ISS and the 2014 Winter Olympics:

The 2014 Winter Olympics – the 22nd Winter Games – will be held between the 7th and 23rd February, 2014. Sochi was selected as the host city on 4 July, 2007 during the 119th IOC Session in Guatemala City, defeating bids from Salzburg, Austria; and Pyeongchang, South Korea.

This will be the first Olympic Games to be held in the Russian Federation, following on from the 1980 Summer Olympics, which were held in Moscow during the era of the Soviet Union.

The torch relay will begin in Moscow on October 7, 2013 – before passing 83 Russian cities and arriving at Sochi on the day of the opening ceremony, February 7, 2014. However, there will be a twist during the November leg of the relay.

Per L2 sources in the L2 Flight Assignment Section- and since reported by the Russian media – part of the relay will take place at the International Space Station (ISS), using a torch with a simulated flame.

To achieve the required timeline, planners have moved forward the schedule for the expeditions, by changing the launch date of the Soyuz TMA-11M crew – consisting of Mikhail Vladislavovich Tyurin (Roscosmos), Rick Mastracchio (NASA) and Koichi Wakata (JAXA) – from November 25 to November 7.

This will allow for a four day direct hand-over, with Soyuz TMA-09M – and its crew of Karen Nyberg (NASA), Fyodor Yurchikhin (Roscosmos) and Luca Parmitano (ESA) – returning on November 11.

With the torch heading uphill to the Station on Soyuz TMA-11M, a Russian EVA will take place in-between the four day handover.

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The spacewalk – known as RS EVA-36 – is a required task, which will include the installation of the high-resolution camera “UrtheCast” on universal workplace URM-D, located on Zvezda module.

However, it will also include a first-of-its-kind event, as the plan includes the simulated Olympic torch to be taken outside of the ISS, allowing for a leg of the relay to take place in the vacuum of space.

The torch relay EVA will be performed by the two Russian cosmonauts from the Expedition 37/8 crew, namely Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazansky.

With the torch brought back inside the ISS, it will then fly back to Earth on the departing Soyuz TMA-09M, which will be undocking from MRM-1 Rassvet port.

All that is known about the torch that will ride into space is that it is an “imitation flame”, for reasons that are obvious when considering both the safety requirements inside the vehicles involved, and the vacuum of space outside the ISS.

As part of the schedule realignment, the undocking of Europe’s ATV-4 cargo ship will now take place on November 4, clearing the Zvezda Service Module for the arrival of Soyuz TMA-11M.

Following the departure of Soyuz TMA-09M, November 18 will mark the re-location of Soyuz TMA-11M from the Zvezda SM to the MRM-1 Rassvet port, followed by the arrival of the Russian cargo ship Progress M-21M to the Zvezda SM on November 23.

The previous associations between the space program and the Olympic torch were seen during STS-101, when a replica of the Olympic torch was carried aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis.  The torch relay also passed through the Kennedy Space Center, en-route to the Atlanta Games, ahead of STS-79′s mission to MIR.

On the Russian side, the Salyut 6 space station cosmonauts – Leonid Popov and Valery Ryumin – had a role in the opening ceremony of the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

Also, Olympic Cauldron at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – which hosted the 1984 Summer Games – was lit for several days in 1986, in memory of Space Shuttle Challenger and her crew, lost during the disaster of STS-51L.

(Images: Via NASA.gov)

(NSF and L2 are providing full ISS and Visiting Vehicle – both space agency and commercial – coverage).

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RS EVA-31 Complete:

RS EVA-31 was performed by Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka, who was designated EV-1 and was wearing the Orlan spacesuit with the red stripe and helmet camera for this EVA, and Yuri Malenchenko, who was designated EV-2 was wearing the Orlan spacesuit with the blue stripe for this EVA.

Both cosmonauts are very experienced in the field of spacewalks, with Padalka having performed seven previous EVAs on both the ISS and the Mir space station, and Malenchenko having performed three previous EVAs on the ISS.

Following hatch opening of the Docking Compartment-1 (DC-1) “Pirs” module – delayed an hour due to a small leak between ISS modules – the EVA officially began at 3:37 PM GMT.

The first order of business for Padalka and Malenchenko was to relocate the GStM-2, more commonly known as Strela-2 (Strela meaning crane) boom from the DC-1 module to the forward end of the Functional Cargo Block (FGB) “Zarya” module.

The two telescopic Strela booms on the ISS are manually operated via crank handles by spacewalking cosmonauts, and are used to aid spacewalkers on the Russian Segment by allowing them to move large hardware items around the exterior of the RS, and also by providing an extendable platform that spacewalkers can use to access hard to reach areas of the RS.

The two Strela booms were both previously mounted to attachment points on the DC-1 module, however DC-1 will be undocked from the ISS sometime within the next two years in order to free up the Service Module (SM) Nadir port, to which it is docked, for the arrival of the new Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) “Nauka”.

Once DC-1 is undocked from the ISS and guided to a destructive re-entry via a Progress vehicle, the MLM will take DC-1′s place at the SM Nadir port, with a recent Flight Planning Integration Panel (FPIP – previously Flight Program Working Group/FPWG) manifest showing the MLM launch atop a Proton booster occurring in December 2013, while unofficial schedules now put the ever-slipping MLM launch into at least Q1 2014.

Indeed, one of the reasons for flying veteran Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka on his record third long-duration stay aboard the ISS was so that an experienced cosmonaut would be aboard the station during the arrival of the MLM, which was previously planned for May of this year.

However, Padalka was still able to contribute his extensive experience to the tricky task of relocating Strela-2 from DC-1 to the FGB, a task necessitated by the impending departure of DC-1 from the ISS, which would take the two Strela booms along with it if they were not relocated to elsewhere on the station prior to DC-1′s undocking.

While Strela-1 was relocated from the starboard side of DC-1 to the port side of Mini Research Module-2 (MRM-2) “Poisk” during RS EVA-30 in February this year, Strela-2 was relocated from its home on the port side of DC-1 to the starboard side of the Pressurised Adapter (GA) of the FGB during this EVA.

Specifically, Strela-2 was installed onto the Flight Releasable Grapple Fixture (FRGF) on the starboard side of the FGB GA, which was the very same grapple fixture which enabled the first “handshake” between US and Russian ISS hardware, when it was grappled by the robotic arm of Space Shuttle Endeavour on the STS-88 mission in November 1998, following which the FGB was docked to Pressurised Mating Adaper-1 (PMA-1), thus kicking off the assembly of the ISS.

A special Strela adapter, which attaches to the FRGF in order to convert it into an interface compatible with the Strela attachment mechanism, was installed onto the FGB FRGF by the spacewalking crew of STS-133 in February 2011, as the Strela adapter was previously attached to a PMA-3 FRGF.

The actual procedures for relocating Strela-2 consisted of Padalka, positioned in the Strela-2 foot restraint, extending Malenchenko, positioned on the end of Strela-2, up to the Strela-1 boom on the port side of MRM-2, directly above Strela-2.

Malenchenko then ingressed the Strela-1 foot restraint, while Padalka retracted Strela-2 and egress the foot restraint, following which Malenchenko extended Strela-1 down to Padalka on Strela-2.

Strela-2 was then be attached to the end of Strela-1, whereupon Strela-2 was detached from the port side of DC-1, and Malenchenko on Strela-1 maneuvered Padalka and Strela-2 over to the forward end of the FGB (the GA).

