{"id":3765,"date":"2013-12-16T12:07:16","date_gmt":"2013-12-16T11:07:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/?p=3765"},"modified":"2014-01-29T17:12:39","modified_gmt":"2014-01-29T16:12:39","slug":"gaia-launch-is-coming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/?p=3765","title":{"rendered":"Gaia launched!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #0078bd;\">Gaia launch was successful.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The event at room 105 went as planned<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/launch.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3954\" alt=\"launch\" src=\"http:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/launch-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/launch-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/launch-140x94.jpg 140w, https:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/launch-120x80.jpg 120w, https:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/launch.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>GaiaUB enjoyed it and celebrated the launch with cava<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/image.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3952\" alt=\"image\" src=\"http:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/image-300x225.jpeg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/image-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/image-160x120.jpeg 160w, https:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/image.jpeg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Here you can see the short video (thank to ESA) about the launch:<br \/>\n<center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xm9ydmzFPG8\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/center><\/p>\n<p>You can also see a more complete video at the ESA blog entry <a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.esa.int\/gaia\/2013\/12\/19\/gaia-liftoff\/\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/blogs.esa.int\/gaia\/2013\/12\/19\/gaia-liftoff\/<\/a><\/p>\n<table class=\" aligncenter\" width=\"553\" cellspacing=\"3\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th colspan=\"2\"><center><strong><span style=\"color: #0078bd;\">General aspects<\/span><\/strong><\/center><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"row\"><strong><span style=\"color: #0078bd;\">Organization<\/span><\/strong><\/th>\n<td>\u00a0\u00a0European Space Agency<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"row\"><strong><span style=\"color: #0078bd;\">Major contractors<\/span><\/strong><\/th>\n<td>\u00a0\u00a0EADS Astrium, e2v Technologies<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"row\"><strong><span style=\"color: #0078bd;\">Launch date<\/span><\/strong><\/th>\n<td>\u00a0\u00a019 December 2013. 09:12:18 GMT (10:12:18am EST)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"row\"><strong><span style=\"color: #0078bd;\">Launched from<\/span><\/strong><\/th>\n<td>\u00a0\u00a0Kourou, French Guiana<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"row\"><strong><span style=\"color: #0078bd;\">Launch vehicle<\/span><\/strong><\/th>\n<td>\u00a0\u00a0Soyuz ST-B<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"row\"><span style=\"color: #0078bd;\">Mission length<\/span><\/th>\n<td>\u00a0\u00a05+1 years<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"row\"><span style=\"color: #0078bd;\">Mass<\/span><\/th>\n<td>\u00a0\u00a02030 kg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"row\"><span style=\"color: #0078bd;\">Type of orbit<\/span><\/th>\n<td>\u00a0\u00a0Lissajous orbit around Sun\u2013Earth L2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"row\"><span style=\"color: #0078bd;\">Wavelength<\/span><\/th>\n<td>\u00a0\u00a0Optical<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"row\"><span style=\"color: #0078bd;\">Diameter<\/span><\/th>\n<td>\u00a0\u00a0~11m after deployment of a roughly circular sunshade disc <sup id=\"cite_ref-Gaia_1-3\"><\/sup><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Details of the launch (from T, the launch time)<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/hvossgaia.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/10\/vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h03m50s220.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-558\" alt=\"vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h03m50s220\" src=\"http:\/\/hvossgaia.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/10\/vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h03m50s220.png?w=824\" width=\"824\" height=\"463\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>T &#8211; 0 sec:<\/strong> The engines of the first and second stages were ignited &#8211; the Soyuz-Fregat with Gaia as payload lifts off from the launch pad of the ESA\/Arianespace spaceport near Kourou, French Guiana. The lift off has to occur during the predetermined second. If there is any delay during the countdown then the launch has to be postponed for at least 24 hours.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/hvossgaia.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/10\/vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h03m56s18.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-560\" alt=\"vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h03m56s18\" src=\"http:\/\/hvossgaia.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/10\/vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h03m56s18.png?w=824\" width=\"824\" height=\"463\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>T + 118 sec:<\/strong> The four boosters of the first stage are jettisoned after all their fuel is depleted. The engine of the central second stage continues to burn.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/hvossgaia.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/10\/vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h09m41s99.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-563\" alt=\"vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h09m41s99\" src=\"http:\/\/hvossgaia.