Category: News of the Jason-2 mission
Preparations are well continuing both on the launch pad SLC2-West for the Delta II launch vehicle and in the clean room for the spacecraft OSTM/Jason-2. A last precise weighing of the OSTM/Jason-2 has been done  (505.2 kg) in order to dertermine the mass balance and parameter the precise orbit determination. The spacecraft has been then mounted it to its new flight adaptor (to connect it to the Delta II launch vehicle) and electrical connections have been tested.  Once the final checks carried out, Jason-2 was elegantly wrapped to leave the clean room, to settle in the shipping crate and to wait for its transfer to the launch pad. On the launch pad SLC2-West on the 30^th of June 2008, the Launch Site Readiness Review has confirmed the readiness of the pad and given the authorisation to transfer the satellite to the launch pad. Good weather conditions are patiently expected to transfer the satellite to the launch pad and to hoisted it atop the tower launch. One last important phase of tests will behave after encapsulation under the launcher’s fairing in order to ensure that launch vehicle and satellite are both ready to achieve their mission.