What I've been working on for the last 18 months....

[Hobbit]

Been an adventure for you Simon. Germany and now Florida. When’s hurricane season?

 

[Old Skier]

Love anything to do with space exploration. During heavy left trials on Hurcs the pilot used to put the thing into some dive configuration that made us weightless in the main cabin. Great fun.

 

[Paperboy]

We launched at 04:03 GMT this morning from Cape Canaveral, successfully separated from the Centaur rocket. The communications were established at the control centre in Germany and the solar arrays deployed so on it's own power now

9 hours of boredom doing initial power up and checks to ensure ready for launch, then the last ten minutes where the probably the most nervous I've ever been. Then the 90 minute wait to ensure the auto sequence started for the satellite to set itself up also nerve wracking.

Then a few beers afterwards til 4 in the morning, now off for the first launch party after 5 hours sleep

 

[Kellfire]

We launched at 04:03 GMT this morning from Cape Canaveral, successfully separated from the Centaur rocket. The communications were established at the control centre in Germany and the solar arrays deployed so on it's own power now

9 hours of boredom doing initial power up and checks to ensure ready for launch, then the last ten minutes where the probably the most nervous I've ever been. Then the 90 minute wait to ensure the auto sequence started for the satellite to set itself up also nerve wracking.

Then a few beers afterwards til 4 in the morning, now off for the first launch party after 5 hours sleep

Can’t begin to imagine how playing a part in something so amazing must feel.

 

[Foxholer]

ESA has absolutely nothing to do with EU, it's what you put in as a country then that's what ESA gives to that country work on that contract.

I believe the EU is the largest funding contributor though!

Then a few beers afterwards til 4 in the morning, now off for the first launch party after 5 hours sleep

Well deserved for all involved!

 

[bobmac]

I guess the sat nav should work

 

[chrisd]

So it didnt go off the tee'ing pad at 45° then Si - only joking!

Great project to be involved in?

 

[Tashyboy]

We launched at 04:03 GMT this morning from Cape Canaveral, successfully separated from the Centaur rocket. The communications were established at the control centre in Germany and the solar arrays deployed so on it's own power now

9 hours of boredom doing initial power up and checks to ensure ready for launch, then the last ten minutes where the probably the most nervous I've ever been. Then the 90 minute wait to ensure the auto sequence started for the satellite to set itself up also nerve wracking.

Then a few beers afterwards til 4 in the morning, now off for the first launch party after 5 hours sleep

any websites or links we can be following this on ?

 

[richart]

We launched at 04:03 GMT this morning from Cape Canaveral, successfully separated from the Centaur rocket. The communications were established at the control centre in Germany and the solar arrays deployed so on it's own power now

9 hours of boredom doing initial power up and checks to ensure ready for launch, then the last ten minutes where the probably the most nervous I've ever been. Then the 90 minute wait to ensure the auto sequence started for the satellite to set itself up also nerve wracking.

Then a few beers afterwards til 4 in the morning, now off for the first launch party after 5 hours sleep

At least you can’t shank a rocket Si.

Sounds brilliant. Imagine the first ten or so beers will slip down well.

 

[Paperboy]

any websites or links we can be following this on ?

Best bet is the ESA website, will have a look tomorrow.

 

[Paperboy]

I believe the EU is the largest funding contributor though!


Well deserved for all involved!

The EU may help fund ESA missions, but the country that puts say 40 million Euros in get the same back from ESA in services to the mission.
The money in principle comes from the country not the EU.

 

[Paperboy]

An update on Solar Orbiter, working well. Just amazed that I helped this all come to fruition.

 

[Old Skier]

An update on Solar Orbiter, working well. Just amazed that I helped this all come to fruition.

Lucky man. Love to have worked on anything involving “The Next Frontier “

 

[Foxholer]

An update on Solar Orbiter, working well. Just amazed that I helped this all come to fruition.

Good to see there's some warmth for some parts of Europe at Christmas! Hope the rest of the p[roject goes well too!

Btw! Just to 'correct' what seems to be disinformation about budgetting that I missed your reply to a whi;e ago...
From WIKI...
ESA is funded from annual contributions by national governments as well as from an annual contribution by the European Union (EU). So while individual countries contribute, there is also a contribution made by the EU - and, as I stated earlier, that is the largest contribution! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europ...d from annual,an ESA member states conference.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Good to see there's some warmth for some parts of Europe at Christmas! Hope the rest of the p[roject goes well too!

Btw! Just to 'correct' what seems to be disinformation about budgetting that I missed your reply to a whi;e ago...
From WIKI...
ESA is funded from annual contributions by national governments as well as from an annual contribution by the European Union (EU). So while individual countries contribute, there is also a contribution made by the EU - and, as I stated earlier, that is the largest contribution! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Space_Agency#:~:text=ESA is funded from annual,an ESA member states conference.

So Simon tells us about a fantastic achievement in his career, but you have to be a .... about funding !
???

 

[Smiffy]

Still looks like a dust bin to me, or a car that has been through the crusher. I hope you aren't the guy in charge of aesthetics.

I have it on good authority that the new Dacia Duster was designed by the same team.
They also designed the old Peugeot 206......

 

[Blue in Munich]

Good to see there's some warmth for some parts of Europe at Christmas! Hope the rest of the p[roject goes well too!

Btw! Just to 'correct' what seems to be disinformation about budgetting that I missed your reply to a whi;e ago...
From WIKI...
ESA is funded from annual contributions by national governments as well as from an annual contribution by the European Union (EU). So while individual countries contribute, there is also a contribution made by the EU - and, as I stated earlier, that is the largest contribution! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Space_Agency#:~:text=ESA is funded from annual,an ESA member states conference.

"The EU budget is funded from three main sources: Member State contributions, based on a percentage of their Gross National Income. Import duties on goods entering from outside the EU. A percentage of each Member State's national VAT rate."

http://eu2013.ie/ireland-and-the-presidency/abouttheeu/theeuexplained/howtheeuisfinanced/

So basically the member states are paying for the EU contribution to the project via theirs subs to the EU and an EU rake off of their taxes; seems very much like the member states are the true source of the funding. The EU is simply playing Robin Hood with their ill-gotten gains from the members.

 

[Foxholer]

...
So basically the member states are paying for the EU contribution to the project via theirs subs to the EU and an EU rake off of their taxes; seems very much like the member states are the true source of the funding. The EU is simply playing Robin Hood with their ill-gotten gains from the members.

Indeed! `In exactly the same way that any/every government spends the money it 'extorts' from its sources of funds!

 

[Junior]

Nice work Si ? Great achievement.