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End of Sentinel-1D LEOP
Friday, 7th of November Less than three days after the launch, the Sentinel-1D LEOP is finished! End of LEOP was officially declared on 7th November at 07:30 UTC with the successful completion of all planned LEOP operations. The spacecraft was left in a fully nominal state, in Standby Mission Mode (SMM) with the Attitude and Orbit Control System in […]
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Sentinel-1D Launch Seen from Operational Teams Positions and through Guests’ Eyes
Tuesday, 4th of November The launch of Sentinel-1D was covered from the operations point of view by several teams in different locations: the launch control centre at CSG (Jupiter 2), the equipment check-out room at CSG (LBC) and the Flight Operations Control Centre in Darmstadt, Germany (ESOC). We also had part of the team and […]
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Successful Launch of Sentinel-1D on Ariane 6!
Tuesday, 4th of November Our Sentinel-1D satellite was successfully launched into space! The lift off happened on Tuesday 4th of November 2025, at 18:02:17 local time in Kourou. This corresponds to 21:02:17 UTC, 22:02:17 Amsterdam time. It was a beautiful day, and there are great pictures taken of the Ariane 6 lift off at CSG, […]
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Sentinel-1D Launching Today!
Tuesday, 4th of November Today is the Launch Day and we are ready for it! This is not a live streaming, but things are moving on… Below the pictures of mobile gantry removal. The Ariane 6 launcher is now visible under a blue sky. We hope this beautiful weather remains with us till the launch! […]
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Sentinel-1D Launch Team pictures
Thursday, 30th of October On Thursday 30th of October, we had the last session of family pictures. This time it was with the spacecraft teams (ESA, Thales Alenia Space Italy) and launcher teams (Arianespace, ArianeGroup). The pictures were taken in the staircase at the entrance of the Launch Centre (CDL, “Centre De Lancement”). Just the […]
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Sentinel-1D Transfer to The Ariane 6 Launch Pad
Thursday, 29th of October On Thursday 29th of October, the Sentinel-1D spacecraft was transferred from the Encapsulation Facility Ariane to the Launch Pad. The spacecraft is now at the Ariane 6 Launch Pad! Spacecraft Integration on Upper Composite TRailer at EFA On Wednesday, the Upper Composite (consisting on the Spacecraft + Launcher Vehicle Adapter + […]
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Sentinel-1D logo signatures on Ariane 6 fairing
Monday, 27th of October Last Monday we had the opportunity to sign the Ariane 6 fairing logo. Prior to the launch, it is customary for the team to sign the Payload Fairing and include a personal message to the spacecraft, symbolising goodwill and future success, and/or a message to family and friends, who are loved […]
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Sentinel-1D Encapsulation into Ariane 6 Fairing
Friday, 24th of October On Friday 24th of October, the Sentinel-1D spacecraft got integrated into the Ariane 6 fairing at the Encapsulation Facility Ariane (EFA). This was the last time we saw the spacecraft on ground! Following a final inspection of the Launch Vehicle Adapter, one half of the fairing approached first to the spacecraft […]
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CARBET BBQ
Saturday, 25th of October On the 25th of October the launch campaign team in Kourou took time to relax and have a BBQ at the Carbet next to the Kourou River. After a fabulous BBQ there was time for swimming and kayaking in the river Ana proving that she can relax with Maria and Francois […]
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Sentinel-1D final Simulations before Launch
Tuesday 28th of October On Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th October the Sentinel-1D Team in ESOC underwent the Final Simulations prior to the launch, These simulations step through the nominal timeline and are crucial to prepare the teams for the real Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) which is hopefully only just over a week […]
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Trail along the Sentier de Saint Élie
Sunday, 19th of October On the 19th of October the launch campaign team in Kourou undertook a walk along the Sentier de Saint Élie, located southwest of Sinnamary. We made about 2.5 Km. After the hike, we enjoyed a nice lunch at the restaurant Éco-lodge L’Oiseau de Paradis, by the river. L’Oiseau de Paradis is […]
