ESA Science & Technology - Journal Archive
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#11: Putting things together: the CHEOPS science instrument arrives in Madrid
3 May 2018Members of the CHEOPS consortium could be proud of their achievement as the science instrument of the upcoming exoplanet mission left Bern on its journey to Madrid last month.
#10: It's getting real: testing flight hardware with mission control code
18 December 2017With the flight models of the CHEOPS spacecraft and telescope maturing, crucial tests can now be run with real hardware in place of simulations. The latest such tests involved operating the payload with the Mission Control System to test and validate real operational command sequences.
#9: The CHEOPS scientific instrument is complete
6 December 2017The scientific instrument at the heart of the CHEOPS mission has been fully assembled, marking an important milestone in the development of this small, fast-track exoplanet-characterising mission.
#13: Testing the coolest instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope
18 October 2017As the James Webb Space Telescope progresses toward launch, the telescope and its scientific instruments are undergoing an arduous series of checks to ensure their flight readiness.
#8: Preparing the CHEOPS spacecraft platform and simulating mission operations
12 July 2017In our previous update, we reported on the delivery of the CHEOPS telescope from Florence to Bern. While the scientific payload is being assembled in Switzerland, work in Spain has focused on preparing the spacecraft platform that will carry the payload and provide power, propulsion, communications, and thermal control.
#12: Testing times for JWST
16 June 2017The journey to launch for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is – literally – a testing time for the groundbreaking observatory. After demonstrating that it can come through the ordeal of vibrations and loud sounds associated with a launch, the telescope and its instruments have now been moved to Houston, Texas, for a final three-month test...
#7: CHEOPS telescope arrives at new home
4 May 2017A major milestone for the CHEOPS mission was passed on 28 April 2017, when the telescope flight model was delivered to the University of Bern by Leonardo-Finmeccanica, on behalf of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF).
#11: Preparing for the ride to space
21 December 2016In the second half of 2016, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was readied for an intensive series of environmental tests, an essential step in ensuring that it will survive the stresses of launch and complete its groundbreaking survey of the infrared sky.
#10: The observatory is assembled
21 December 2016With less than two years remaining before its scheduled launch, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has passed several major milestones, including the completion of its huge primary mirror and integration of its four science instruments with the payload module.
#6: CHEOPS solar arrays tested and built
16 December 2016Over the last 10 months, the CHEOPS solar cell assemblies have been put through their paces in the test facilities at industry and in the Solar Generator Laboratory of the Power Systems Division (TEC-EP) at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) as part of the qualification campaign. In parallel, the flight solar arrays have...
#5: Steady progress for CHEOPS
15 September 2016The CHEOPS mission continues to make steady progress with a number of milestones being successfully met.
#4: Delivery of the Instrument Engineering Model
3 May 2016The CHEOPS spacecraft continues its fast-track implementation with the delivery of the instrument Engineering Model for integration on the satellite Electrical and Functional Model.
#09: JWST instruments are coming in from the cold
2 February 2016After being tested at extremely low temperatures for more than two months, the four instruments of the James Webb Space Telescope are preparing to come in from the cold.
#4: Hidden from view
18 November 2015With only fourteen days to go until the launch of LISA Pathfinder on 2 December, preparations continue according to plan, and this week has seen another two major milestones passed: fitting the launch vehicle adapter to the spacecraft, and enclosing the spacecraft in the fairing.
#3: Simulated sound of launch for CHEOPS
11 November 2015The CHEOPS spacecraft continues its fast-track implementation with a whistle-stop tour of test centres in Europe. Having completed acoustic tests at the European Space Research and Technology Centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, CHEOPS is on the road again. Next stop: Madrid.
#3: ESOC, do you copy?
29 October 2015For the past week and a half, the high bay, a large integration hall in the south side of the payload integration building (EPCU S5C), at the Centre Spatial Guyanais in Kourou has been buzzing with activities around the LISA Pathfinder spacecraft.
#2: Fasten your belts!
15 October 2015During the first week of activities at Kourou, the LISA Pathfinder team have focused on setting up the hardware they need for the launch campaign.
#1: Arriving in Kourou
9 October 2015This is the first entry in the LISA Pathfinder launch campaign journal series. Between now and launch, the LISA Pathfinder team at Kourou will share their experiences as they prepare for that big event. Today's contribution is from the project manager, César García Marirrodriga.
#2: CHEOPS prepares for first spacecraft test campaign
28 September 2015CHEOPS is progressing steadily through the hardware manufacturing and related testing phase.
LISA Pathfinder prepares for the Vega launcher
17 July 2015LISA Pathfinder continues to make steady progress in preparation for launch later this year. The most recent tests have focussed on preparing for launch on a Vega rocket.
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