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Launch and early operations update
24 November 2005
Once in space, MSG-2 underwent its Launch and Early Operations Phase (LEOP), during which the various elements making up the satellite's platform were gradually switched on and assessed for proper functioning. At the same time the satellite was gradually steered into its final orbit.
This thorough check-out of systems is necessary before the satellite is put into operational service. In the case of the main SEVIRI imager, its scanning mechanism will have been locked in advance of launch, so will need to be safely unlocked. Then a decontamination exercise carried out before the first images are acquired then assessed for quality, with subsequent rectification carried out as needed.
Any system performance anomalies would be detected and investigated so that solutions could be put in place to limit their consequences. During the LEOP of MSG-1, one anomaly was found: an initial slight spacecraft 'wobble' caused by migration of fuel due to its heating and expansion. This problem was successfully solved with some software corrections.
LEOP was overseen by ESA's European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany, under EUMETSAT contract.
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| | In depth ESA Spacecraft OperationsRelated links EUMETSATAstrium - SEVIRI
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