23 February
2004: On 23 February 2004, the final pre-launch activity on the ESA Rosetta spacecraft took place.
On the evening of 23 February, the arming of the Lander harpoons and removal of the harpoon protective covers, took place. It was a delicate operation involving one team member being placed well inside the fairing on what is called a 'diving board' to perform the operation.
The next day, the Ariane 5 rocket moved along the 2.8 km rail line from the Final Assembly Building to the launch zone.
