Today, the acceptance of the Payload Preparation Facility (S1A) was successfully concluded. It was a prerequisite to proceed tomorrow with the opening of the satellite transport container in the clean room. With this first important milestone, the launch campaign has officially started!

We are now 16 on site, ESA and ADS, and the number will go up to 33 by the end of the week.

A lot of unpacking, transfer, cleaning, set-up was done today with all the ground support equipment, electrical and mechanical. ADS check-out in the LBC and all the offices are already operational.

The link with Esoc via the NDIU routers has been successfully established at the end of a very long day. This will allow to sent the satellite real time telemetry to the operations control center during the final countdown.

The set-up of the Nitrogen purge for our laser terminal has also been prepared, ready to be connected to the satellite once out of the container.

Now, a little quiz…

1. Watch and tell what this is

A. The activities in the S1A today.

B. A colony of ants met on the Monkey Mountain during our Sunday trek.

2. Now listen carefully, sure you did not do it the first time…

What bird is singing?

3. WHO AM I?

ANSWERS

1. B, but A is also considered a correct answer.
2. Listen and compare Yes, it’s incredible “sentinelle de la forêt Guyanaise” (sentinel of French Guiana’s forest). Thanks to Bahar and Thomas for finding out!!
3. A. Markus /B. Patricia /C. Reinhold /D. Sebastian /E. Claudia /F. Constantin /G. Imen