Sentinel-1A launch timeline
Find below a detailed timeline for the launch of Sentinel-1A on 3 April 2014. Liftoff is set for 21:02:31 GMT on Soyuz ST flight VS07 from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. This is a real-time activity and all times are subject to change.
Follow the launch live online via the Arianespace webcast (20:40 GMT start) or watch the ESA launch event live from ESOC (19:30 GMT start).
An expanded version of this timeline is available in the blog.
GMT | CEST | MET | Event | Details |
| –48:00:00 | Receive telemetry from satellite | Mission control team at ESOC receive telemetry from Sentinel-1A mounted on top of Soyuz from launch pad | ||
| 14:02:31 | 16:02:31 | –07:00:00 | Start satellite switch-on | Satellite switch on & configuration activities begin at launch site. Sentinel-1A receiving power from ground. Start pre-launch operations timeline |
| 14:32:31 | 16:32:31 | –06:30:00 | Mission Control Team on console | B-Team Flight Control Team & Software Support team on console in Main Control Room. Start network countdown |
| 17:02:31 | 19:02:31 | –04:00:00 | Start fuelling | Start launcher fuelling |
| 19:02:31 | 21:02:31 | –02:00:00 | Mission Control Team on console | A-team Flight Control Team on console in Main Control Room |
| 19:17:31 | 21:17:31 | –01:45:00 | End fuelling | End launcher fuelling |
| 19:41:31 | 21:41:31 | –01:21:00 | GO/NO-GO roll-call | Mission Operations Team reports readiness for launch to ESA Flight Director |
| 20:02:31 | 22:02:31 | –01:00:00 | Gantry | Remove mobile gantry from launcher |
| 20:52:31 | 22:52:31 | –00:10:00 | Satellite on internal power | Sentinel-1A switched to internal battery power |
| 20:56:21 | 22:56:21 | –00:06:10 | Launcher autosequence | Beginning of Soyuz autosequence |
| 21:00:06 | 23:00:06 | –00:02:25 | Upper umbilical disconnect | Cable connecting Sentinal-1A to ground disconnected. Loss of S/C telemetry on screens at ESOC |
| 21:01:31 | 23:01:31 | –00:01:00 | Soyuz launch auto-sequence | Activation of the automatic launch sequence |
| 21:01:51 | 23:01:51 | –00:00:40 | Soyuz power | Launcher switches to on-board power |
| 21:02:11 | 23:02:11 | –00:00:20 | Lower umbilical disconnect | Lower stage umbilical mast retraction |
| 21:02:14 | 23:02:14 | –00:00:17 | Ignition | Soyuz engines start |
GMT | CEST | MET | Event | Note |
| 21:02:31 | 23:02:31 | 00:00:00 | L0 | Liftoff |
| 21:04:29 | 23:04:29 | 00:01:58 | 1st stage separation | Boosters discarded |
| 21:06:00 | 23:06:00 | 00:03:29 | Fairing jettison | About 120km altitude (above atmosphere), aerodynamic fairing no longer needed |
| 21:07:18 | 23:07:18 | 00:04:47 | 2nd stage separation | 3rd stage & Upper composite (payload plus the Fregat upper stage) continue climbing |
| 21:07:19 | 23:07:19 | 00:04:48 | 3rd stage ignition | |
| 21:11:17 | 23:11:17 | 00:08:46 | Upper composite separation | Upper composite (payload plus the Fregat upper stage) separates from 3rd stage |
| 21:12:17 | 23:12:17 | 00:09:46 | Fregat 1st burn | Start 510-second Fregat main engine burn to place Sentinel-1A into injection orbit |
| 21:22:35 | 23:22:35 | 00:20:04 | Fregat shutdown | Beginning of ballistic phase |
| 21:26:00 | 23:26:00 | 00:23:29 | Separation | Sentinel-1A separates from Fregat |
| 21:26:55 | 23:26:55 | 00:24:24 | Start of on-board autosequence | Includes switch transmitter ON. Sentinel-1A on battery power |
| 21:28:05 | 23:28:05 | 00:25:34 | AOS SVAL | Acquisition of signal via Svalbard station. Initial in-orbit status check |
| 21:35:39 | 23:35:39 | 00:33:08 | LOS SVAL | End of first Svalbard pass |
| 22:18:24 | 00:18:24 | 01:15:53 | AOS TROLL | Establish first telecommand upload link via Troll station. Ground station passes follow regularly via Troll, Kiruna & Svalbard stations |
| 23:54:40 | 01:54:40 | 02:52:09 | Start deployments | Start Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) antenna and Solar Array Wing (SAW) deployments. 10 steps: release, unfold, rotate, confirm |
| 02:37:53 | 04:37:53 | 05:35:22 | Power Positive | SAW deployment partially complete. Sentinel-1A achieves power positive state |
| 74:46:22 | 09:46:22 | 10:43:51 | End of Deployments | Deployments of SAR & SAW complete |
Notes:
- CEST = GMT/UTC + 2
- CEST = GFT (Kourou) + 5
- MET: Mission elapsed time (negative before L0, positive after)
- AOS: Acquisition of signal
- LOS: Loss of signal