March 6th marked the official start of the Biomass Launch Campaign in French Guiana, and we couldn’t have hoped for a better beginning. The MN Toucan arrived a day ahead of schedule, and we were treated to the incredible sight of Ariane 6’s first commercial flight (VA263) successfully lifting off with CSO-3 on board.
But that was not all, and Arianespace and CNES had meticulously prepared all logistics ahead of unloading the satellite container, ensuring that:
- The teams responsible for unloading and transporting the satellite were perfectly coordinated.
- The Payload Preparation Facility (S5) was fully ready to receive and support Biomass.
- The team was well-trained to safely carry out operations within these critical facilities.
Today on the 7th of March, the teams gathered at Kourou’s Pariacabo harbour to carefully unload our invaluable cargo—including all supporting equipment. These operations had to be precisely timed with the tides, requiring careful planning and coordination. Once safely transferred onto trucks, the convoy set off for the Payload Preparation Facility.
Sometimes, pictures speak louder than words when it comes to illustrating the complexity of these logistics…
This was an early start of the day, but what a stunning view
Biomass container is carefully loaded onto the truck
The ESA Launch Campaign early team (Shaf and Claudia were waiting for us in S5)
Thank you to the AIRBUS team for a perfectly executed operation
An happy integrated team between ESA and AIRBUS, and the awards for the biggest smile goes to … Catherine Watson
The Satellite container arrives at the Payload Preparation Facility (S5)
Inside the Payload Preparation Facility … Next important milestone is the opening of the Satellite container on the 11th of March … Stay tuned …
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