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Saturday at the Gosselin beach
Saturday, 18th of October On the 18th of October two of our launch campaign colleagues, Chris and Louise, returned back to The Netherlands. The team went for lunch together to say goodbye at the restaurant Auberge des Plages. We missed to take a photo with them though! Then we had a relaxing walk on the […]
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Sentinel-1D Mating on Launch Vehicle Adapter
Thursday, 23rd of October On Thursday, the Sentinel-1D spacecraft, attached to its payload adapter, was removed from the CCU3 within the Ariane Encapsulation Facility (EFA). Subsequently, it was lifted by crane and installed onto the launch vehicle adapter. The photos captured are truly remarkable! We had never witnessed the spacecraft being lifted so high by […]
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Spacecraft Transfer to The Ariane Encapsulation Facility
Wednesday, 22nd of October On Wednesday the Sentinel-1D spacecraft was transferred from the hazardous preparation facility to the Ariane encapsulation facility inside the CCU3. The spacecraft is now at the Ariane Encapsulation Facility for integration into the fairing! Spacecraft mounting on CCU3 pallet Following the mating of Sentinel-1D onto the flight payload adapter, the combination […]
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Sentinel-1D Mating on Payload Adapter
Tuesday, 21st of October On the 21st of October we started the combined operations between the Sentinel-1D spacecraft and the launcher, after confirming the readiness of all components: the spacecraft, the Upper Part that will host the spacecraft (fairing + payload adapter + launch vehicle adapter), the launcher and the facilities. The combined operations with […]
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Sentinel-1D Spacecraft Fuelling
Wednesday, 15th of October After completing all the preparatory activities and weighting the spacecraft to obtain its “dry mass” (mass before fuelling), the spacecraft has been fuelled in the hazardous preparation facility. The spacecraft has been loaded with propellant and is now ready to start the combined operations phase. Propellant Loading On Tuesday 14th October […]
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Sunday Market in Cacao
Sunday, 12th of October On the 12th of October a part of the team went to Cacao for visiting this beautiful villageand its Sunday market. The village of Cacao is located on the Comté river South of Cayenne. Its populationmainly consists of Hmong farmers, refugees from Laos who were resettled in FrenchGuiana in 1977. These […]
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Trail along the Sentier du Rorota
Saturday, 11th of October On the 11th of October the launch campaign team in Kourou undertook a walk along the Sentier du Rorota, located between Rémire-Montjoly and the port of Dégrad des Cannes. We made about 5.5 Km in about 1 hour and 45 minutes. The Sentier du Rorota is a publicly accessible trail frequented by families […]
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Spacecraft Transfer to Hazardous Preparation Facility
Friday, 10th of October The launch campaign is running smoothly and we are moving forward to a new phase! After the last steps of integration in the payload preparation facility, our spacecraft’s home since it arrived to French Guiana, the spacecraft was transferred to the hazardous preparation facility where the fuelling activities will be carried […]
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Arrival of ARIANE 6 Stages on the Canopée
Friday, 3rd of October On the 3rd of October the Canopée boat the Canopée boat arrived at Pariacabo port in Kourou transporting the Upper Liquid Propulsion Module (ULPM) and Lower Liquid Propulsion Module (LLPM) from Europe. The next day, these modules were transferred to the Launcher Assembly Building (BAL) at Guiana Space Centre. The CSG […]
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Sentinel-1D Launch Campaign Social Event
Saturday, 27th of September On the 27th of September the ESA Sentinel-1D team hosted a social gathering at the Créolia restaurant, located by the sea at the Des Roches hotel. Representatives from Arianespace, the Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), Thales Alenia Space Italy (TASI), Airbus Defence and Space Germany (ASD) and the European Space Agency […]
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ESOC SImulations
