The Biomass launch campaign continues to move forward at full speed. The latest key milestone? Fuelling. A total of 132 kg of highly volatile propellant has been loaded into the satellite—an essential step that will enable Biomass to perform the complex manoeuvres required once in orbit.
“Preparations to ready our satellite for launch have been going very well here at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou and I thank everyone involved”, said ESA’s Biomass Project Manager, Michael Fehringer. Fuelling is a critical and hazardous operation, handled exclusively by the expert team from European Astrotech Ltd. For safety, all other personnel had to clear the cleanroom during the procedure.
Following fuelling, the team successfully carried out key electrical activities: latch valves were closed after tank pressurisation, the spacecraft was powered on, and the Battery ARM plug was installed—all within the Hazardous Preparation Facility.
Mechanically, Biomass is nearly ready. Final installations included the ARM plug for the LDR pyros, solar array thermal knives, and RCS, along with Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) finalisation. A closeout inspection has also been completed ahead of mating with the Launcher Adaptor (PLA).
Launcher Adaptor preparations are wrapping up, and on April 10th, the Combined Operations (POC) Readiness Review was successfully held. This clears the path for the satellite to be installed/mated onto the adaptor—scheduled for April 11th.
Stay with us as Biomass enters the final stretch before launch.
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