Progress M-03M atop Soyuz-U on October 14/15, 2009

[SiberianTiger]

Mission: Supply run to the ISS replenishing onboard reserves of fuels, food, water and other consumables essential for continued manned flight of the complex

The launch site:Baikonur

The launch time is:
07 : 14 : 37 Baikonur 15.10.2009
05 : 14 : 37 Moscow Summer Time 15.10.2009
01 : 14 : 37 UTC October 15, 2009
9 : 14 : 37 p.m. EDT October 14, 2009

The expected docking time is:
05 : 41±3 min Moscow Summer Time 18.10.2009
01 : 41±3 min UTC October 18, 2009
9 : 41 p.m. ±3 min EDT October 17, 2009

Spacecraft: Progress M-03M (production #403, NASA id Progress 35P)

The spacecraft's mass is 7290.0 kg


Launch vehicle: Soyuz-U

The vehicle's reliability stats up to date:

================================================================ 
Vehicle     Successes/Tries Realzd Pred  Consc. Last     Dates    
                             Rate  Rate* Succes Fail    
================================================================ 
Soyuz-U         724   744    .97  .97     41    10/15/02 1973-

Mission Profile:

1. Soyuz-U's ascent chart

The expected payload separation time: 05h 23m 26.18s

2. Orbital Parameters of Progress M-03M and the ISS

Parameter|Designation|Prorgess-M-03M at 10/15|ISS at 10/18
Orbital Period|T, min|88,59 ±0,37|91,36
Inclination|i, degrees|51,66 ±0,06|51,66
Min altitude|h, km|193 +7 -15|341,4
Max altitude|H, km|245 ±42|359,6

Phase angle between the space ship and the ISS is about 401 degrees
Projected duration of the space ship at the nominal orbit is no less than 20 orbits (~30 hrs)

3. Transfer manoeuvres
(three days long approach scheme applied)

* 1st two-burn manoeuvre

Date|Burn at|Orbit #|Delta V, m/s|Burn duration, s|post-burn T,min|post-burn h,km|post-burn H,km|post-burn i,deg
15.10.09|08.55.55|3|8,87|23,0|88,97|51,63|224,5|245,1
15.10.09|09.18.07|3|8,51|22,1|89,18|51,65|230,6|252,0

* 2nd one-burn correction

Date|Burn at|Orbit #|Delta V, m/s|Burn duration, s|post-burn T,min|post-burn h,km|post-burn H,km|post-burn i,deg
17.10.09|05:58:40|33|3,00|8,6|89,23|51,66|237,9|254,6

4. Approach and Docking

On October 18, 2009 at 05 hrs 41±3 min (at 49th Progress' orbit)


BACKUP TIMES:
Launch: 16.10.2009, 04 hrs 48 min 55 sec
Docking: 18.10.2009, 05 hrs 41±3 min

The Approach Chart:

Launch preparation picture chronicles

October 7, 2009 PProgress M-03M transport cargo vehicle was docked with the transfer compartment in the Spacecraft Assembly and Testing Facility.

09-10-2009 Payload fairing rolling over

---------- Post added at 15:59 ---------- Previous post was at 15:40 ----------

13-10-2009 Soyuz-U rocket's rolling out and erection

Progress M-03M mission videos

Spacecraft extraction from a pressure chamber

Payload fairing's rolling over the spacecraft

Rolling out and erection of the Soyuz-U with Progress M-03M on October 13, 2009

Weather forecast for Baikonur, Kazakhstan for October 15, 2009

Hi: 16°
Lo: 2°
There is a 0% chance of precipitation. Sunny. Mild. Temperature of 16°C. Winds E 20km. Humidity will be 29% with a dewpoint of -2° and feels-like temperature of 16°C.

Sunrise/Sunset and associated twilight times for Baikonur on Thursday 15 October 2009

Times are local with Daylight saving correction.

