Arianespace

Arianespace's history-making Soyuz maiden flight from the Spaceport has passed one of its final clearance steps with today's launch readiness review, verifying the 'go' status for this medium-lift vehicle's morning liftoff from French Guiana tomorrow. The review milestone is part of preparations for all Arianespace flights, and will be followed by a meeting at 4 hours, 20 minutes prior to liftoff that authorizes the Soyuz' fueling -- a step included in the final mission approval process for the Russian-built launcher. Soyuz is carrying two IOV (In-Orbit Validation) spacecraft for Europe's Galileo satellite navigation system, which will be injected into a 23,222-km. circular medium-Earth orbit, inclined 54.7 degrees. The precise liftoff timing at 7:34:28 a.m. on October 20 enables the two Galileo satellites to be injected into their proper orbital plane.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• satellite
• launchers
• Ariane
• Soyuz
• Vega
• French
• Guiana

[mrteemumilto]

Or was it the Russian space agency?

[mrteemumilto]

The European Union should give right size clothes to the launch workers. That resembles the hurrying politician, who want to make the EU seem a  strong and progressive economic zone, by using the space race. But can you really afford it? They throw money around for the political interest, but don't remember to use it where it counts.