The launch of Sentinel-5 Precursor is planned for next spring so the satellite is being put through its paces to make sure it is fit for liftoff and life in orbit tracking air pollution. Vibration and acoustic tests are next up.
Sentinel-5 Precursor is the first satellite dedicated to providing information about the atmosphere for Europe's environmental monitoring Copernicus programme.
With air pollution a serious concern, this new satellite carries the Tropomi instrument - an imaging spectrometer that can measure a multitude of trace gases such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide and methane, and aerosols affecting air quality and the climate.
Tropomi was developed as a joint venture between several Dutch institutes and the Netherlands Space Office.
The satellite arrived in Toulouse, France, at the end of July after engineers at Airbus Defence and Space in Stevenage, UK, had equipped and tested the satellite with Tropomi.