European Space Agency to launch YES2 satellite in September
The European Space Agency (ESA) has given a green light to the September launch of the second Young Engineers Satellite, or YES2, experiment. After five years of design and development work by nearly 500 students from most ESA member countries, along with the United States, Japan, Canada and Australia, the experiment has passed its final review. The experiment has now been installed in the exterior of the Foton-M3 spacecraft that will carry it into orbit. 'The team has achieved a great deal to get this far, and the students have benefited tremendously from this practical experience with a real space project,' said Roger Walker, project manager for YES2 at ESA's Education Office. One of the most challenging aspects of the mission is the deployment of the unique 30 kilometre tether, which will be the longest artificial structure ever deployed in space. The careful unwinding and winding of the tether alone will take a number of days to complete. The experiment is scheduled to be detached from the main spacecraft and then shipped to Baikonur Cosmodrome in early July. YES2 will be reinstalled on the Foton at the end of July, and final checks performed in readiness for the launch during September.