Event|Time
Astronomical twilight begins|06 : 25
Nautical twilight begins|06 : 59
Civil twilight begins|07 : 34
Sunrise|08 : 02
Transit (sun is at its highest)|13 : 32
Sunset|19 : 02
Civil twilight ends|19 : 30
Nautical twilight ends|20 : 05
Astronomical twilight ends|20 : 39

Watching the launch live

TSENKI video streams
http://www.tv-tsenki.com/live.php
http://www.tv-tsenki.com/live3.php

Also, Vesti on-line coverage will be available in Russian (a short video report with narration):

Vesti - High Quality
http://www.vesti.ru/video1.asx?vid=onair
Vesti - Low Quality
http://www.vesti.ru/video1.asx?vid=onair_low

---------- Post added at 16:10 ---------- Previous post was at 15:59 ----------

P.S. should be a beautiful morning twilight launch!

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

This Progress is going to be docked to the ISS for 6 ½ months!!!
It won't undock until April 27, 2010!!!

 

[SiberianTiger]

Almost forgot to mention: it will dock to SO1 Pirs docking module's nadir port.

---------- Post added at 19:52 ---------- Previous post was at 16:40 ----------

Please note the last vid from the above listed (the rollout & erection one) finally shows the Soyuz launch pad's rotation to the launch azimuth (8:10 through 9:20).

 

[Star Voyager]

15 minutes. I hope all systems are go (I don't read or speak Russian).

---------- Post added at 09:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:55 PM ----------

Liftoff! SRB Sep! Sorry I'm late. The Tsenki stream froze up for God knows how long.

Edit: It looks like a star, now. Gives a whole new meaning to Korolev's cross. Great launch!

 

[SiberianTiger]

15-10-2009 Soyuz-U with Progress M-03M Blasts Off from Baikonur

This morning, at 5:14 Moscow time, Soyuz-U rocket lifted off from Baikonur`s pad 1 to orbit Russian cargo supply vehicle Progress M-03M.

The Progress has reached the targeted orbit successfully.

The cargo vehicle is planned to dock to the International Space Station on Oct. 18 at 5:41.

Roscosmos Press Office

Launch photos:

Here we can see a well-formed "Korolev's jelly fish".

"Towards the rising Sun"

A good quality video is to be released later today.

Here's also some extra TSUP-M's information.

The cargo manifest of Progress M-03M

Item|Mass, kg
Refueling system propellants amount|871
Oxygen supply system content:|
> Oxygen |53
Rodnik (Creek) system water load|420
Self fuel reserve available for the ISS|250
Pressured section's cargo (total mass 823 kg):|
Equipment for systems:|
> SOGS gas mixture composition control |9
> SVO water supply control |14
> SOTR heat exchange conrtol |12
> SUBA equipment control |4
> SEP electric |73
STOR maintenance and repair items|7
Hygiene and sanitation items|116
Food rations, fresh products|159
Medical equipment, underwear, personal hygiene and care|76
Fire protection equipment|15
FGB Zarya equipment|81
SO1 (DC1) Pirs equipment|4
Scientific equipment|6
Onboard documentation, crew's parcel, video and photo equipment|18
American Sergent's delivery , including food rations, life support means, medical, personal hygiene and care means, zero G prophylaxis means|229
TOTAL | 2417

It's apparently a "wet" supply run.

 

[alaskait]

Please what is the dark green "cloth" that covering the spacecraft?

 

[SiberianTiger]

Please what is the dark green "cloth" that covering the spacecraft?

The only dark green thing I can see at the pics is the tip of the payload fairing. If you mean what's the fabric-like stuff the spacecraft is wrapped in (looks mostly black for me), this is a thermal blanket used to normalize radiation flows and protect the hull from extreme temperature variations in space.

 

[Star Voyager]

Here we can see a well-formed "Korolev's jelly fish".

Is that what that's called? I thought it was cross by the way the SRB's seperate.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Is that what that's called? I thought it was cross by the way the SRB's seperate.