Thursday 9th of October Whilst this blog is full of pictures from the launch site in Kourou, French Guyana, there is also a lot of activity carried out back in Europe or more precisely in ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany to get the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) Team ready for Launch. This team of unsung […]
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Boat Trip to Lake Saut
Saturday, 27th of September On the 27th of September some of the team went on a Boat trip to explore the beautiful Lake Saut. The Petit-Saut lake is the reservoir formed by the eponymous bar. With an area of more than 300 km2, it is the largest lake in France. It is bounded downstream by the Petit-Saut dam and […]
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Sentinel-1D Family pictures
Friday, 26th of September The week of the 22th of September we enjoyed the presence of our dear colleagues from ESA Sentinel-1 team: With most of the ESA team in Kourou, it was an ideal chance to gather in the clean room to take some family pictures in front of Sentinel-1D. We also made some […]
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Spacecraft functional health checks completed
Tuesday, 30th of September The first step of the journey to launch has been completed today! After the validation and set-up of the test equipment brought to Kourou together with the spacecraft and following the authorisation given at the Test Readiness Review, the industrial team (Thales Alenia Space Italy) has been busy performing spacecraft health […]
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Welcome cocktail by Arianespace
Thursday, 18th of September On the 18th of September Arianespace hosted a cocktail party to officially welcome the Sentinel-1D team to the European Spaceport. The venue took place at Creolia restaurant in Des Roches hotel. This was the official welcome to the teams participating in Sentinel-1D / VA265 launch campaign. DIFFERENT TEAMS BUILDING A FAMILY […]
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HELLO Sentinel-1D!
Friday, 12th of September Sentinel-1D has arrived at CSG, the European Spaceport! After its journey, the satellite remained in its transportation container for 24 hours to acclimate. While Sentinel-1D rested, the team was busy unpacking and setting up all the equipment necessary for health checks after transportation. The equipment used is known as the Electrical […]
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Sentinel-1D arrives to French Guiana
Thursday, 8th of September The Copernicus Sentinel-1D satellite has arrived in French Guiana! Only 9 months after the launch of Sentinel-1C, on 5th December 2024, we are back in French Guiana for a new endeavour. SENTINEL-1D JOURNEY Between the 1st and 2nd of September the Sentinel-1D spacecraft was transported by truck from its last integration […]
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Guess Who’S Back in Kourou
Monday, 8th of September After the successful launch and commissioning of Sentinel‑1C, the Sentinel-1 team have now returned to Kourou to begin launch preparations for Sentinel‑1D. Sentinel‑1C was launched on 5th December 2024 on Vega-C Return to Flight. Sentinel‑1D is set to join its sibling in orbit, and together they will significantly enhance the capabilities […]
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CountDown today’s Launch
Sentinel-1C is Ready for Launch! The teams are ready, the launcher is ready, and Sentinel-1C is ready as we count down to the launch at 10:20 PM CET. You can watch this momentous event live on ESA TV by clicking the link below: Watch Live on ESA TV R David Bibby (Payload Manager) ESA with […]
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Family Photo
As we approach the exciting launch of our beloved satellite today, Sentinel-1C, we had the wonderful opportunity to capture photos with all the key stakeholders involved. This includes representatives from Arianespace, CNES, Avio, TAS-Italy, and Airbus Germany. These esteemed organisations have played vital roles in the satellite’s preparation for the upcoming launch. It is thanks […]
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Fairing Signatures
A great tradition before the launch is a chance for the team to sign the Payload Fairing with a little personal message to the Spacecraft for prosperity. This was done on behalf of the whole team by the team members who were there and was greatly appreciated by all.
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Welcome to the Jungle
Another amazing experience during the Sentinel-1C Launch campaign for a few brave volunteers was to spend a night in the Jungle. This is the best way to experience the real Jungle and listen to the cacophony of sounds that fill the night from the canopy.
