Science & Technology: SMART-1 on its way to the Moon: "SMART-1 on its way to the Moon
27 Sep 2003
European Spaceport, Kourou, French Guiana
SMART-1 has been successfully deployed.
Under good weather conditions, flight V162 lifted off at 23:14 UT from the European Spaceport in Kourou. Within 45 minutes after the flawless launch, SMART-1 seperated from its Ariane 5 launcher and started its long journey to the Moon.
The spacecraft has deployed its solar arrays and is currently undergoing initial checkout of its systems under control from ESA/ESOC. This checkout will continue until 4 October and will conclude with the initial firing of SMART-1’s innovative ion engine. "