Malenchenko then translated down the extended Strela-1 to the FGB GA, whereupon both Padalka and Malenchenko detached Strela-2 from Strela-1, and installed Strela-2 onto the Strela adapter on the FGB FRGF.

Strela-2 on the FGB was then be placed in a stowed position, and Malenchenko translated back up the extended Strela-1, while Padalka grabbed onto the end of Strela-1 near the FGB GA.

Click here for ISS news articles: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/iss/

Malenchenko then slightly retracted Strela-1, prior to swinging it down to the port side of DC-1, whereupon Padalka attached the end of Strela-1 to an attachment point on DC-1. Strela-1 will remain in this extended configuration for the foreseeable future, in order to act as a translation aid between DC-1 and MRM-2 for future EVAs.

Once Padalka attached the end of Strela-1 to DC-1, he was tasked with removing a CKK space exposure experiment cassette from the exterior of DC-1, closing it up like a briefcase, to be brought back inside the ISS for return to Earth. However, due to the amount of time it had been on the outside of the Station, the cassette appeared to be stuck in place, leading to controllers deciding to remove the task from the timeline.

The next task for both Padalka and Malenchenko was to deploy a 21-inch diameter spherical satellite from the DC-1 EVA ladder.

After extracting the satellite from a holding tool, it was pushed away from the ISS in the Aft-Nadir direction, following which the satellite will stay on-orbit for around three months, during which time it will be used by Russian ground forces to evaluate ground station tracking and orbital debris decay models.

The next task for the spacewalking duo of Padalka and Malenchenko was to retrieve five debris shields from DC-1, prior to installing them around the small diameter section of the Service Module (SM) “Zvezda”, in order to “beef up” the weaker Micro Meteoroid Orbital Debris (MMOD) protection on this part of the station.

Opting not to take rest stops during night passes, the two experienced spacewalkers were over one hour ahead of the timeline, allowing them to work get-ahead tasks.

First up was the retrieval of an external experiment called Biorisk from DC-1 for return to Earth, and the other being the installation of two structural support struts between the DC-1 and the EVA ladder for added stability.

With the two Strela booms at that point removed from DC-1, the EVA ladder was also be removed from DC-1 in the future, prior to being installed on the experiment airlock for the new MLM.

Padalka and Malenchenko then both ingress DC-1, prior to closing the hatch and beginning the re-pressurisation procedure, thus concluding RS EVA-31.

The next ISS EVA will be just ten days later, with US EVA-18 occurring on August 30. The next Russian EVA will be RS EVA-32 in April 2013.

Crewmember lockouts:

For the duration of the EVA, the crewmembers who remained inside the ISS must have access to their respective Soyuz spacecraft, in case an emergency evacuation is needed. This presented a problem however, since the SM Transfer Compartment (PKhO), to which DC-1 is docked at the Nadir port, is also used a back-up airlock should DC-1 fail to re-pressurise, and as such all hatches to the SM PKhO remained closed throughout the EVA.

However, since MRM-2 is docked to the Zenith port of the SM PKhO, and since Soyuz TMA-04M/30S is docked to the Zenith port of MRM-2, crewmembers Joe Acaba and Sergey Revin had to be “locked-out” inside MRM-2 throughout the EVA, as the closed hatches of the SM PKhO would otherwise prevent them from accessing their Soyuz.

Crewmembers Suni Williams and Aki Hoshide did have access to all of the ISS that is forward of the SM PKhO – which is the FGB, MRM-1 (to which their Soyuz TMA-05M/31S is docked), and the entire United States Orbital Segment (USOS).

The hatches between DC-1 and the Progress M-16M/48P (which is docked to the DC-1 Nadir port) were closed prior to the EVA, in case DC-1 fails to re-pressurise, which would prevent Progress M-16M from undocking if its hatch was not closed.

The hatches between the SM and Europe’s ATV-3 spacecraft (which is docked to the SM Aft port) were also closed prior to the EVA, in case the SM PKhO fails to re-pressurise, which would prevent crewmembers from accessing the SM via the PKhO forward hatch, thus requiring ATV-3 to undock from the SM Aft port so that crews could gain access to the SM via docking a Soyuz to the SM Aft port.

(Images: Via NASA, Roscosmos and L2. To join L2, click here: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/l2/)

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Progress M-15M redocking:

Progress M-15M was originally launched to the ISS back on April 20, with a docking to the Docking Compartment-1 (DC-1) “Pirs” coming two days later on April 22. After spending exactly three months attached to the ISS, during which time Progress M-15M was emptied of cargo and filled with trash, the first undocking for Progress M-15M came on July 22.

After backing away from the ISS and conducting a departure burn, Progress M-15M initiated a re-rendezvous profile of slightly longer than one day, in order to bring the spacecraft in for a re-docking to the DC-1 port at 9:57 PM EDT on Monday night/1:57 AM GMT Tuesday morning. However, just over an hour ahead of the return, the re-docking was postponded due to an issue with the new Kurs system.

There is no threat to the station, as the Progress will pass harmlessly on the normal abort trajectory. The abort occurred some 15 km distant from the station.

The purpose of the re-rendezvous and re-docking is specific to this test of the new antenna of the Kurs automated rendezvous and docking system, which is used by Progress and Soyuz spacecraft for self-piloted relative navigation between themselves and the ISS, in order to allow for pilotless rendezvous and dockings to the station.

A manual control system is available for Progresses in the form of the TORU system on the ISS, and for the Soyuz in the form of the controls inside the spacecraft itself.
 
The improved Kurs antenna, known as Kurs-NA, is part of a series of continuous upgrades to the Soyuz and Progress spacecraft, including recent transitions to entirely digital control systems.

Kurs-NA will use less power than the current Kurs-A system, and also will replace five existing rendezvous antennas with just one, thus saving mass on launch.

Should the rescheduled re-rendezvous and docking prove successful, it will pave the way for Kurs-NA antennas to become a feature on all future Progress and Soyuz vehicles, further aiding the cycle of continuous improvements to both vehicles. Additional information on the current issue will be added to this article when it is available.

Upcoming Visiting Vehicle activity:

The ISS will be a busy place over the coming days and weeks, as a large amount of Visiting Vehicle (VV) activity takes place at the station.

Following the re-docking of Progress M-15M to DC-1 – assuming it takes place over the coming days - the next event on the manifest will be the capture and berthing of Japan’s HTV-3 spacecraft to the ISS on Friday (July 27) at around 7:00 AM EDT/11:00 AM GMT. Launched into space on July 21, HTV-3 is currently performing nominally on orbit, has established contact with the ground, and has conducted its first on-orbit maneuvers.

Three days after the HTV-3 berthing, on July 30 Progress M-15M will once again undock from DC-1, at 2:11 PM EDT/6:11 PM GMT, this time for the final time, as it makes way for the August 1 arrival of Progress M-16M/48P – which in itself will be an interesting event since it will be the first ever demonstration of a same-day launch to docking rendezvous profile for the Progress, which will be outlined in full in a future article on NASASpaceflight.com.

Recent ISS Articles: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/iss/

Assuming a fast rendezvous profile is used, Progress M-16M is currently targeted to launch on August 1 at 3:35 PM EDT/7:35 PM GMT, with a docking to the ISS at the DC-1 port around six hours (four orbits) later at 9:24 PM EDT on the night of August 1/1:24 AM GMT on the morning of August 2.

