INTERNATIONAL DRAFTING. (EFE) .- The launch of environmental satellite Sentinel-1B was canceled for a third day today, this time by an abnormality in the Soyuz rocket, Arianespace said.
“Due to an anomaly discovered during chronology launch of the Soyuz, the countdown has been stopped, “according to the company, noting that the launch vehicle and satellites were placed in standby mode, and kept in conditions” totally safe “(in addition to the Sentinel-1B, in the Soyuz there are three small satellites CubeSat and Microscope).
President and CEO of Arianespace, Stéphane Israël, said in his Twitter account: “there was an anomaly in the inertial measurement unit of the Soyuz. We stopped for the night. We were working to try to confirm the release tomorrow “
This is the third time is postponed or canceled the launch of these satellites. The first two postponements, on Friday and on Saturday, they were due to problems weather (winds aloft).
measurements made today by weather balloons, unlike those of the past two days, gave good wind data, they did implement the protocol for launch.
However, between half an hour and 40 minutes before takeoff it was canceled due to a problem in the launcher.
the new departure date will be known after the first analysis this anomaly, explained Arianespace.
the Sentinel-1B is the fourth satellite of Copernicus Earth observation program, led by the European Commission in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA).
This is the most ambitious Earth observation and with it Europe wants to invade data (free distribution) the planet, to monitor oceans, rivers, lakes, glaciers, weather or natural disasters, and improve program management . environment
the program includes several missions and are already in orbit three satellites in three different missions. Sentinel-1A, 2A and 3A
the Sentinel-1B join its almost identical twin whose launch was two years (Sentinel-1A) ago and both will orbit at 180 degrees apart, which provide a much more complete coverage of the planet to monitor the environment, “more eyes to protect the Earth” according to the European Space Agency.
the Sentinel-1 carries onboard an advanced radar instrument capable of observing the surface of the Earth through the clouds and rain, regardless of whether it is day or night .
Together with its twin Sentinel-1A, the two take images of the Earth in any weather condition.
at the time of launch the Sentinel-1B will weigh about 2,200 kilograms ( including fuel) and once in orbit 686 kilometers deploy its solar panels to charge their batteries.
When is released, the Soyuz also will travel with three CubeSat, small satellites developed by student teams from three European universities (the de Liege, in Belgium, the Turin, Italy, and Aalborg, Denmark).
These will test different technologies and will orbit between 453 and 665 kilometers.
also will fly the Microscope, a satellite of the French space agency CNES, which wants to demonstrate the equivalence principle of physics (in a vacuum all bodies fall at the same speed).
This weighs 303 kilograms, will orbit 711 kilometers and will have a shelf life of two years with a one-year extension
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