Swarm launch: fairing opening

ESA’s Swarm mission is dedicated to identifying and measuring precisely the different magnetic signals that make up Earth’s magnetic field. The three identical Swarm satellites are launched together on a Rockot launcher from Plesetsk in northern Russia. The three identical satellites are packed tightly into the rocket’s fairing, which protects the satellites from the rigours of launch. The fairing half-shells open 170 seconds after launch.