A backup plan however does exist that will allow Progress M-16M to use the traditional two day (34 orbit) rendezvous, should it be needed. For such a rendezvous profile, launch would occur on August 1 at 3:38 PM EDT/7:38 PM GMT – three minutes later than the launch time for the four orbit rendezvous – for a docking to the ISS on August 3 at 6:14 PM EDT/10:14 PM GMT.

Overseeing the large amount of Progress activity from aboard the ISS are experienced and veteran Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Yuri Malenchenko, who will be able to take over the docking process at a moment’s notice should any problems occur.

(Via NASA and Roscosmos).

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The launch was scheduled for earlier in the year – itself a delay from 2011 – prior to several additional delays, pushing the launch into late July.

The vehicle used was a Soyuz-FG, with the Fregat Upper Stage tasked with deploying its family of passengers nine minutes into the mission, at 6:50am UTC.

The Soyuz, which first flew in 1966, was a modification of the Voskhod rocket featuring an upgraded and lighter telemetry system, and more fuel efficient engines. It was initially used to launch only Soyuz spacecraft; however with the introduction of the Soyuz-U in 1973 it began to launch other satellites as well.

The Soyuz-U, which remains in service, is the most-flown orbital launch system ever developed, having made around 750 flights to date, plus around 90 more in the Soyuz-U2 configuration optimised to use synthetic propellant.

The Soyuz-FG itself – an improved descendent of the Soyuz U – has performed 23 flights without issue. The vehicle has an analog control system, but it will eventually be replaced by the Soyuz-2.

The Soyuz-2 was developed from the older Soyuz models, and features digital flight control systems and modernised engines. Two variants are currently in service; the Soyuz-2-1a, and the Soyuz-2-1b which features an RD-0124 third stage engine which provides additional thrust. The RD-0124 was declared operational on 3 May 2011.

A third configuration, the Soyuz-2-1v, is currently under development and is expected to make its maiden flight next year. It features an NK-33 engine in place of the RD-108A used on the core stages of the other configurations, and does not include the strapon boosters used by other configurations. (Click here for an array of documentation on this vehicle in the L2 Russian section).

Click here for Soyuz Articles: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/soyuz/

The German Space Agency (DLR) TET-1 is a 70 kg satellite, built by Astrofein under contract of Kayser-Threde GmbH, who are the prime contractor for the mission. The satellite is part of DLR’s On-Orbit-Verification (OOV) program.

The TET-1 will be operated as part of the OOV program for 14 months under contract of the German space agency and will be handed over then to DLR Research and Development department to be used as one part of the FIREBIRD constellation, together with the BIROS satellite which is just under integration.

ADS-1b – also known as ExactView-1 – was built under contract for exactEarth, becoming the fifth deployed satellite in exactEarth’s advanced vessel monitoring satellite constellation.

The UK’s Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) acted as the launch agent for the 100kg satellite, in collaboration with Commercial Space Technologies (CST) of Russia.  SSTL will also oversee a two-month in-orbit commissioning campaign from its ground station in collaboration with exactEarth and COM DEV engineers.

Other passengers riding on the Soyuz, namely KANOPUS-V1 (Canopus-B) and BKA, are both classed as remote sensing satellites.

The former has been documented as weighing 400 kg, while the BKA is believed to be a sister of KANOPUS V1, launched on behalf of Belarus.

The other Russian bird that rode into orbit was the Russian MKA-PN1 satellite, which was was developed by Russia’s NPO Lavochkin aerospace company to study ocean circulation and climate data along the Russian coastline.

(Images vai Roscosmos, DLR and Tsenki Webcast).

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Russian launch:

With an interesting appearance, the Kobalt-M is classed as a modernized version of the Yantar spacecraft. It is understood to be a military reconnaissance spacecraft by nature.

The spacecraft was developed by TsSKB Progress of Samara and manufactured by OAO Arsenal of St Petersburg, according to the Russianspaceweb site.

The design of the spacecraft is such that it has two small capsules on board, allowing it to return film back to Earth inside the main – cone-shaped – reentry vehicle. Kobalt-M satellites are typically launched into the 170 by 370-kilometer orbits with the inclination 62.8 – 67.2 degrees toward the Equator.

Very little is known about the spacecraft, given it’s military nature, although it is understood to have the classification of Cosmos-2450, and will be the last such spacecraft of this range to be launched.

Its launch vehicle is a derivative of the R-7 Semyorka, the world’s first intercontinental ballistic missile. The R-7 made its first flight in 1957, and a modified version was used to launch Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, later that year.

In addition to Soyuz, the R-7 has served as the basis of the Vostok, Molniya and Voskhod rockets as well as several other variants which made small numbers of flights.

Vostok rockets launched early Soviet manned spaceflights, reconnaissance satellites, and a modified version launched the first Soviet lunar probes. Molniya was used to launch missions beyond Earth orbit, as well as military, communications and scientific satellites into high Earth orbits. The Voskhod rocket, which first flew in November 1964, was the predecessor to the Soyuz.

It incorporated the Blok I third stage developed for the Molniya rocket, powered by an RD-0108 engine. Voskhod was used to launch reconnaissance satellites, and missions of the manned Voskhod programme.

The Soyuz, meaning “Union”, first flew on 28 October 1966. Derived from the Voskhod, it incorporated upgraded engines, including an RD-0110 on the third stage, as well as a lower-mass and improved telemetry system.

The original Soyuz was used exclusively for launches of Soyuz spacecraft, both manned and unmanned. Not including one which exploded on its launch pad after its launch had been delayed, thirty one were launched, the last of which flew in 1975 carrying the Soyuz 23 spacecraft.

Between 1970 and 1971, three Soyuz-L rockets were launched, incorporating reinforcements to the core stages and a larger payload fairing to accommodate prototypes of the LK spacecraft, the spacecraft the Soviet Union intended to use to land men on the Moon.

Another Soyuz variant, the Soyuz-M, was developed to launch the Soyuz 7K-VI; the military version of the Soyuz spacecraft, which was heavier than the civilian version. After the cancellation of the military Soyuz programme, eight Soyuz-M rockets were used to launch Zenit-4MT reconnaissance satellites, with launches occurring between 1971 and 1976.

The Soyuz-U was developed as a standardised launch system, to replace the Voskhod and Soyuz and provide commonality with the Molniya-M. It first flew in May 1973, and in 1976 the original Soyuz, Soyuz-M and Voskhod were all retired, with subsequent launches of their payloads being conducted by Soyuz-U rockets.

The Soyuz-U2 configuration, which was optimised to use synthetic propellant allowing it to carry more payload, was introduced in 1982, and used for around 90 launches before being retired in 1995.

With around 750 flights, the Soyuz-U is the most-flown orbital launch system ever developed. It remains in service, and in the last few years it has mostly been used to launch Progress missions to the International Space Station, as well as occasional military payloads such as Thursday’s mission.

Recent launches have used the Soyuz-U PVB version, which features additional fireproofing.

(Images via Tsenki).

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Docking success:

The Progress M-15M, also known by its US designation of 47P, docked automatically to the Docking Compartment-1 (DC-1) “Pirs” Nadir port, vacated on Thursday by Progress M-14M/46P, on time at 2:40 PM GMT.

The docking follows a two day free flight after 47P’s successful launch on Friday, which marked the fifth successful launch of a Russian vehicle to the ISS since the failure of the Progress M-12M spacecraft last August.

