ESA title
MetOp ready for encapsulation
Applications

Launch milestone – last-ever look at MetOp

11/07/2006 731 views 0 likes
ESA / Applications / Observing the Earth

As preparations for the launch of MetOp on 17 July continue on schedule, engineers said farewell to the satellite as it was sealed inside the rocket fairing at the weekend.

The fairing will not be opened again until just under five minutes after launch when the spacecraft is almost 200 km above the surface of the Earth. At this phase of the launch the two half-shells will open and separate from the stage-3 of the launcher, the Fregat upper-stage and the MetOp satellite. Soon after, the stage-3 will separate from the Fregat-MetOp composite, which will continue its journey to the final orbital altitude of about 800 km.

Last preparations before encapsulation
Last preparations before encapsulation

Marking a significant milestone in the launch campaign, the encapsulation procedure required great care and precision assembly. First, the MetOp satellite, which had already been joined to the Fregat upper-stage last Wednesday, was manoeuvred into a horizontal position in front of the fairing.

The design of the fairing has recently been enlarged for the upgraded Soyuz launch vehicle and will be used for the first time for the launch of MetOp. Protecting the satellite against aerodynamic forces for the first 4 minutes and 49 seconds of the mission, it measures 11.4 metres in length and has an external diameter of 4.1 meters.

The fairing is moved to encapsulate MetOp
The fairing is moved to encapsulate MetOp

The encapsulation procedure involves the gentle movement of the fairing, which is mounted on rails, centimetre by centimetre so that it eventually engulfs the MetOp satellite and the Fregat upper-stage. Engineers check progress every step of the way to ensure that the procedure, which takes about an hour, is carried out smoothly.

Tightening the bolts after encapsulation
Tightening the bolts after encapsulation

Once the MetOp/Fregat was inside the fairing, the bolts were tightened and the remaining openings were firmly shut and sealing the satellite from the outside world, becoming part of the so-called 'upper composite'.

Peter Edwards, ESA's MetOp Project Manager stated, "I am very satisfied with the launch campaign activities, which have all gone smoothly. Everything has been performed according to plan and to schedule and we are looking forward to the launch in less than one week".

Soyuz fairing opening
Soyuz fairing opening

With the success of the encapsulation procedure at the weekend, the remainder of the launch campaign activities now rest with Starsem and the Russian launcher engineers who prepare the Soyuz-ST Fregat launcher. The next steps include integration of the upper-composite with the launch vehicle, the formal confirmation that everything is ready for launch, and then on Friday 14 July the transfer to the launch pad in readiness for launch on Monday 17 July at 18.28 (CEST), 22.28 Baikonur time.

Related Links

Applications

MetOp launch status

744 views 0 likes
Read
MetOp in vertical position
Applications

Europe's first polar-orbiting weather satellite ready for l…

16/10/2006 573 views 0 likes
Read
Upper-composite and third-stage being coupled
Applications

Integration of MetOp upper-composite and third-stage comple…

13/10/2006 526 views 0 likes
Read
MetOp upper-composite being lifted onto the train
Applications

Safe arrival at the launch facility for MetOp

11/10/2006 544 views 0 likes
Read
MetOp encapsulation
Applications

MetOp encapsulated in fairing

10/10/2006 707 views 0 likes
Read
MetOp joins the Fregat upper-stage
Applications

MetOp integrated with Fregat upper-stage

26/09/2006 1056 views 0 likes
Read
Cleaning the GOME-2 instrument
Applications

MetOp launch campaign resumed

19/09/2006 579 views 0 likes
Read
MetOp in orbit
Agency

MetOp to be launched in October

07/08/2006 769 views 0 likes
Read
MetOp on the launch pad
Agency

Launch of MetOp-A postponed

20/07/2006 813 views 0 likes
Read
Roll-out to the launch pad
Applications

MetOp ready for launch

17/07/2006 721 views 0 likes
Read
Upper-composite moved out of UCIF
Applications

Upper-composite transferred to launcher integration facility

14/07/2006 669 views 0 likes
Read
MetOp ready for encapsulation
Applications

Last-ever look at MetOp

11/07/2006 731 views 0 likes
Read
MetOp being lifted by crane
Applications

MetOp joins Fregat upper-stage

07/07/2006 924 views 0 likes
Read
MetOp leaving the HPF
Agency

MetOp fuelled and pressurised

04/07/2006 764 views 0 likes
Read
MetOp in UCIF
Applications

MetOp-A gets green light for 17 July launch date

27/06/2006 883 views 0 likes
Read
AMSU-A1 installation
Applications

MetOp – last phase of testing before launch

22/06/2006 660 views 0 likes
Read
MetOp's arrival at Baikonur
Agency

MetOp satellite shipped to Baikonur on 18 April

19/04/2006 1108 views 0 likes
Read
Soyuz launch
Agency

Soyuz launch vehicle

0 views 0 likes
Read