SENTINEL-1A and SOYUZ Arianespaces successful Soyuz Flight VS07 -- which deployed Sentinel-1A to Sun-synchronous orbit -- gave the world a front-row seat in space. Cameras mounted on the Soyuz Fregat upper stage captured the spectacular footage yesterday as Sentinel-1A was separated at approximately 700 km. above the Earth to commence its life in orbit. In the Arianespace/European Space Agency/Roscosmos-copyrighted video, the 2.3 tonne spacecraft is released and moves away from Fregat against the background of the Earth to complete Arianespaces 23-minute mission. The Sentinel-1A Earth observation satellite is the first spacecraft to be deployed for Copernicus -- a program of the European Union in partnership with the European Space Agency. With Flight VS07, Soyuz -- Arianespaces Russian-built medium-lift workhorse launcher -- has successfully performed seven missions from the Spaceport in French Guiana.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Apr 2014 07:18:09 +0000