While the docking was a complete success, a recent ISS Stage Operations Readiness Review (SORR) presentation, available to download on L2 (L2 Link), noted some issues with a previous Progress docking at the ISS – Progress M-11M/43P on 23rd June last year.

The issue relates to unexpected ISS thruster firings during 43P docking activities, causing unexpected loads on the ISS, which according to the notes “resonated the structure, causing high loads and fatigue cycles”. The ISS’ thrusters are all located on the Russian Segment (RS) of the station, and are officially referred to as the Motion Control System (MCS).

“The on-orbit structural resonance was potentially caused by a combination of thruster firings to overcome gravity gradient forces, the coupling due to the particular thrusters in use, and RS MCS controller behaviour and parameters”, stated the presentation.

The off-nominal event caused NASA to begin investigations into the structural loads seen, paying particular attention to improving software models that are designed to predict structural load exceedences.

“Event initiated investigations into maneuver characteristics and load levels. As-flown jet firing data reproduced the event very well (but) NASA GNC (Guidance, Navigation & Control) simulations developed in August 2011 did not predict the event well enough to capture peak structural loads”, noted the presentation.

The issue however was classed as medium risk and cleared for flight, since it was determined that the current method for predicting structural loads was adequate, as “the GNC team has updated the US MCS simulation model to better predict on orbit behaviour”.

Looking ahead to a future resolution to prevent a recurrence of the problem in all future Progress dockings, the presentation noted that a new thruster firing pattern was in work by the US GNC team, to be incorporated into the RS GNC system via a Service Module (SM) software upgrade later this year.

Progress M-15M undocking and redocking tests:

During the course of its mission, Progress M-15M will perform the unusual procedure of undocking from the ISS, spending two days in free flight, and then re-docking to the ISS in order to test a new Kurs antenna. Kurs is the system that enables Russian vehicles to automatically dock to the ISS without any human intervention.

The plan calls for Progress M-15M to undock from the ISS on 22nd July – the day after the planned launch of Japan’s HTV-3 spacecraft – and following two days of free-flight operations, re-rendezvous and re-dock to the ISS at the DC-1 port on 24th July. Progress M-15M would then depart the ISS for good on 30th July to make way for Progress M-16M/48P.

A similar undocking and re-rendezvous of a Progress vehicle was last performed in July 2009 with the Progress M-02M/33P vehicle in order to check out a new rendezvous system on the ISS side for the MRM-2 arrival later that year, although that re-rendezvous did not include a re-docking to the ISS.

In addition to the new Kurs antenna, the Russians are also planning a new rendezvous profile for Russian vehicles, designed to cut the two-day rendezvous timelines of Soyuz and Progress spacecraft down to a matter of hours. To demonstrate this, the Progress M-16M/48P vehicle, currently planned to launch on 31st July, will dock to the ISS only a few hours later, on 1st August.

Future vehicle arrival and departure schedule:

The Progress M-15M docking kicks off a busy period of comings and goings at the station over the next two weeks, a period which will see the first ever visit of a commercial cargo spacecraft to the ISS.

Click here for ISS News Articles: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/iss/

First in the sequence is the undocking and landing of Soyuz TMA-22/28S on 27th April carrying American astronaut Dan Burbank, and Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoly Ivanishin.

Soyuz TMA-22, which has been docked to the MRM-2 port since 16th November last year, will be the last ever Soyuz TMA (200 series) variant to fly in space, since all Soyuz future vehicles will now be of the TMA-M (700 series) variant.

Immediately following the Soyuz TMA-22 undocking, Expedition 30 will end and Expedition 31 will begin, with American astronaut Don Pettit, European astronaut André Kuipers, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko as crewmembers.

Pettit and Kuipers will both be responsible for capturing the SpaceX Dragon cargo vehicle when it approaches the ISS on 3rd May, assuming a launch on 30th April, marking the first ever arrival of a commercial cargo vehicle at the station.

Following Dragon’s arrival, the next vehicle to arrive at the station will be Soyuz TMA-04M/30S on 17th May, following its launch from Kazakhstan on 15th May.

The launch, delayed from late March due to an issue with overpressurisation of the Descent Module originally planned to launch with TMA-04M, will carry three crewmembers to boost Expedition 31 up to six crewmembers – who are American astronaut Joe Acaba, and Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergey Revin.

Closing out the busy period of arrivals and departures at the station will be the unberthing of the Dragon spacecraft on 21st May, just four days after the Soyuz TMA-04M docking. Following unberthing, Dragon will attempt to re-enter and splash-down off the coast of California, thus, if successful, proving that the Dragon vehicle is capable of resupplying the ISS in the post-Shuttle era.

(Images: L2′s ISS and Russian Sections – Containing presentations, videos, images, interactive high level updates and more, with additional images via NASA, CSA and NASA TV). 

(Click here: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/l2/ - to view how you can access the best space flight content on the entire internet).

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Progress M-15M Launch:

The Soyuz-U is the most-flown orbital launch system ever developed, having made around 750 flights to date, plus around 90 more in the Soyuz-U2 configuration optimised to use synthetic propellant.

The Soyuz, which first flew in 1966, was a modification of the Voskhod rocket featuring an upgraded and lighter telemetry system, and more fuel efficient engines. It was initially used to launch only Soyuz spacecraft; however with the introduction of the Soyuz-U in 1973 it began to launch other satellites as well.

Following its liftoff from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan – which was on schedule at 12:50 GMT on Friday – the Progress M-15M spacecraft will conduct on orbit operations, beginning with the deployment of its solar arrays.

Aboard the Progress is approximately three tonnes of propellant, food, water, crew provisions, replacement parts and other miscellaneous items.

Following the two days of flight required to catch up with the orbital outpost, Progress M-13M will rendezvous with and dock to the ISS at the DC1 port on Sunday at around 14:40 GMT.

All the ISS partners – not least the Russians - were hoping for an additional success with the mission, following the August 24, 2011 liftoff of the Soyuz-U booster carrying the Progress M-12M/44P resupply spacecraft to the ISS.

That mission ended in failure when the booster’s third stage unexpectedly shut down shortly after ignition, causing the third stage with attached Progress spacecraft to fall back to Earth and disintegrate in the atmosphere.

This latest Progress mission did enjoy a nominal launch phase.

In preparation for Progress M-15M’s docking, crewmembers on the ISS worked through the standard three hour refresher training for the TORU teleoperator system, which provides a manual backup mode to the Progress’ KURS automated rendezvous radar system.

Nominal Progress dockings are automated. However, the ISS crew have the capability to take over manual control in the event of a KURS failure.

“The drill included procedure review, rendezvous, docking data and rendezvous math modeling data review, fly-around, final approach, docking and off-nominal situations (e.g., video or comm loss). Three different flight conditions were simulated on the RSK1 laptop,” noted ISS Status notes.

“During spacecraft approach, TORU is in “hot standby” mode. TORU is monitored in real time from Russian Ground Sites and via Ku-band from Houston, but its control cannot be taken over from the ground.”

Progress M-14M Departure:

Progress M-14M undocked at 11:04am GMT on Thursday from the DC1 Port – clearing the way for M-15M’s arrival.

Unlike most Progress departures, this vehicle will spend additional time on orbit in order to carry out Radar-Progress experiments, sounding the ionospheric environment as modified by thruster firings. The Russian ship will then deorbit itself on April 28 at around 13:46 GMT

This Progress – which is also called 46P under its US designation – launched and docked with the ISS back in January, providing the standard load of propellants, oxygen, spare parts, experiments, water, food, clothing, and other crew provisions to the orbiting Expedition 30 crew.

