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Swedish Space Corporation’s (SSC) PRISMA and French Space Agency’s (CNES) PICARD satellites have been delivered to the Yasny launch base.
The PRISMA spacecraft consists of two connivent satellites named Main and Target. Approximately one month after the launch they will separate from each other. The mission of these two satellites is to serve as test beds for scientific formation flying experiments, including rendezvous, demonstration of guidance, navigation and control related technologies.
PICARD is a scientific mission dedicated to research the Sun. It is designed to monitor solar activity and to make measurements of the absolute total and spectral solar irradiance, the sun diameter and shape, as well as to perform the sun’s interior probing by the helioseismology method. The research is aimed at assessment of solar activity fluctuations impact on the climate of the Earth and at expansion of solar physics knowledge.
Along with the spacecraft, an Advanced Avionics Unit-1 (BPA-1), a payload, inseparable from the upper stage, will be delivered into orbit.
BPA-1 is an experimental equipment designed for use in the navigation systems of civil airplanes, spacecraft and launch vehicles. The avionics unit was developed and manufactured by NPP Khartron-Arkos (Khar’kov, Ukraine) on order of National Space Agency of Ukraine.
The launch of PRISMA and PICARD spacecraft and the Advanced Avionics Unit-1 is scheduled for June 15, 2010. Preparation of Dnepr launch vehicle for launch is carried out in the agreed time.
Concurrently with the preparation of the launch from the Yasny launch base, ISC Kosmotras carries out TanDEM-X launch campaign at Baikonur cosmodrome. TanDEM-X launch date is scheduled for 21 June 2010.
Yasny Admin & Hotel Complex
Spacecrafts standalone processing in clean room
PRISMA standalone processing
PICARD standalone processing
25.05.2010 |
