Ariane 5's transfer to the launch zone

BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW

Posted: July 28, 2014


One day before its fiery blastoff en route to the International Space Station, a European Ariane 5 rocket was towed to its launch pad in the Amazon jungle Monday.

The 1.7-mile journey from the final assembly building to the Ariane 5's ELA-3 launch zone took about an hour, and workers connected the rocket and its mobile launch table to the pad's electrical and fluid systems later Tuesday.

A 540-horsepower Titan tug pulled the rocket along dual rail tracks leading to the launch pad.

Once the Ariane 5 arrived at the tropical launch pad, technicians planned to connect it to the ground electrical, fluid and communications systems to ready the vehicle for Tuesday's countdown.

Liftoff of the 166-foot-tall Ariane 5 rocket and ESA's fifth Automated Transfer Vehicle is set for 2347:38 GMT (7:47:38 p.m. EDT; 8:47:38 p.m. local time) Tuesday, hauling more than 14,500 pounds of propellant, food, experiments, water and oxygen to the space station.

See our Mission Status Center for the latest news on the mission.

Photo credit: ESA/S. Corvaja

Photo credit: ESA/S. Corvaja

Photo credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace - Photo Optique Video du CSG - S. Martin

Photo credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace - Photo Optique Video du CSG - S. Martin

Photo credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace - Photo Optique Video du CSG - S. Martin

Photo credit: ESA/S. Corvaja

Photo credit: ESA/S. Corvaja

Photo credit: ESA/S. Corvaja

Photo credit: ESA/S. Corvaja

Photo credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace - Photo Optique Video du CSG - S. Martin

Photo credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace - Photo Optique Video du CSG - S. Martin

Photo credit: ESA/S. Corvaja

Photo credit: ESA/S. Corvaja

Photo credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace - Photo Optique Video du CSG - S. Martin

Photo credit: ESA/S. Corvaja

Photo credit: ESA/S. Corvaja

Photo credit: ESA/S. Corvaja

Photo credit: ESA/S. Corvaja

Photo credit: ESA/S. Corvaja

Photo credit: ESA/S. Corvaja

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