Launch News Cobalt-M (Cosmos-2480) atop Soyuz-U on May 17, 2012

[SiberianTiger]

With the good lighting conditions setting in the Northern Hemisphere, we now have another strategic optical survelliance Russian sat launched.

Cosmos-2480 is expected to be the formal designation for Cobalt-M spacecraft to be launched today by Russian Space Force. Cobalt-M is an optical survelliance satellite which uses film camera and return capsule to deliver the shot footage to the ground at the end of its mission, which can last for several months and include several alterations of its orbit.

Launch location:

Plesetsk Launch pad no. 16/2 62°57'35.83"N, 40°40'56.22"E

Launch dates and times:

[table="head"]{colsp=6}Launch times

Time Zone|

Australia - Sydney/AEST ​

|

Hong Kong / HKT, UTC+8/ ​

|

Moscow Summer / MSK, UTC+4/ ​

|

Universal / UTC ​

|

Washington / EDT ​

Launch time (Primary): ​

|

12:05:00 a.m.​

|

10:05:00 p.m.​

|

18:05:00​

|

14:05:00​

|

10:05:00 a.m.​

on: ​

|

May 18, 2012​

|

May 17, 2012​

|

May 17, 2012​

|

May 17, 2012​

|

May 17, 2012​

{colsp=6}

[highlight][eventTimer]2012-05-17 14:05:00?before|after;%dd% Days %hh% Hours %mm% Minutes %ss% Seconds %c%[/eventTimer] Cosmos-2480 Launch[/highlight]​

[/table]

Live Coverage Of The Launch:

None, sorry.

PAYLOAD

Cobalt-M photo film-returning reconnaissnace satellite

[table="head"]Characteristics|

Cobalt-M (AKA Yantar-4K2M, Yantar means Amber)​

Picture:​

|

GRAU Index:​

|

• 11F695U

Customer:​

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• Russian MoD.

Prime contractor:​

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• PLC Arsenal Machine Building Plant, St. Petersburg
  

Platform:​

|

• Yantar-M (?)

Mass at Separation:​

|

• 6600 kg

Dry Mass:​

|

• ?

Stabilization:​

|

• 3 axis stabilized

Dimensions:​

|

• ?

Batteries:​

|

• ?

Mission time:​

|

• 60 to 120 days

Typical initial orbit:​

|

• 170 x 330 km, 62.8°-67.2° inclination

Survelliance Payload:​

|Film Camera with 300-mm lens produced by Lytkarino Factory of Optical Systems

Data Returning:​

|Two ball-shaped strap-on film return capsules plus the main reentry vehicle used to deliver back the camera and the main load of film.

[/table]

Mission Profile:

Inclination for this launch is expected to be 82°, initial orbit is about 185 * 250 km.

Launch Vehicle:

[table="head"]{colsp=2}Characteristics

|[table="head"]{colsp=2}

Soyuz-U​

Prime contractor:​

|

• Samara Space Sentre (Energia Holding enterprise)
  

GRAU Index:​

|

• 11A511U

Height:​

| 51.1 m

Diameter:​

| max 10.3 m

Liftoff mass:​

| 313 metric tonnes

Payload mass:​

| 6.95 tonnes at ISS orbit from Baikonur

1st stage (boosters B, V, G, D):​

|

• 4 X RD-117 engines
• Propellants (T-1 Kerosene and LOX)
• Thrust/ISP in vacuum - / 316 s
• Thrust/ISP at sea level 79.4 tonnes / 253 s
• Total 1st stage's thrust at sea level: 411.1 tonnes

2nd stage (core A):​

|

• 1 X RD-118 engine
• Propellants (T-1 Kerosene and LOX)
• Thrust/ISP in vacuum 102 tonnes / 314 s
• Thrust/ISP at sea level 83.5 tonnes / 257 s

3rd stage (block I):​

|

• 1 X RD-0110 engine
• Propellants (T-1 Kerosene and LOX)
• Thrust/ISP in vacuum 30.38 tonnes / 359 s

[/table]
[/table]

Launch Complex:

The launch will be performed off LC 2 at site 16.

Weather forecast for Plesetsk, Russia on May 17, 2012 (6 p.m.)

Time|Temps|Wind|Chill|Heat Index|UV Index|Dew Point|Relative Humidity|Precip|Snow|Clouds|Visibility|Wind|Weather
6 PM|25°C|25°C|25°C|1|Low|10°C|40%|10%|0%|29%|16KM|SSE 3.6 m/s|

M Sunny

Sunrise/Sunset and associated twilight times for Plesetsk on Thursday, May 17, 2012

Times are local.

Event|Time
Astronomical twilight begins|Never
Nautical twilight begins|Never
Civil twilight begins|2:39
Sunrise|4:05
Transit (sun is at its highest)|13:14
Sunset|0:24
Civil twilight ends|1:50
Nautical twilight ends|Never
Astronomical twilight ends|Never

References
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com
http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru
http://www.russianspaceweb.com
www.svengrahn.pp.se
http://www.planet4589.org
http://www.samspace.ru
http://www.npoenergomash.ru/engines/
http://intellicast.com
http://www.good-stuff.co.uk/suntimes/sunmap.php
http://www.intellicast.com/Local/Forecast.aspx
http://www.good-stuff.co.uk/suntimes/sunmap.php

 

[Yoda]

Isn't that kinda old technology to still be using film versus digital media ?

 

[SiberianTiger]

Isn't that kinda old technology to still be using film versus digital media ?

That's asked every time this thing flies.

The reasons are:

• Better resolution of the film compared to digital matrices available for Russia.
• Poor data relay infrastructure.
• No need for instant delivery of information.
• The camera can be recycled upon return.
• We are still sorry for Laika.

 

[boogabooga]

I have a personal theory that the purpose of the X-37 is to be a reusable spy sat which can return its own film. Film return has some advantages.

 

[N_Molson]

Isn't that kinda old technology to still be using film versus digital media ?

Even better : numerical transmissions can always be intercepted and decoded. A capsule with analog data inside it, as long as it lands on the right spot, is way safer.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Launched right on time.

http://ria.ru/science/20120517/651437640.html

 

[SiberianTiger]

The launch has commenced, according to RIA Novosti.
http://ria.ru/science/20120517/651437640.html

 

[orb]

NASASpaceflight: Russian Soyuz-U launches Kobalt-M satellite:

{...} with the lift off time given as 3:05pm GMT. {...}

Really? In 47 minutes?

 

[SiberianTiger]

Roscosmos (http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=19097):

At 18:13 MSK the spacecraft has successfully separated from the booster and was followed on tracking by the ground control.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

A launch photo:

Also according to Alexei Zolotukhin (spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Defence) this launch is the last launch of the Soyuz-U from Plesetsk. A total of 435 Soyuz-U rockets flew from the four Soyuz pads at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome since its first flight in 1973.

 

[SiberianTiger]

According to the unofficial custom of Plesetsk launch teams, the satellite was given a "female" proper name.

This one was names Королева Бензоколонки ("Gas Station Queen"), which is a cultural reference to a Soviet comedy movie of the 60's.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Some more decent shots of this launch (Credit: Igor Marinin / Novosti Kosmonavtiki magazine)

 

[NovaSilisko]

I can think of some captions for these pictures...

"The launch technicians decide whether to tackle the brushfires ignited by the rocket now or after lunch"