Progress M-16M/48P, Progress M-17M/49P and Progress M-18M/50P are also set to launch to the ISS this year on 25th July, 23rd October and 26th December, respectively, for a total of five Progress launches in 2012.

Europe’s Automated Transfer Vehicle-3 (ATV-3), was the most recent arrival at the ISS, following its successful launch on an Ariane 5 launch vehicle from the Guiana Space Centre, in Kourou, French Guiana.

(Animation created from 70 hi res ATV-3 docking images acquired by L2 – LINK).

Despite having some power related issues during its initial stay, the vehicle is now behaving well during the docked phase of the mission.

Following the arrival of Progress M-15M, a major milestone for both US domestic space flight and ISS logistics supply will take place via the C2+ mission for SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.

The Dragon is on a demonstration flight, and there are no assurances it will pass the numerous test objectives to be allowed to be berthed to the ISS via the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) – or “big arm“.

However, should the mission progress to that point, Dragon will be playing its own small part in ISS logistical resupply, with a small manifest of items weighing in at 660kg.

Unlike the Progress and ATV, Dragon will also be tasked with returning 620kg of downmass, including EMU equipment and Orbital Replacement Unit (ORU) hardware. A capability all-but lost after the retirement of the Space Shuttle fleet last year.

An outline article on Dragon’s upmass and downmass manifest – available on L2 (Link) – will be published on Friday.

(Images via NASA, Roscosmos, CSA and L2)

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ATV-3 Reboost:

Thursday’s reboost was the first of a set of “regular” burns, following on from the test reboost conducted on Saturday night at 9:54 PM GMT. The successful test reboost – using the Aerojet-provided Orbit Correction System (OCS) thrusters – increased the ISS’ velocity by 1 meter per second, and increased its altitude by 1.7 kilometers.

The reboosts are required to set up the phasing requirements for the Russian Progress M-15M/47P launch on 20th April, the Soyuz TMA-22/28S landing on 27th April, and the Soyuz TMA-04M/30S launch on 15th May.

For this reboost, the ISS’ attitude control was performed by the station, while two of ATV-3′s four engines fired to raise the orbital outpost to an altitude that will reach as high as 395.6 km at apogee.

“Tonight’s reboost was successfully performed using the ATV OCS (Orbital Control System) thrusters starting at 19:05 GMT / 21:05 CEST. The delta-V (DV – change in Station velocity) was 2.2 m/s for a 15-minute burn, which raised the ISS by 3.86 km to a higher orbit,” noted ESA’s Mike Steinkopf on ESA’s ATV blog coverage.

The next reboost to be conducted by ATV-3 is scheduled for April 25.

Power Loss Latest:

It has been over a week since Edoardo Amaldi successfully docked with the Russian Zvezda module. The procedure was monitored by ESA astronaut André Kuipers and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko from inside the ISS and by the ESA/CNES mission operations team at the ATV Control Centre, Toulouse.

(Animation created from 70 hi res ATV-3 docking images acquired by L2 – LINK).

As noted in a previous article, the vehicle suffered from a power loss shortly after docking. This related to ATV’s requirement for electrical power from the ISS during their Attached Phase Operations (APO), power which is provided by the Russian Service Module (SM) “Zvezda” via the ATV’s Russian Docking System (RDS) interface.

The SM provides power to the ATV’s Russian Equipment Control System (RECS), which features two power chains – a primary and a backup – and the RECS in turn distributes power via a power bus to the four Russian Systems Interface Units (RICUs), which interface the RECS with ATV’s 1553 bus, to which the ATV’s avionics system and electrical outlets are connected.

The problem occurred shortly after the crew installed an air scrubber to remove any contaminants inside ATV’s pressurised cargo area. As part of this procedure, the crew also installed the Russian POTOK air filter unit as a measure against any bacterial contamination that may have occurred on ground before the hatch was closed for launch.

The ATV then experienced a fault in one of the two aforementioned power chains of the onboard electronics system that controls its electrical power connections to the Zvezda module. This was a serious problem, as internal notes spoke of a potential need to undock ATV-3 within days if the problem remained unresolved.

“A string swap is being attempted to recover power. If that is not successful, undock could be required as early as Monday (April 2nd). The solar arrays are providing power now, but this will not be sufficient in the long term,” noted via L2 ISS Status Updates (L2 Link).

“Impact discussions have been initiated. VIPER was asked to assess alternate attitudes for improved power generation, which is being worked in parallel with early undocking plans. If an early undock is required, the teams will talk more about the constraints on ingress for offload of critical cargo.”

However, thanks to the skill of the ISS team, the RECS chain swap was successfully completed on Saturday, restoring integrated power between ISS and ATV-3. As a result of the integrated power recovery, planning meetings for the contingency undock were cancelled. ISS crewmembers also reverted from the transfer of high priority cargo to a “regular pace” of transfers.

Teams are continuing to investigate the chain 1 power anomaly and possibility that the POTOK – manifested in the Service Module – was the root cause.

Further information was noted on an ISS presentation relating to preparations for the upcoming – and historical – arrival of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, which is scheduled to launch atop of a Falcon 9 on April 30 from Cape Canaveral, ahead of its C2 (D2) and C3 (D3) COTS (Commercial Orbital Transportation Services) test milestones.

“Observation: Late 3/29/12 (GMT 90), the Service Module (SM) power feed to ATV 3 (RECS channel 1) was lost. A chain swap (RECS channel 1 to 2) was successfully completed on Saturday, restoring integrated power between ISS and ATV3,” noted one of the presentations available on L2′s new SpaceX Dragon C2/C3 Mission Special Section – (L2 Link).

“Discussion: Teams are continuing to investigate the anomaly and future troubleshooting for the RECS chain 1 power anomaly and possibility that the Russian air scrubber used for ATV3 (POTOK ) was the cause. “Risk Assessment: Low. Acceptable (Condition) for SpaceX Demo Flight? Yes.”

The presentation also noted that another POTOK is available on the ISS, with teams evaluating a potential swap and test procedure to resolve the root cause of the power failure.

“Status: There is another POTOK in the FGB that may be interchanged with the SM POTOK . The FBG POTOK is a known good POTOK. Ground teams are evaluating swapping the two to see if this resolves the problem (indicting the SM POTOK as the cause),” added the notes.

“Energia and Krunichev are performing integrated testing with POTOK see if the on orbit signature is recreated.”

Meanwhile, one of ATV-3′s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) channels apparently failed on Thursday, according to non official notes. Controllers have switched to a backup system for the interim.

“ATV TDRSS Chain 2 Failure: ATV TDRSS Chain 2 Failed on GMT 095 during Orbit 2. The cause for this failure is under investigation. Chain 2 is normally the prime chain,” according to the L2 ISS Status Updates.

However, the notes added that should both TDRS chains fail, the Prox link can still communicate with ESA ground sites, Also, the Debris Avoidance Maneuver (DAM) capability still exists with both TDRS chains failed once a Prox Link has been established.

(Images: L2′s ISS, ATV and Dragon C2/C3 Sections)

(NSF and L2 are providing full transition level coverage, available no where else on the internet, from Orion and SLS to ISS and COTS/CRS/CCDEV, to European and Russian vehicles).

