The new German radar satellite TerraSAR-X has safely reached its launch site in Baikonur, Kazhakstan, aboard the largest standard transport aircraft in the world, an Antonov AN 124.

At temperatures of -28° celsius, EADS Astrium engineers, together with the local partners, unloaded the containers from the aircraft.

Teams of EADS Astrium and the German Aerospace Center now need to conduct four to six weeks of further preparations before the satellite's launch, which is envisaged to take place by mid April.