Today the final team members left who were not part of the storage team.

There will not be inputs every day during the storage phase unless there is something of interest. Once the main campaign starts early April it will be daily.

Today the team reduces as we enter the babysitting phase. There is a trip to the NASA building to check the purging and hold a meeting with SpaceX. This will be the last face to face until the start of the main campaign. Tomorrow is only babysitting.

In ESOC things are ramping up as the training takes place in preparation for the start of the simulations campaigns, where the operations teams practice all the nominal and contingency routines, so they are fully prepared to take control of the satellite when it is launched.

A more relaxed start to the day for the team. Going to the NASA building to check the satellite purging and hold meetings.

Some took the opportunity to update their wardrobe😊

In the evening the team went for a mean before the team reduces for the babysitting phase.

Late last night the team restowed the generator and boarded for the final leg. See video of storage.

Back in Lompoc the team were sleeping, up at 05:30 in readiness to go to the base. They arrived at the airfield just in time to see the Antonov landing at about 07:00. Always an impressive site.

Ath aircraft taxied to the waiting area and started preparations to unload. The team waited for permission to walk out to meet their satellite.

Unloading was smooth with the containers being unloaded out of the back and transported to the NASA building.

The ramp was then assembled at the nose ramp and the satellite slid out. A crane then lifted it onto the waiting trailer.

There was then a pause for lunch of sandwiches. During this the Antonov crew had repacked everything and were ready to depart. The team watched it leave.

The satellite then was transported to the NASA building and reversed on its trailer into Lab-1.

The satellite purging and container flushing were connected under Cyril’s scrutiny.

Once completed the shutters were lowered and the satellite safely left. The team left for a well earned rest.

But this was not the end of the evening some of the team went down Ocean to the Lompoc-Surf railway station where they got a good view of the Starlink Launch which launched 23 satellites. Interestingly this was the 17th flight of the first stage booster whose first flight was Sentinal-6A.

More pictures to follow once approved……

Everything is ready!

The provisions are loaded

Luggage is carefully stowed

And the team climbs aboard

And they are off heading to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where the aircraft will land for customs clearance, refueling and to give the crew a rest.

Safe travels to all!

The Antonov landed safely in Portsmouth.

Checks were done whilst waiting for customs clearance.

The crew helped the team by bringing out the generator needed to run the air conditioning on the satellite container

There was even time for a nice group photo.

With the formalities completed the team could go for food before setting off on the last leg of the journey.

For the team in Lompoc it was a day to rest, catch up on emails and do a bit of exercise before an early night in preparation for the big day tomorrow.

Today at Munich Airport is loading day. The Antonov front is opened to allow the ramp to be built in preparation for loading the satellite

Once the ramp is assembled the satellite container is lifted by crane onto the ramp.

It is then carefully maneuvered into the aircraft. As you can see the design of the container is such that it just fits.

With the satellite safely loaded the rest of the containers were loaded via the rear of the aircraft.

Everything is loaded. Dirk checks the call sign, UR-82007 and realises the aircraft is 37 years old but is maintained as a labour of love by the crew. Many spares are stored along the sides inside the plane.

Kotska take the oppertunity to inspect the cockpit and to register Earthcare as one of its passengers.

Now it is time to relax before the flight in the morning.

At VSFB the team had been getting passes and visiting the facilities that the satellite would be stored in. Everything was checked and ready. The high purity nitrogen gas cylinders were inspected in preparation for the purging and container flushing activities when the satellite arrives.

The Satellite arrived safely at Munich Airport and waited patiently to be loaded onto the Antonov.

The Antonov arrived and taxied to its parking place. See also video clip.

Slowly all the last concerns were being ticked off as things fell in place and the anticipation mounted for the big day of loading tomorrow.

Today marks the end of a long road for the Earthcare team as the Satellite prepares to be shipped by road to Munich airport where it will be loaded onto an Antonov bound for the launch site at VSFB in California.

In parallel some of the Airbus team are already on route to California in preparation to meet the Satellite due to arrive on Sunday at the airfield on the base.

We wish them both safe travels.

The purpose of this blog is to allow family, friends and colleagues follow the progress of the Earthcare Launch Campaign in Vandenberg Space Forces Base (VSFB) in California

The Campaign is being split into two parts:

1. The arrival and storage in the NASA facility at VSFB.
2. The transfer to Astrotech processing facility and the start of the main campaign.

This blog will cover the arrival and storage then day by day for the main campaign.