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/10\/vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h09m41s99.png?w=824\" width=\"824\" height=\"463\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>T + 220 sec<\/strong>: The payload fairing is separated as the launcher has reached an altitude where the atmosphere is thin enough to allow the Gaia satellite to be exposed to space.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/hvossgaia.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/10\/vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h10m15s165.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-565\" alt=\"vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h10m15s165\" src=\"http:\/\/hvossgaia.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/10\/vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h10m15s165.png?w=824\" width=\"824\" height=\"463\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>T + 288 sec:<\/strong> The second stage separates from the third stage after its burnout. Two seconds earlier the engine of the third stage was ignited. This early start with the core stage still accelerating the stack allows a better control of the movement of the fuel in the third stage during the ignition sequence of the third stage engine. The lattice between core stage and third stage in combination with a heat shield on top of the core stage allows the exhaust of the third stage engine to leave during this short phase.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/hvossgaia.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/10\/vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h04m14s205rot.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-569\" alt=\"vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h04m14s205rot\" src=\"http:\/\/hvossgaia.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/10\/vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h04m14s205rot.png?w=824\" width=\"824\" height=\"463\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>T + 623 sec:<\/strong> The third stage has burned out and the Fregat upper stage &#8211; Gaia combination has separated from it. The Fregat upper stage is ignited for a short first burn of 136 sec to reach a parking orbit at 185 km altitude.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/hvossgaia.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/10\/vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h13m53s72.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-571\" alt=\"vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h13m53s72\" src=\"http:\/\/hvossgaia.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/10\/vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h13m53s72.png?w=824\" width=\"824\" height=\"463\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>T + ~21 min:<\/strong> When the final destination, the Lagrange point L2, is in sight as well as the ground station in Perth, Australia, a second burn of the Fregat upper stage will occur with a duration of about 15 minutes.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/hvossgaia.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/10\/vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h15m04s239.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-574\" alt=\"vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h15m04s239\" src=\"http:\/\/hvossgaia.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/10\/vlcsnap-2013-04-28-12h15m04s239.png?w=824\" width=\"824\" height=\"463\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>T + 42 min:<\/strong> After the second burn of the Fregat upper stage has finished the Gaia spacecraft separates from the upper stage now on its way to the L2 orbit.<\/p>\n<p><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EI0u939DQWU\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/center><strong>T + 1 hour:<\/strong> The 11m diameter sunshield of Gaia is starting to unfold in an automatic sequence to protect the payload from the intensive light of the Sun. Solar panels on the backside (always orientated towards the Sun) of the sunshield will generate power for Gaia on its one month journey to L2 and during the entire mission (video source: ESA\/ATG medialab).<\/p>\n<p>The video above was provided by ESA. The animations are taken from a video about the Gaia satellite which is property of our Gaia UB team. You can see here the entire video<\/p>\n<p><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rrCxVTh3HCM\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/center><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Gaia launch was successful. The event at room 105 went as planned GaiaUB enjoyed it and celebrated the launch with cava Here you can see the short video (thank to ESA) about the launch: You can also see a more complete video at the ESA blog entry http:\/\/blogs.esa.int\/gaia\/2013\/12\/19\/gaia-liftoff\/ General aspects Organization \u00a0\u00a0European Space Agency [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3952,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[82,77,79,81,78,80,75,76,83],"class_list":["post-3765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-82","tag-77","tag-79","tag-chemistry","tag-december","tag-faculty","tag-gaia","tag-launch","tag-room"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3765","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3765"}],"version-history":[{"count":71,"href":"https:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3765\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4061,"href":"https:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3765\/revisions\/4061"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3765"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3765"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaia.ub.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3765"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}