HOMEPAGE
Contact Search Disclaimer Intranet German
Max Planck Society Homepage
MPS Eingangsseite  

About the Institute

News and
Announcements

Research Areas
Fields of Activity
Staff

Institute Projects
Research Teams

Publications

Research School IMPRS

Services

CLUSTER LAUNCH NEWS
/ en / projekte / cluster /

Launch dates:

The 4 Cluster spacecraft were launched in two sets of two from the Russian Cosmodrome in Baikonur.
  • First set: successfully launched July 16, 2000, 14:39 CEST (12:39 UTC)

    • The RAPID technical manager Wolfgang Güttler attended this launch in Baikonur for the Institute.

    See the >ESA report on the launch.

     

    • July 17: First Cluster apogee burn completed. > Report
    • July 18: Second apogee raising manoeuvre completed. > Report
    • July 19: Three of four major engine burns completed. > Report
    • July 21: Cluster 2 and 3 (aka FM6 and FM 7 or Samba and Salsa) are in final elliptical orbit.
      > Report
  • Second set: successfully launched August 9, 2000, 13:13 CEST (11:13 UTC)

    • Institute representation in Baikonur was the RAPID Co-PI, Patrick Daly.

    See the > ESA report on the launch.

    • August 9: Spacecraft separation recorded with on-board camera. > Report
      See > GIF Film of separation.
    • August 11: Spacecraft 1 and 4 ("Rumba" and "Tango") being prepared for injection into final orbit. > Report
    • August 14: Status reports from ESOC. > Report
    • August 14: The Cluster Quartet are together. > Report
    • August 21: Preparing for Commissioning. > Report

    Videos

    The picture below links to a film (MPG) describing the Cluster spacecraft, construction, transport to Baikonur, with an animated launch.
    Size of this file is 22MB.
     

    >
    top  Top P. W. Daly, 08-12-2004 drucken   Print−friendly Page
    © 2009, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Lindau Disclaimer