 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Venus Express Countdown Activities Started
Baikonur, Kazakhstan (ESA) Nov 09, 2005 All final countdown activities for the launch of ESA's Venus Express spacecraft, planned for tomorrow, 9 November at 04:33 Central European Time (CET), have started. The 'countdown team', composed of specialists from ESA and industrial partners from Astrium SAS and Alcatel Alenia Space Italia, moved to the bunker near the launch pad at 18:00 CET, from where Venus Express will be made ready for launch. On arrival at the bunker facilities, the countdown team took over from the last spacecraft 'babysitting' team that had monitored the spacecraft status over the last 24 hours. Actual countdown activities started as planned nine and a half hours before the launch, at about 19:00 CET, and are following a predefined sequence. During the initial part of this sequence, completed at 21:25 CET, just 7 hours before lift-off, the team has achieved the final configuration of the spacecraft for launch, with the exception of the switch to spacecraft internal power. This milestone, planned at just 10 minutes before lift-off, means that Venus Express is no longer physically connected to ground power sources and from now on is fully autonomous, as it will be through the course of the whole mission. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Astronomy News from Skynightly.com
Venus Express Team In Launch Countdown
Baikonur, Kazakhstan (ESA) Nov 08, 2005At 07:00 CET Monday, the Venus Express mission clock began ticking down to Wednesday's launch. The excitement at ESOC and particularly in the Main Control Room is palpable as launch preparations get under way. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
