11 July 2001 Close-up of the fairing showing the Artemis and BSAT-2b logos.

				11 July 2001 Ariane-5 Flight 142, on the mobile launch table. (Photo: Arianespace)

				11 July 2001 Ariane-5 Flight 142, roll-out underway.

				11 July 2001 Ariane-5 Flight 142, transfer to the launch zone. (Photo: Arianespace)

				11 July 2001 The launch vehicle leaving the Final Assembly Building (BAF). (Photo: Arianespace)

				11 July 2001 Roll-out of the Ariane-5 begins, here the launch vehicle is leaving the Final Assembly Building (BAF).

10 July 2001 The pyrotechnics on the launcher as well as on Artemis and the Japanese direct broadcasting satellite BSAT-2b (the lower co-passenger) have all been armed and the fairing doors closed ready for lift-off.

9 July 2001 Fuelling of the launcher with N2O4 (oxidizer). In parallel, a dress rehearsal of the events on launch day was held in coordination with the full ground segment, including the control centre at Fucino, Italy and the ground stations.

8 July 2001 Fuelling of the launcher with MMH (hydrazine)

7 July 2001 Preparations for fuelling of the launcher

6 July 2001 Composite operations between Ariane, Artemis and BSat-2B teams formally started today. The fairing, already holding Artemis on the Sylda, was placed over the lower passenger to make the composite connection.

5 July 2001 Today, the radio link between Artemis and the ground support equipment on the launch table was validated. In parallel, the co-passenger, BSat-2B, was removed from the transport container and mounted on the launcher lower payload adapter. A validation check on the radio link between BSat-2B and the ground support equipment followed.

4 July 2001 Final inspection of the assembly before the fairing was put in place, covering the spacecraft. Meanwhile Artemis' co-passenger BSat-2B was mounted on its flight adapter and transferred from the S3 building to BAF in the transport container. The photo left shows Artemis just prior being covered by the fairing. (Photo: CSG)

3 July 2001 Having arrived in the Final Assembly Building (BAF), Artemis was taken out of the transport container and integrated on the Sylda adapter as an upper passenger.

2 July 2001 The Artemis spacecraft was today bolted onto the Ariane-5 flight adapter and transferred from the S3 building (hazardous activities area) to the CCU, and from there transported to the Final Assembly Building (BAF). This marks the offical start of joint operations between the Artemis team, Arianespace and the BSAT-2B team. In the BAF it will be mounted into the Sylda adapter, in upper passenger position.

				11 June 2001 Transportation of the spacecraft from S1B, the spacecraft preparation building, to the S3B building for fuelling and battery charging.

				Trial mounting of the spacecraft on to the Ariane adapter (ACU)

				Mounting of the solar array wings.

				Finishing the thermal blankets on the east wall under the L-Band Antenna reflector, which was deployed for this purpose. The activity was delayed from the first part of the launch campaign as the correct final configuration was not clear. Some other minor antenna activities were also completed, such as locking the connectors in the TT&C S-Band antenna (SBA) with epoxy.

March/April 2001

				Artemis in the clean room at CSG, Kourou, 30 March 2001. On arrival in Kourou the spacecraft was put through a vigorous schedule of inspection and testing.

				Opening of the Artemis container on arrival in Kourou at the end of March 2001

				Artemis arrives in Kourou, French Guiana, March 2001, after a two week sea voyage