Munich: Antonov AN-124 transports satellite

At the end of last week, an Antonov An-124 was a guest at Munich Airport. The four-engine transport aircraft was commissioned by the European Space Agency (ESA). The climate monitoring satellite “EarthCARE” (Earth Clouds, Aerosols and Radiation Explorer) was on board.

With a wingspan of over 74 meters and an empty weight of 173 tons, the Antonov An-124 is one of the largest transport aircraft in the world. The Airbus-built EarthCARE satellite is a joint project between ESA and the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) and will study the role clouds and aerosols play in reflecting solar radiation into space and capturing infrared radiation emitted from the Earth's surface. The project is supported by more than 200 research institutes around the world.

After departing from Munich Airport on Friday evening, the Antonov machine transported the satellite to the SpaceX launch site in Vandenberg, California. The launch is scheduled for May with a Falcon 9 rocket. The 2,3-ton satellite was loaded with great care over several hours by cargo experts from Munich Airport, a shipping company and the crew of the Antonov.