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| | | | | | | | | Safe arrival for GOCE at Arkhangelsk | |
Entry 3: GOCE arrives safely at launch site in Russia
5 August 2008 - Following its departure from ESA in the Netherlands, GOCE has arrived safely at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia – from where the spacecraft will launch on 10 September 2008.
After a safe landing in Arkhangelsk on 29 July the GOCE (Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer) satellite and the 11 containers of support equipment were off-loaded from the Antonov cargo aircraft and transferred by truck to a special train. Along with escort personnel from ESA, Thales Alenia Space and Eurockot, the shipment was then carried some 200 km southward to the spacecraft preparation facilities at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, where it arrived in the afternoon of 31 July.
| | | Unloading GOCE |
GOCE's journey, which all went according to plan, began at ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, after it had been packed in its own nitrogen-pressurised container on 23 July.
On Friday 1 August, the satellite and support equipment were off-loaded from the train and transferred to the clean room at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The following morning the container holding the satellite was opened and initial inspections confirmed that the satellite had arrived undamaged.
Another milestone now achieved, the science community is one step closer to acquiring a map of the Earth's gravity field of unprecedented accuracy and resolution to advance our knowledge of ocean circulation, sea-level change and Earth-interior processes.
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| | Diary in pictures GOCE launch diary Entry 1: GOCE prepares for shipment to RussiaEntry 2: GOCE begins its journey to launch siteEntry 4: GOCE unpacked and alignment check completeEntry 5: GOCE checked for gas leaksEntry 6: Launch team reaches full strengthEntry 7: Gradiometer checked and launcher rolled out for testingEntry 8: GOCE satellite joins BreezeEntry 9: Last-ever look at GOCEEntry 10: GOCE on the launch padEntry 11: Launch of GOCE delayedEntry 12: Satellite activities resume 24 SeptemberEntry 13: GOCE team gearing up for new launch dateEntry 14: GOCE launch postponedEntry 15: March launch planned for GOCEEntry 16: Team make ready to wake up GOCEEntry 17: GOCE revealed as container openedEntry 18: A busy weekEntry 19: GOCE meets launcher Upper StageEntry 20: EncapsulationEntry 21: On the launch padEntry 22: Launch rehearsedEntry 23: GOCE launched and in orbitEntry 24: Going homeIn depth PlesetskRelated links EurockotThales Alenia Space
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