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Spacewalk procedures:

Following suit-up activities from 12:20 to 12:40 PM GMT, Russian EVA-30 got underway at 2:31 PM GMT, when the hatch of the Docking Compartment-1 (DC-1) “Pirs” airlock was opened to the vacuum of space. The EVA crew consisted of Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, designated EV-1, and Anton Shkaplerov, designated EV-2.

Both were wearing Russian Orlan-MK spacesuits marked with blue stripes, with Kononenko wearing Orlan-MK #4, and Shkaplerov wearing Orlan-MK #6 – on what was the 162nd spacewalk in support of ISS assembly and maintenance.

Kononenko, who has been on the ISS since late December, conducted two EVAs during his previous station flight, Expedition 17 in 2008. Shkaplerov, who has been on the ISS since mid-November, was making his first ever venture outside the station.

The main objective of the EVA was to relocate the Strela-1 crane from its current location outside DC-1 to its new home outside Mini Research Module-2 (MRM-2) “Poisk”. This task was originally scheduled to be performed during Russian EVA-29 in August last year, but was deferred due to time constraints associated with other EVA tasks.

There are two Strela cranes on the ISS, one of which was launched on the Space Shuttle early in the ISS’ lifetime, and the other was launched inside DC-1 itself. They are a basic Russian equivalent of the station’s robot arm, and are used to manoeuvre large pieces of equipment around outside the Russian Segment (RS) of the ISS.

Unlike the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) however, they are operated by spacewalkers outside the station, rather than from a console inside the station.

The Strela-1 relocation was necessitated by the arrival next year of the newest Russian module for the ISS, the Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) “Nauka”, at the docking port where DC-1 currently resides (Service Module Nadir).

This means that DC-1 must be undocked prior to MLM’s arrival, and so both Strela cranes, and an EVA support ladder, must be relocated from DC-1 in order to preserve them for future use.

While this EVA saw the Strela-1 relocated to MRM-2, Russian EVA-31 in August this year will see Strela-2 relocated from DC-1 to the Functional Cargo Block (FGB), attached via the Strela adapter that was installed onto the FGB Flight Releasable Grapple Fixture (FRGF) following its relocation from a Pressurised Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3) FRGF by the STS-133 EVA crew in February last year.

Click here for ISS news articles: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/iss/

The FGB FRGF was the fixture which the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS) grappled back on the STS-88 mission in 1998, enabling the FGB to be docked to PMA-1/Node 1, and thus enabling the first “handshake” between Russian and American ISS hardware in space.

The MLM launch atop a Russian Proton booster and docking to the ISS are currently scheduled for June and July 2013. Assuming this timeline holds, DC-1 will be undocked from the ISS following a successful MLM launch (not before, in case an MLM launch failure leaves no module at SM Nadir).

As currently scheduled, this will be performed by the Progress M-20M spacecraft, which will dock to DC-1 Nadir in April 2013, and will be used to guide DC-1 away from the ISS following its undocking, for a later de-orbit.
 
Following the DC-1/Progress M-20M undocking, the MLM will then dock to the SM Nadir port under its own power. Once docked, the MLM will provide dedicated research capabilities to the Russian Segment, including an experiment airlock and European Robotic Arm (ERA) for external research, and also an additional sleep station, thus increasing the ISS’ living accommodation from its current six crewmembers, to seven.

When coupled with the two sleep station “kayutas” in the SM, the MLM will allow all three Russian crewmembers to seep in their own segment, meaning a sleep station will be freed up in the US Segment of the station. This will allow for a four-person crew in the US Segment of the station, something NASA is actively looking to provide once the commercial crew provides come online with their additional seats.

With three Russian, three American, and one international astronaut aboard the ISS as was originally envisioned, more crew hours will be available for research activities, especially when coupled with a then operational Robonaut 2 (R2), which just yesterday completed its initial checkout activities aboard the ISS, culminating in the first ever human-humanoid handshake in space between R2 and ISS Commander Dan Burbank.

Following the Strela-1 relocation to MRM-2, which required the assistance of the Strela-2 crane still located on DC-1, the two spacewalkers were set to move onto installing five Service Module Debris Panels (SMDPs) on the SM small diameter segment (RO1) via attaching them to handrails, as analysis shows that the SM Micro Meteoroid Orbital Debris (MMOD) protection is weak in some areas.

However, due to the extended time taken with the Strela cranes, this task will now be conducted on a later spacewalk.

Several “get ahead” tasks were still conducted, mainly due to their location to the Strela worksite, which included the performing of the “TEST” experiment (two samplers) on the SM RO1, installing support struts for the EVA ladder on DC-1, and installing two “Vynoslivost” sample exposure panels on MRM-2.

EVA lockout:

During the EVA, various crewmembers were isolated in different parts of the station, since the Service Module transfer compartment (PkhO) is located directly above the closed hatch to DC-1, which was depressurised during the EVA.

Since the PkhO, which can also serve as an airlock, must be available as a back-up airlock in case DC-1 cannot be repressurised, all hatches leading to the PkhO remained closed during the EVA.

As the PkhO is a four-way juncture between the SM working compartment, the FGB, DC-1, and MRM-2, the latter of which Soyuz TMA-22/28S is docked to, this means that the pathway to Soyuz TMA-22 and the rest of that station was blocked throughout the EVA.

ISS flight rules state that all crewmembers inside the ISS must have access to their Soyuz spacecraft at all times should an emergency evacuation be required, and so this requires the Soyuz TMA-22 crew – consisting of ISS commander Dan Burbank and Russian Cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin, to be isolated inside MRM-2 (to which Soyuz TMA-22 is docked) throughout the EVA.

Astronauts Don Pettit and André Kuipers had access to the entire station forward of the SM PkhO, as their Soyuz TMA-03M/29S is docked to MRM-1, which is in turn docked to FGB Nadir forward of the SM.

As DC-1 was depressurised for the EVA, the hatches leading to the Progress M-14M/46P docked to DC-1 were closed, to prevent the depressurisation of the Progress.

Russian flight schedule updates:

Following damage to the Descent Module (SA) intended for the Soyuz TMA-04M/30S spacecraft during a pressurisation recently, the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, made the decision to use the undamaged spacecraft intended for the Soyuz TMA-05M/31S flight for Soyuz TMA-04M.

This means that there was insufficient time to ready the spacecraft in time for Soyuz TMA-04M’s original window, and so a delay of 45 days was called for the Soyuz TMA-04M launch, and subsequently, the Soyuz TMA-05M launch and Soyuz TMA-22 landing.

However, as noted by NASA Human Exploration & Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) Associate Administrator Bill “Gerst” Gerstenmaier during the NASA FY2013 budget briefing on Monday, the Russians appear to be ahead of schedule in readying the spacecraft for launch, and thus are considering reducing the delays from 45 days to 30 days.

L2 information shows that the Russians are currently in the process of considering moving the Soyuz TMA-04M launch, previously delayed from 30th March to 15th May, up to 30th April. This would move the Soyuz TMA-22 landing, previously delayed from 15th March to 30th April, to 15th April.

It is unknown at this time whether the Soyuz TMA-05M launch, previously delayed from to 15th May to 1st July, could be moved up by a similar amount.

Since the SpaceX COTS-2/COTS-3 (C2/C3) demo flight is currently pencilled in for late April, it is not yet known how any potential Soyuz manifest re-shuffles would affect this flight. All plans however are notional, and are unconfirmed at this time, as any changes to the complex ISS flight manifest must be worked with all the ISS international partners.

