Antonov Airlines in cooperation with Ceva Logistics delivered 40-tonnes of satellite equipment from Cologne-Bonn, Germany to Titusville, USA.
The container with the satellite was loaded onto an AN-124 freighter aircraft using the back ramp and onboard cranes.
At the same time, the remaining cargo was loaded into the plane via the front ramp. The satellite Hera was developed by the European Space Agency and is a critical part of the agency’s space safety programme.
According to Antonov Airlines, the technical characteristics of the aircraft are well suited for such cargo transportation projects; the satellite was delivered to the NASA shuttle launch and landing facility.
The spacecraft was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle and will study the results of the DART impactor, four years after impact.
Eugene Kiva, flight manager for Antonov Airlines, said: “The satellite, being a highly sensitive cargo, must have been carried with extreme caution. Our team must have kept the relevant levels of temperatures, G-forces and other conditions during the flight for smooth delivery. We also had to control the appropriate satellite parameters on the ground in every airport on the route, constantly.”
