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YES2 given green light for launch (Forwarded)



 
 
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Old June 25th 07, 10:23 PM posted to sci.space.news
Andrew Yee[_1_]
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Default YES2 given green light for launch (Forwarded)

ESA News
http://www.esa.int

25 June 2007

YES2 given green light for launch

After 5 years of design and development work and preparation of the flight
model, the second Young Engineers Satellite (YES2) experiment has passed its
Final Acceptance Review and been given the green light by ESA for launch in
September.

Following four and a half months of assembly, integration and testing at
ESTEC, the groundbreaking student experiment was shipped to TsSKB-Progress
in Samara, Russia, on 7 May. After a month in storage, a series of final
adjustments began on 12 June. Two days later, the experiment was installed
for the first time on the exterior of the Foton-M3 spacecraft on which it
will piggyback a ride into orbit.

In the coming weeks, YES2 will undergo a series of checks to ensure that all
of its systems are functioning as intended in conjunction with Foton. These
assessments will include communications tests to ensure that commands can be
received via the Foton, electrical interface tests and combined functional
tests with all the other Foton experiments.

"Although there were tight deadlines to meet, the students worked closely in
conjunction with ESA and prime contractor Delta-Utec to bring the tethered
re-entry capsule experiment to a state of readiness for launch," said Roger
Walker, Project Manager for YES2, from the ESA Education Office. "The
experiment has completed an intensive verification campaign, involving
vibration testing, thermal-vacuum and electromagnetic testing. The team has
achieved a great deal to get this far, and the students have benefited
tremendously from this practical experience with a real space project."

One of the most challenging aspects of the mission is the deployment of the
unique 30 km tether, which will be the longest ever deployed in space. Until
recently, the flight tether was still on the premises of Delta-Utec in order
to assess its physical properties and ensure that there will be no snags
during deployment. The careful unwinding and winding of the tether alone
takes a number of days to complete.

Following the completion of the Final Acceptance Review on 20 June and the
YES2-Foton interface and functional tests on 21 June, the experiment is
scheduled to be detached from the main spacecraft and then shipped to
Baikonur Cosmodrome in early July. YES2 will be reinstalled on the Foton at
the end of July and final checks performed in readiness for the launch
campaign during September.

Almost 500 students from most ESA Member States, together with the United
States, Japan, Canada and Australia have worked on YES2. Although these were
mainly involved in the preliminary design phase, some 60 students have
participated in the latter stages of developing and building hardware and
software.

[NOTE: Images and weblinks supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMYZR8OY2F_index_1.html ]
 




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