(Images: Via NASA, Roscosmos and L2. As with all recent missions, L2 is providing full exclusive level mission coverage, available no where else on the internet.

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Russian Launch: 

Globalstar is one of three major networks of commercial communications satellites in low Earth orbit, along with Iridium and Orbcomm. Like Iridium, and unlike Orbcomm, Globalstar is designed to transmit audio communications for satellite telephony.Globalstar provides coverage of the Americas, Europe, parts of Russia and Asia, Australia and New Zealand. When completed, the second generation network of satellites will be made up of 32 operational satellites in circular orbits 1,414 kilometres in altitude, inclined at 52 degrees to the equator.Launches of second-generation Globalstar satellites began in October 2010, and Wednesday’s launch was the third group of six satellites to be placed into orbit.

The second-generation Globalstar constellation is intended to replace the existing first-generation constellation, which began deployment in 1998. Launches were conducted in groups of four, on Delta II and Soyuz rockets, with a single launch of twelve satellites on a Zenit-2, however the Zenit launch failed.The first-generation satellites were built by Space Systems/Loral, based around the LS-400 bus, with a communications payload built by Alenia Spazio. The constellation consisted of forty eight operational satellites, and four spares.

Including the twelve satellites which failed to achieve orbit, this resulted in sixty four being launched between 1998 and 2000, by means of seven Delta II 7420, and six Soyuz-U/Ikar rockets. The satellites had a design life of seven and a half years, and in 2007 eight replacement satellites were launched using Soyuz-FG/Fregat rockets.

The third Globalstar launch, conducted on 9 February 1999, marked the first commercial launch of the Soyuz rocket, and the first launch to be conducted by Starsem; the company conducting Wednesday’s launch.

That Soyuz flew in the Soyuz-U/Ikar configuration, using an older version of the Soyuz rocket, and an upper stage derived from the Yantar reconnaissance satellite. The Ikar upper stage was short-lived; it was only used for the six Globalstar launches before being retired in favour of the Fregat.

The new Globalstar satellites were constructed by Thales Alenia Space, under a contract signed in 2006, and are each equipped with sixteen transponders operating in the C and S bands of the IEEE spectrum (E-H bands of the NATO spectrum).

Each spacecraft generates power by means of two solar arrays, which can produce 2.4 kilowatts of power. Three-axis control is used to ensure that the satellites retain the correct attitude for relaying communications and orienting their solar arrays towards the sun. The satellites are expected to operate for fifteen years.

Soyuz-2 is a modernised variant of the Soyuz rocket, itself a derivative of the R-7 Semyorka, the world’s first intercontinental ballistic missile. The R-7 made its first flight in 1957, and a modified version was used to launch Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, later that year. In addition to Soyuz, the R-7 has served as the basis of the Vostok, Molniya and Voskhod rockets as well as several other variants which made small numbers of flights.

Vostok rockets launched early Soviet manned spaceflights, reconnaissance satellites, and a modified version launched the first Soviet lunar probes. Molniya was used to launch missions beyond Earth orbit, as well as military, communications and scientific satellites into high Earth orbits. The Voskhod rocket, which first flew in November 1964, was the predecessor to the Soyuz. It incorporated the Blok I third stage developed for the Molniya rocket, powered by an RD-0108 engine. Voskhod was used to launch reconnaissance satellites, and missions of the manned Voskhod programme.

The Soyuz, meaning “Union”, first flew on 28 October 1966. Derived from the Voskhod, it incorporated upgraded engines, including an RD-0110 on the third stage, as well as a lower-mass and improved telemetry system. The original Soyuz was used exclusively for launches of Soyuz spacecraft, both manned and unmanned. Not including one which exploded on its launch pad after its launch had been delayed, thirty one were launched, the last of which flew in 1975 carrying the Soyuz 23 spacecraft.

Between 1970 and 1971, three Soyuz-L rockets were launched, incorporating reinforcements to the core stages and a larger payload fairing to accommodate prototypes of the LK spacecraft, the spacecraft the Soviet Union intended to use to land men on the Moon. Another Soyuz variant, the Soyuz-M, was developed to launch the Soyuz 7K-VI; the military version of the Soyuz spacecraft, which was heavier than the civilian version. After the cancellation of the military Soyuz programme, eight Soyuz-M rockets were used to launch Zenit-4MT reconnaissance satellites, with launches occurring between 1971 and 1976.

The Soyuz-U was developed as a standardised launch system, to replace the Voskhod and Soyuz and provide commonality with the Molniya-M. It first flew in May 1973, and in 1976 the original Soyuz, Soyuz-M and Voskhod were all retired, with subsequent launches of their payloads being conducted by Soyuz-U rockets. The Soyuz-U2 configuration, which was optimised to use synthetic propellant allowing it to carry more payload, was introduced in 1982, and used for around 90 launches before being retired in 1995.

With around 750 flights, the Soyuz-U is the most-flown orbital launch system ever developed. It remains in service, and in the last few years it has mostly been used to launch Progress missions to the International Space Station, as well as occasional military payloads. Recent launches have used the Soyuz-U PVB version, which features additional fireproofing.

In 2001, the Soyuz-FG, which featured a new fuel injection system, was introduced, providing an increased payload capacity. After three test flights carrying Progress spacecraft, the Soyuz-FG began launching manned Soyuz-TMA spacecraft to the ISS, a role which it continues to perform.

The Soyuz-2 features modernised engines and digital flight controls. There are three different configurations; the Soyuz-2-1a, 2-1b and 2-1v, with the 2-1a and b using different third stage engines. The Soyuz-2-1v is a two-stage vehicle, without the first stage used in the other configurations, and with an NK-33 engine replacing the RD-108 used on the second stage of the other configurations. It is expected to make its maiden flight next year.

The Soyuz-ST is a derivative of the Soyuz-2 optimised for launching from the Centre Spatial Guyanais, and equipped with a self-destruct system to meet range safety requirements there. The Soyuz-ST made its first launch in October, and can fly in two configurations; the Soyuz-STA and STB, based on the Soyuz-2-1a and 2-1b respectively.

The Soyuz-2 made its maiden flight in 2004, in the Soyuz-2-1a configuration. It carried an obsolete Zenit-8 reconnaissance satellite, refitted with test instrumentation, on a suborbital trajectory. It is not entirely clear whether the mission was intended to be suborbital, or whether the rocket actually failed to achieve orbit. The first launch into orbit occurred in October 2006, when a Soyuz-2-1a/Fregat deployed the MetOp-A weather satellite. The Soyuz-2-1b made its maiden flight later the same year, carrying the COROT exoplanet detection satellite.

Under Russian stage numbering, the booster rockets which augment the core stage’s thrust during the first 118 seconds of flight are considered to be its first stage, even though the core, or second stage, ignites at the same time. The first stage consists of four strap-ons, designated Blok-B, V, G and D, which are powered each powered by an RD-107A engine. The first stages are attached around the second stage, or Blok-A, which is powered by a single RD-108A. All of the first three stages of the Soyuz burn RP-1 propellant, using liquid oxygen as an oxidiser.

The first and second stages ignite about 17-20 seconds before launch, and slowly build up thrust. Once full thrust has been achieved, the launch pad’s four swing arms will release the rocket to begin its ascent to orbit. Eight seconds after lifting off, the rocket will pitch over. After burning for 118.25 seconds, the first stage will be jettisoned, forming a pattern in the sky known as the “Cross of Korolev” as the four boosters separate from the core.