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Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni
During the Sentinel-1C launch campaign, the team had the opportunity to explore life outside the working week. They visited the historic prison of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, which once housed Henri Charrière, the author of “Papillon.” The team enjoyed typical dishes at the iconic restaurant La Goulette, located on the shore of the Maroni River. The tour also […]
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Transfer to Vega Launch Site
On Monday 25th November and after a successful encapsulation of the Sentinel-1 Spacecraft into the Fairing, Sentinel-1C was transported to the VEGA launch Pad to be mated with the VEGA-C rocket. This is one of the final stages before the launch. The journey took approximately 2.5 hours to travel the 12.5 kms to the Launch […]
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Spacecraft Fuelling
On Friday 15th November and after a successful Flight Readiness Review the Sentinel-1C Spacecraft was fuelled with 154 kg of propellant, enough to last for its entire lifetime. Sentinel-1C is now ready to start the “combined operation phase” which is carried out together with the teams from Arianespace and Avio. The next steps are to […]
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Des îles du salut
On Sunday 3rd November most of the team took the opportunity to visit the beautiful Islands close to Kourou namely the “l’île Royale” and “l’île Saint-Joseph”. These are also close to the famous “l’île du diable” or Devil’s Island featured on the prison film Papillon. This island cannot be visited but can be seen from […]
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Family photos
Taking advantage of the fact that most of the ESA team was in Kourou it was an excellent opportunity to plan for some S1C ESA team family photos in front of the S1C Spacecraft, in front of S5 and by the Ariane 5 Rocket.
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Monkey Mountain
As part of the Carbet Day the team had a challenging 5km hike around Monkey Mountain and although no monkeys were seen there was still a lot to experience in the high humidity. At the top we were treated to magnificent views of the Spaceport of CSG and surrounding Jungle as well as a few […]
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Team Carbet
Friday 1st November is a national holiday in France so the team took advantage of this to arrange a team day at a Carbet (private rectangular structure used by groups for recreation) next to the Kourou River. Some cycled to the venue and we all hiked up the challenging 5km trail at Monkey Mountain (separate […]
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Team event
On Thursday 31st October the complete team was in Kourou. This was the opportunity to have a team event for the whole team where we learnt about all aspects of the launch campaign and furthermore how we work so well together as a team. Amazing tower well done team!
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Team arrival part 2
By Tuesday 29th October the complete team was in Kourou. The latest arrivals included Jelle, Mario, Dirk, Berta, with Ignacio flying in to join for dinner. The traditional welcome was held with more T-Punch and the team is now ready for launch!
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Team arrival part 1
On Monday 28th October some more of the team arrived in Kourou for a brief respite from the intensive S1C simulations campaign in ESOC. The remainder of the team will arrive in the next days just in time for the long weekend of team activities that we have planned. The new arrivals included Alistair the […]
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Trip to the Zoo
To complete the activities for Saturday we decided to go to Guiana Zoo on the way back to Kourou. The Zoo is located just outside Macouria and is a refuge to more than 450 animals including rare and protected species. Many of them have been brought to the centre for medical care and rehabilitation after […]
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Best Shrimps in French Guiana
After working up an appetite from the morning hike the team went to a restaurant in Montjoly recommended by Francois with a reputation for the best Shrimps in the whole of French Guiana. The Restaurant L’Oasis did not disappoint both the Shrimps offered in varying level of hot sauce and the views were amazing! The […]
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Weekend Jungle Hike
On Saturday, 26th October Sharon convinced us that a Jungle Hike was essential to get a real taste of the Jungle. We went to “la Montagne Trésor” which is a famous botanical hike a couple of hours away from Kourou. There were plenty of new experiences for us all with tales of “gold in these […]
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AIS Installation
On Thursday, 24th October the Automated Identification System (AIS) Antennas were fully installed onto the S1C Spacecraft. These are the box shaped structures of which there are four at either corner of the SAR Central Panel. They had to be removed for transportation to prevent any risk of damage to the Antennas. These Antennas form […]
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New arrivals
