Going to space is never routine, and Sentinel-2 mission controllers are leaving nothing to chance as they prepare for the critical days following next month's liftoff.
Launched in 2015, ESA's Sentinel-2 mission is using the first of two near-identical 'colour-vision' satellites to deliver sophisticated information that is central to Europe's Copernicus programme.
Now, the Sentinel-2A craft is about to be joined by its twin, Sentinel-2B, which will complete the pairing that will cover all Earth's land surfaces, large islands, and inland and coastal waters every five days.
Sentinel-2B will be lofted into orbit by a Vega rocket from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana at 01:49 GMT (02:49 CET) on 7 March, and teams at ESA's mission control centre in Darmstadt, Germany, will be watching closely.