The second stage will continue to burn for another 168.94 seconds before separating from the third stage, which will have ignited about two seconds ahead of staging. The third stage is a Blok-I, which is powered by a single RD-0110 engine. It is expected to burn for 243.9 seconds, before Fregat separation occurs. Near the start of third stage flight, about 9.66 seconds after second stage separation, the “aft section” or interstage will be jettisoned from the Blok-I. Fairing separation will also occur during third stage flight, about four minutes and fifty eight seconds after liftoff.

The Fregat upper stage, which is propelled by unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide fuelling an S5.98M engine, will be used to place the Globalstar satellites into their target orbit. The Fregat, which is making its thirty first flight, has been used as a fourth stage on Soyuz-U, Soyuz-FG and Soyuz-2 rockets, and also as the third stage of the Zenit-3F.

Fregat made its first flight in first flew in 2000, on a Soyuz-U rocket carrying the IRDT inflatable heat shield experiment. The Fregat was also equipped with a prototype heat shield, and was intended to be recovered if possible; however it could not be found after reentry. The heat shield was a one-off on the test flight; Fregats are generally allowed to burn up in the atmosphere.

Only two launches of Fregats have failed to date. One of these, last week’s Soyuz-2-1b launch, failed before the Fregat had even fired, and the upper stage was not responsible for the anomaly. The other failure was caused by the Fregat; the May 2009 launch of the Meridian 2 satellite ended in failure after a programming error led to the Fregat expending propellant at a greater rate than it should have, and it ran out of fuel during the second of three planned burns. The propulsion system of the Fobos-Grunt spacecraft, which failed to depart Earth orbit on a mission to Mars’ moon Phobos, was also based on the Fregat, however it was modified, and it is unclear what the cause of the spacecraft’s failure was.

During Wednesday’s launch, the Fregat made three burns. The first burn occurred immediately after separation from the Soyuz, taking the spacecraft and upper stage into a transfer orbit, with a perigee of 210 kilometres and an apogee of 923 kilometres, inclined at 51.7 degrees. The second, fifty minutes later, resulted in an orbit with a perigee of 928 kilometres, an apogee of 933 kilometres, and 52 degrees of inclination.

One hour, 38 minutes and 40 seconds after liftoff, the first two satellites separated from the upper section of their dispenser. The remaining four satellites separated from the lower section 100 seconds later. The Fregat will subsequently be deorbited and reenter the atmosphere over the south Pacific.

The launch went ahead just five days after a Soyuz-2-1b failed to place a Meridian communications satellite into orbit; initial investigation has indicated that the failure was caused by the rocket’s third stage engine, which differs from that used on the Soyuz-2-1a. The Soyuz-2-1a uses the older RD-0110 engine, which has been used on Soyuz and Molniya rockets since the 1960s, whereas the Soyuz-2-1b uses the more modern RD-0124, which uses a closed-cycle oxidiser system to power its turbopumps, giving the engine a higher specific impulse.

Wednesday’s launch occurred from pad 6 of Site 31 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Site 31/6 is one of two Soyuz launch pads at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, along with Site 1/5. Currently, it is the only one of the two pads used for Soyuz-2 launches, whilst the older Soyuz-U and Soyuz-FG models can fly from either pad. The first launch from Site 31/6 was a test of an R-7A missile in January 1961. The first orbital launch from the complex occurred in November 1964, when the first of two Polyot, or Sputnik 11A59, carrier rockets place the Polyot-1 satellite into orbit.

The pad was subsequently used for launches of Vostok and Voskhod rockets, including the launch of Kosmos 57, a test of the Voskhod-3KD spacecraft to be used for the Voskhod 2 mission. On 12 November 1965, a Molniya-M launched Venera 2 from Site 31, before another launched Venera 3 from the pad four days later. A third Venera launch a week later failed, with the spacecraft remaining in Earth orbit as Kosmos 96.

In 1965 the Soyuz/Vostok 11A510 rocket, comprised of the first two stages of the Soyuz, with the third stage of a Vostok, made the first of two launches from Site 31. The next year, on 28 November, the pad was the site of the maiden flight of the full Soyuz rocket, the 11A511. That launch also marked the maiden flight of the Soyuz spacecraft, making an unmanned test designated Kosmos 133. Less than a month later the pad was the site of a major explosion, when the launch escape system of the second Soyuz was accidentally fired when the rocket was being defuelled after a scrubbed launch. At least one soldier was killed in the explosion, and no more launches occurred from Site 31 for the next six and a half months whilst the complex was rebuilt using parts from Site 16/2 at Plesetsk.

The first manned launch from the complex was of Soyuz 3 in October 1968; the first manned spaceflight launched by the Soviet Union after the death of Vladimir Komarov aboard Soyuz 1 in 1967. It was subsequently used for Soyuz-U launches, although manned launches ended in 1984 with Soyuz T-12. All manned flights since have been launched form Site 1/5. Site 31 has also been used for all Soyuz launches from Baikonur using Fregat upper stages, and consequently most commercial Soyuz launches.

This launch was the eighty fourth and last of 2011 intended to reach orbit; the most launches conducted in a year since 2000. Of the previous eighty three launches, seventy nine reached orbit, and seventy seven were successful. The launch of these six Globalstar satellites also marks the nineteenth launch of a Soyuz rocket in 2011, making it jointly the most-launched orbital launch system of the year. China’s Long March series of rockets also made 19 launches.

Russia has, for the eleventh consecutive year, conducted more orbital launches than any other country. Including Wednesday’s launch, and across all flights of former Soviet rockets, thirty one successful launches have been made from thirty five attempts. These include a Zenit launched from the Odyssey platform by Sea Launch, and two Soyuz-ST launches from the Centre Spatial Guyanais in French Guiana, conducted by Arianespace.

Russia’s activities in space in 2011 have been marred by four launch failures and the high-profile loss of the Fobos-Grunt probe shortly after launch. In February, a Rokot/Briz-KM rocket placed the Geo-IK-2 No.11 spacecraft, since redesignated Kosmos 2470, into a useless orbit.

In August, a Proton-M/Briz-M failed to place the Ekspress-AM4 satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit, instead leaving it in an orbit with an insufficiently high apogee, and then less than a week later a Soyuz-U failed to achieve orbit carrying the Progress M-12M cargo spacecraft bound for the International Space Station.

Fobos-Grunt was successfully launched by a modified Zenit-2M rocket in November, however about two and a half hours after launch, the spacecraft failed to execute an orbit-raising manoeuvre, and contact with it was subsequently lost.

Communications were briefly re-established in late November, however the spacecraft could not be commanded to depart its parking orbit, and it is expected to reenter early in the new year. The final Russian failure of the year came on Friday, when a Soyuz-2-1b failed to achieve orbit with a Meridian satellite.

The next Soyuz launch is scheduled for 25 January, when a Soyuz-U will deploy the Progress M-14M spacecraft on a mission to resupply the International Space Station. Starsem’s next launch is planned for 23 May next year, when a Soyuz-2-1a with a Fregat upper stage will place the MetOp-B weather satellite into orbit. Another Globalstar launch is also expected to occur in 2012, in the second half of the year, again using a Soyuz-2-1a/Fregat.

(Images via Roscosmos, Starsem and L2).

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