Updates GOCE Mission News

[Notebook]

Last-ever look at ESA's gravity satellite GOCE

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMGLHO4KKF_index_0.html

4 September 2008
As preparations for the launch of GOCE on 10 September continue on schedule, an important milestone has just been achieved as engineers at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia say farewell to the satellite as it is encapsulated in the two half-shells of the launcher's fairing.


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[SiberianTiger]

GOCE Launch delay

According to ITAR-TASS, the launch of the European satellite GOCE from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, previously planned for this Wednesday, is postponed for at least two weeks because of detection of some faults of the Briz-KM upper stage's on-board equipment. The new launch date is yet to be defined.

 

[Notebook]

Thats bad news, last time I looked it seemed to be going well:-

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/GOCE/SEM8ETO4KKF_0.html

Looks like they found something during the Saturday tests?

N.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Thats bad news, last time I looked it seemed to be going well:-

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/GOCE/SEM8ETO4KKF_0.html

Looks like they found something during the Saturday tests?

N.

No further info yet. I guess it's a better option for the GOCE than to end up at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean...

 

[Urwumpe]

Well, the Briz stages lately had some problems, so I think better delay than share the fate of the CryoSat...

 

[Notebook]

Esa has woken up:-

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/GOCE/SEMAC1P4KKF_0.html

N.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/GOCE/SEMLG9P4KKF_0.html

 

[SiberianTiger]

Well, the Briz stages lately had some problems, so I think better delay than share the fate of the CryoSat...

Hopefully, it won't follow the fate of the MEASAT 3a (one month ago) either during all the pending un-mating/mating operations! :blink:

 

[SiberianTiger]

The new launch date and time for GOCE

... is October 8, 18:21:17 Moscow (14:21:17 UTC)

 

[Notebook]

The 27th October launch has gone away:-

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/GOCE/

As a quick aside, I put a reference to that date in the Calendar, I can't seem to delete it?

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[SiberianTiger]

The 27th October launch has gone away:-

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/GOCE/

As a quick aside, I put a reference to that date in the Calendar, I can't seem to delete it?

N.

It is currently planned for November 10, 14:21:17 UTC

 

[Notebook]

Many thanks, I'll put it in the Calendar.

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[tblaxland]

As a quick aside, I put a reference to that date in the Calendar, I can't seem to delete it?

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Click the event in the calendar. In the bottom right hand corner of the item that loads is "Event Options" - select "Edit Event". Near the top of the next page that loads is a checkbox to delete the event.

 

[Notebook]

Thanks tblaxland, just couldn't see it till you pointed it out...

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[SiberianTiger]

The GOCE satellite launch was postponed to February or March, 2009 because of the upper stage's control system's defect.

This is how it reads.

 

[Notebook]

It gets worse.

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[SiberianTiger]

It gets worse.

N.

They cannot simply replace the upper stage because there ain't one in the store. The plant ran short of the rocket engines supply.

 

[Notebook]

Good grief, do they build them to order?

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[SiberianTiger]

Good grief, do they build them to order?

N.

No, they make them according to the production plan, and the production loop takes about 2 years from an order to having a ready product. During the recent period, there was a boom of launch contracts and the supply got quickly expended.

 

[Notebook]

Nothing new, but the BBC have woken up:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7592689.stm

N.

 

[SiberianTiger]

The GOCE launch time is set to March 11, 2009 14:25 UTC