On Sunday, 17th October two new members of the S1C launch team arrived. Sharon Isenia and Davey Wils. Sharon will take over from Eleni whilst she explores some tropical Island paradise in the Caribbean and Davey will take over from Shaf, providing some much needed IT support for the existing team as well as ensuring […]
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Welcome Cocktails
Also on Sunday, 17th October back at base in the Netherlands Fulvio our very own “olimpionico” completed his Marathon in a fantastic time of 3 hours 29 minutes and proudly represented S1C throughout the run. Well done Fulvio you are an inspiration to us all. To complete the weekend Ramón arrived back to Kourou on […]
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Cacao
On Sunday, 17th October, the team went to visit the wonderful village of Cacao with its authentic Vietnamese markets and Musée aux insectes. We enjoyed a nice lunch and walk around the village to see a local Potter. The Sun was out and humidity very high, nevertheless we all enjoyed the hot soup and ice […]
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SAR Health Check
On Monday, 18th October, the Airbus Friedrichshafen team connected dedicated Waveguide bridges to the SAR Antenna to allow us to check the health of the SAR before it is declared ready for flight. Paul, Cedric, Marco and Christian are only with us for a few days to carry out these very important steps for the […]
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Busy Week of Testing
On Friday, 11th October, the Propulsion (Fuelling) team pressurised the Sentinel-1C fuel tank with nitrogen to check for leaks in the valves and tank. After de-pressurising the tank the following day, the team confirmed the test was successful. Due to the hazardous nature of this task, only essential staff had access to the clean room. […]
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Safety Training
As part of the introduction to the campaign, all team members are required to attend safety training upon their arrival at the Guiana Space Centre (CSG). This training provides critical information on safety protocols and emergency procedures, both within the office and cleanroom environments. A key element of the training is a hands-on drill, where […]
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Sentinel-1c Going to Vertical PosItion
Sentinel-1C arrived in the transportation container secured to it’s Multi propose trolley. This Trolley allows the engineering team to move Sentinel-1C into many different positions and angles.Once Sentinel-1C is vertical, the team can perform the first tests of the test and validation of the health of Sentinel-1C
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SentineL-1C arrives to French Guiana
There’s something special about Sentinel-1C hitting the road to its final destination on Earth before she is launched
LATEST POSTS
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End of Sentinel-1D LEOP
Friday, 7th of November Less than three days after the launch, the Sentinel-1D LEOP is finished! End of LEOP was officially declared on 7th November at 07:30 UTC with the successful completion of all planned LEOP operations. The spacecraft was left in a fully nominal state, in Standby Mission Mode (SMM) with the Attitude and Orbit Control System in…
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Sentinel-1D Launch Seen from Operational Teams Positions and through Guests’ Eyes
Tuesday, 4th of November The launch of Sentinel-1D was covered from the operations point of view by several teams in different locations: the launch control centre at CSG (Jupiter 2), the equipment check-out room at CSG (LBC) and the Flight Operations Control Centre in Darmstadt, Germany (ESOC). We also had part of the team and…
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Successful Launch of Sentinel-1D on Ariane 6!
Tuesday, 4th of November Our Sentinel-1D satellite was successfully launched into space! The lift off happened on Tuesday 4th of November 2025, at 18:02:17 local time in Kourou. This corresponds to 21:02:17 UTC, 22:02:17 Amsterdam time. It was a beautiful day, and there are great pictures taken of the Ariane 6 lift off at CSG,…
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Sentinel-1D Launching Today!
Tuesday, 4th of November Today is the Launch Day and we are ready for it! This is not a live streaming, but things are moving on… Below the pictures of mobile gantry removal. The Ariane 6 launcher is now visible under a blue sky. We hope this beautiful weather remains with us till the launch!…
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Sentinel-1D Launch Team pictures
Thursday, 30th of October On Thursday 30th of October, we had the last session of family pictures. This time it was with the spacecraft teams (ESA, Thales Alenia Space Italy) and launcher teams (Arianespace, ArianeGroup). The pictures were taken in the staircase at the entrance of the Launch Centre (CDL, “Centre De Lancement”). Just the…
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Sentinel-1D Transfer to The Ariane 6 Launch Pad
Thursday, 29th of October On Thursday 29th of October, the Sentinel-1D spacecraft was transferred from the Encapsulation Facility Ariane to the Launch Pad. The spacecraft is now at the Ariane 6 Launch Pad! Spacecraft Integration on Upper Composite TRailer at EFA On Wednesday, the Upper Composite (consisting on the Spacecraft + Launcher Vehicle Adapter +…