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COROT is readied for its Starsem Soyuz 2-1b mission on behalf of Arianespace
December 20, 2006
Preparations for Starsem's 17th commercial mission have entered their final phase as the Souyz 2-1b launcher and its COROT astronomy satellite payload are readied at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a December 27 liftoff.
COROT was booked by Starsem's Arianespace affiliate specifically to be orbited by Soyuz, underscoring the mission flexibility available with the companies' family of launch vehicles. Payload checkout activities at Starsem's Baikonur Cosmodrome facilities are detailed in the following photos:
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| COROT is prepared for its fueling in Starsem's Hazardous Processing Facility at Baikonur Cosmodrome. Built by Alcatel Alenia Space, the COROTt satellite will spend approximately three years studying the vibratory performance of stars to determine their internal structure, age and composition. It also will seek out new planets, possibly confirming the existence of telluric celestial bodies with physical properties comparable to the solar system's rocky planets. |
| Following its transfer to the Starsem Upper Composite Integration Facility, Corot is ready to be installed on the Fregat upper stage, which is visible in the background. The re-ignitable Fregat propulsion system will make two burns during the mission to place COROT in a circular polar orbit. Separation of the satellite from its upper stage will occur 50 minutes after liftoff. | |  |
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| With COROT in the horizontal position, the satellite is ready for its encapsulation in the Soyuz payload fairing (at left). The 626-kg. satellite uses a CNES-developed Proteus multi-mission bus, and carries a focal telescope to measure the variations in the intensity of observed light sources. International participants in the Corot program include France, Austria, Spain, Germany, Brazil and the European Space Agency. |
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