News

Latest Feature stories

• January 5, 2012
  "The Power of Three" era continues in 2012 with Arianespace's complete launcher family
  
• December 7, 2011
  On the record with Arianespace Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall
  
• December 7, 2011
  Holiday gathering in Washington, D.C. highlights Arianespace's 2011 successes
  


• Archive

Feature story

Arianespace's Starsem affiliate begins preparations for the Soyuz launch of MetOp 1 in July

May 31, 2006

The next Soyuz launch campaign for Arianespace's Starsem affiliate has begun with the European MetOp 1 polar-orbiting meteorological satellite, which is scheduled to be orbited from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome in July.

The new 11.4-meter-long Soyuz-ST payload fairing is shown during ground-based qualification testing.

This mission - the first of three flights targeted by Starsem in 2006 - will use the upgraded Soyuz 2-1a version, which features a larger payload fairing along with improved launcher navigation accuracy and control capability.

The Soyuz 2-1a configuration was flight-qualified in November 2004 as part of the new Soyuz-ST launcher family. Soyuz-ST represents the next evolutionary step for this workhorse Russian vehicle, and the launcher family will be used for Soyuz missions performed from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana under Arianespace management beginning in 2008.

MetOp 1 will be integrated in the Soyuz-ST's enlarged payload fairing, which has an external diameter of 4.1 meters and a length of 11.4-meters.

The ST-type fairing enables Soyuz launchers to accommodate large meteorological satellites such as MetOp 1, as well as medium-class GTO telecommunications spacecraft on a dedicated launch, or payloads in a multiple-manifest configuration for missions to low Earth orbit, medium orbit, Sun-synchronous orbit and escape missions.

The shipping container with MetOp 1 is   ready to enter Starsem's payload preparation facility at Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The MetOp 1 satellite arrived at Baikonur Cosmodrome in April, and was moved into Starsem's state-of-the-art payload preparation facilities at the launch site.

With a launch mass of just over 4,000 kg., MetOp 1 builds on the heritage gained from Europe's successful series of meteorological and Earth observation satellites, including SPOT, ERS and Envisat - all of which were launched by Arianespace on Ariane vehicles.

The MetOp 1 spacecraft was built by EADS-Astrium, and carries a total of 12 instruments that were developed in cooperation with the French CNES national space agency and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Developed by the European Space Agency for EUMETSAT (the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites), MetOp 1 will operate from an altitude of about 837 km., providing data of unprecedented accuracy to improve global weather forecasting and provide enhanced climate monitoring capabilities.

Liftoff of MetOp 1 is scheduled for the night of July 17.