- Problems with the launcher's software: the launch of the Souyz postponed for 24 hours
- The Italian space looks to Guyana: a tri-colored launch on Tuesday
- French Guiana: Tuesday important launch for Italy
Share
by Andrea Bettini 17 December 2019KOUROU (FRENCH GUYANA) Nothing to do for today in Kourou. A problem with the software of the Soyuz launcher forced the postponement of the departure for the space of five satellites. On the launch pad there were also the new component of the COSMO Sky Med constellation for the observation of the Earth by ASI and the Ministry of Defense and the ESA CHEOPS satellite for the study of extrasolar planets, to which Italy gave a great scientific and industrial contribution.Anomaly a few hours before take-off
Yesterday all the parameters were perfect. The commission that had the task of giving the green light to the launch had therefore given its green light. The anomaly occurred at the start of the automatic sequence, a few hours before take-off.
"Satellites and safe launcher"
For the many people who came for the occasion in the spaceport in the middle of the night it was a real cold shower. But these things happen, even in the immediacy of the launch. "The satellites and the launcher are safe - says the managing director of ArianeSpace, Stéphane Israel - We have five satellites ready and we are working. A launch is the result of a large number of operations. The important thing is to be sure that everything is ok when you decide to leave ”.
Perhaps 24-hour postponement
Soyuz launchers leave from French Guiana since 2011. This is the third postponement of their launch by Kourou. Now the technicians are analyzing the data: the hope is that the postponement can only be 24 hours. The first launch window available is tomorrow morning, at 9.54am Italian time.