I guess the inner part of the illuminated contrail is more cross-like, while the entire picture is looking a bit like an octopus or a jellyfish (the impression is deepened by its movement). Also, it does not look like a cross if viewed from a side direction, like at this pic:

So both names are justified. It's need to be noted that in no way "Korolev's cross" is an official term. The involved people just call the contrail shape what they want.

BTW, it's more appropriate to say LRB instead of SRB when it comes down to liquid fuel rockets.

---------- Post added at 19:58 ---------- Previous post was at 15:03 ----------

And finally, here it is! Delight your vision!

Progress M-03M launch
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-owQSOcuw0&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube - ПуÑ�к Ð*Ð� "Союз-У" Ñ� ТГК "ПрогреÑ�Ñ� Ðœ-03Ðœ"[/ame]

 

[Star Voyager]

Well, in this case, SRB is Strap-on Rocket Booster. Thanks for the info, Tiger!

 

[tblaxland]

Star Voyager, the booster sep occurs much earlier. At 3:25 in the above video you can just make out the visual feature that you are calling "Korolev's cross". The feature ST called "Korolev's jelly fish" occurs much later and is due to the under-expansion of the rocket exhaust as atmospheric pressure decays with altitude.

 

[Arrowstar]

Not to derail the current topic of conversation, but it would appear to me that the clean room requirements for those spacecraft must not be very strict if technicians are using their bare hands and wearing only simple laboratory coats. Can anyone comment?

 

[tblaxland]

Can anyone comment?

Only that there was brief mention of it previously.

 

[Arrowstar]

Only that there was brief mention of it previously.

Ah, must have missed that. Interesting photos in that thread. Thanks!

 

[SiberianTiger]

Not to derail the current topic of conversation, but it would appear to me that the clean room requirements for those spacecraft must not be very strict if technicians are using their bare hands and wearing only simple laboratory coats. Can anyone comment?

I guess that the risk of getting an infection aboard the ISS is being values realistically. From what I know, people who service the spacecraft and especially those who deal with Cosmonauts undergo a mandatory body temperature check before beginning their work: the same rule apply to every attendee of the hotel where Cosmonauts stay at Baikonur.

On other hand, wearing a full bio protection suit might not be necessary or even impossible given how cramped those space ships inside are. After all, it's not a mission with destination set to Mars, Europa, Enceladus etc., where contamination risk matters. The ISS has its own human & germs ecosystem for a long time already, and it's among the subjects of scientifical study. Also, they have a full range of drugs up there for some purpose.

Pictures: loading of cargo into the pressure volume of Progress M-02M.

 

[tblaxland]

Impromptu caption contest: "WAIT! WAIT! Let me out first!" Seriously, that would be quite a tight fit for that guy to pack the cargo in and then get out.

 

[Star Voyager]

Star Voyager, the booster sep occurs much earlier. At 3:25 in the above video you can just make out the visual feature that you are calling "Korolev's cross". The feature ST called "Korolev's jelly fish" occurs much later and is due to the under-expansion of the rocket exhaust as atmospheric pressure decays with altitude.

Yes, that's right. But I know that the boosters had sepaerated. I wasn't refering to the "jellyfish" effect, though. Here's an example of what I'm talking about on the forum:

 

[alaskait]

The only dark green thing I can see at the pics is the tip of the payload fairing. If you mean what's the fabric-like stuff the spacecraft is wrapped in (looks mostly black for me), this is a thermal blanket used to normalize radiation flows and protect the hull from extreme temperature variations in space.

Thanks. For this spacecraft thermal blanket is black (ok, black, not dark green, excuse me). Blanket for Tma is dark green? Or my memory is dim? This blanket in what kind of material is made? It seem to be a textiles material....

 

[SiberianTiger]

This blanket in what kind of material is made? It seem to be a textiles material....

The outer layer is glass filament fabric; not sure about what's inside, possibly many layers of mylar. Soyuz TMA is wrapped into the same material, also painted black.

 

[Star Voyager]

Here it comes:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html?param=public