meteorologists, enabling them to further improve the accuracy of numerical weather and climate prediction, and advance the understanding of tropical dynamics and processes relevant to climate variability.

Managed by the European Space Agency (ESA), Aeolus is the fifth in the family of its Earth Explorer missions, which address key scientific challenges identified by the science community and demonstrate breakthrough technology in observing techniques.

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http://blogs.esa.int/eolaunches/2018/08/09/aeolus-sealed-and-signed/

Posted on August 9, 2018 by Honora

AEOLUS: SEALED AND SIGNED

As preparations for the launch of ESA's latest Earth Explorer continue on track, the team at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana has bid farewell to the Aeolus satellite as it was sealed from view in its Vega rocket fairing – always an emotional moment for the team.

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Aeolus ready for encapsulation. (ESA)


It's all about precision. (ESA/CNES/Arianespace)


Carefully does it. (ESA/CNES/Arianespace)


Time to say farewell. (ESA/CNES/Arianespace)

Once encapsulated in the rocket faring, the team signed the fairing sticker ... many wishes for a bon voyage and successful mission.


Sealed and time to sign the fairing sticker. (ESA)


Good luck messages. (ESA)


Love from Gilles. (ESA)

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The next major milestone on the road to launch will be the roll out to the launch pad and installation in the launch tower.

Liftoff is set for 21 August at 21:20 GMT (23:20 CEST).

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http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Aeolus/Aeolus_sealed_from_view

AEOLUS SEALED FROM VIEW


Encapsulation

9 August 2018
As preparations for the launch of ESA's latest Earth Explorer continue on track, the team at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana has bid farewell to the Aeolus satellite as it was sealed from view in its Vega rocket fairing. Liftoff is set for 21 August at 21:20 GMT (23:20 CEST).

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Since its arrival at the launch site in early July, Aeolus has been thoroughly tested and fuelled with hydrazine.

Like all of ESA's Earth Explorer missions, Aeolus will fill a gap in our knowledge of how our planet works and show how novel technology can be used to observe Earth from space.

Aeolus carries one of the most sophisticated instruments ever to be put into orbit. The first of its kind, the Aladin instrument includes revolutionary laser technology to generate pulses of ultraviolet light that are beamed down into the atmosphere to profile the world's winds – a completely new approach to measuring the wind from space.


Ready for the Vega fairing

Highlighted by the World Meteorological Organization, the lack of direct global wind measurements is one of the major deficits in the Global Observing System.

By filling this gap, Aeolus will give scientists the information they need to understand how wind, pressure, temperature and humidity are interlinked.

This pioneering mission will provide insight into how the wind influences the exchange of heat and moisture between Earth's surface and the atmosphere – important aspects for understanding climate change.

While Aeolus is set to advance science, it will also benefit society.

Although weather forecasts have advanced considerably in recent years, Aeolus will provide global wind profiles to improve the accuracy even further.


Measuring cyclones

In addition, its data will be used in air-quality models to improve forecasts of dust and other airborne particles that affect public health.

Developing new space technology is never easy and Aeolus has certainly been a long time in the making. But now this extraordinary satellite is safely sealed inside its rocket fairing ready for its ride into space.

The next major milestone on the road to launch will be the roll out to the launch pad and installation in the launch tower.

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http://blogs.esa.int/eolaunches/2018/08/10/aeolus-on-a-roll/

Posted on August 10, 2018 by Honora

AEOLUS ON A ROLL

After being sealed within its Vega rocket fairing, Aeolus has been rolled out to the launch pad at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Here it will join the rest of the rocket in the launch tower in preparation for liftoff on 21 August at 21:20 GMT (23:20 CEST).


Aeolus has left the building. (ESA)


Aeolus rolls out to launch pad. (ESA)

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Stéphane Israël‏ @arianespaceceo 4 ч. назад

5 satellites at Spaceport for upcoming #Arianespace flights w/ #Vega, #Ariane5 & #Soyuz: #Aeolus (@ESA_EO); #BepiColombo (@esascience); #MetOpC (@ESA_EO); #AZERSPACE2 (@AzercosmosOJSCo); #Horizons3e (@INTELSAT #SkyPerfectJSAT). We're proud to deliver for cutting-edge missions!

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Aeolus: preparing for launch

European Space Agency, ESA

Опубликовано: 14 авг. 2018 г.

ESA's Martin Kaspers joins us at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, where Aeolus is being readied for liftoff on 21 August 2018. Martin discusses some of the challenges they have encountered developing this state-of-the-art satellite mission. Aeolus uses powerful laser technology that probes the lowermost 30 km of our atmosphere to yield vertical profiles of the wind and information on aerosols and clouds – a completely new approach to measuring the wind from space.

(3:14)

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http://blogs.esa.int/eolaunches/2018/08/14/aeolus-in-launch-tower/

Posted on August 14, 2018 by Honora

AEOLUS IN LAUNCH TOWER

ESA's Aeolus wind satellite is poised for liftoff from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. This latest Earth Explorer satellite has been at the launch site since early July being readied for its ride into space on 21 August at 21:20 GMT (23:20 CEST).


Up she goes. (ESA/CNES/Arianespace)

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Aeolus almost at the top of the launch tower. (ESA/CNES/Arianespace)

Aeolus was sealed from view in its Vega rocket fairing last week, after which it was rolled out to the launch pad, hoisted into the launch tower and joined to the rest of the rocket.


Hissage composite en ZLV, le 09/08/2018

ESA's Gilles Labruyère said, "The umbilicals are connected. The charge of the battery can start. Apart from talking through cables, there are very few ways to touch Aeolus. The fairing has a small door, but no windows!"


Being fitted to the rest of the Vega rocket. (ESA)

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Arianespace опубликовала брошюру миссии

DDP-VV12-GB.pdf - 1.2 MB, 9 стр, 2018-08-14 12:45:55 UTC

DDP-VV12-FR.pdf - 1.2 MB, 9 стр, 2018-08-14 12:45:52 UTC

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