November 26, 2008, 12:38 UTC: Progress M-01M atop Soyuz-U

[SiberianTiger]

The Progress M-01M is going to be the first Progress vehicle with an upgraded flight computer system, which will be introduced to Soyuz TMA next year as well.

11-11-2008 Baikonur Space Port: Progress M-01M Prelaunch Processing

Progress M-01M cargo vehicle is being prepared for launch at the Baikonur space port. Today the vehicle is loaded with the cargo to be delivered to the International Space Station.

Tomorrow, on Nov. 12, mass of the Progress M-01M will be measured. Then the vehicle will be put into the carriage and headed to the propellant filling station.

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12-11-2008 Progress M-01M Prelaunch Processing Goes On Smoothly Today, the mass of the Progress M-01M cargo vehicle was measured. After that, the vehicle was loaded into the train in order to be transported to the propellant filling station (site 31).
According to the plan, tomorrow Progress M-01M is to be filled with the propellant components and pressurized gases.

 

[SiberianTiger]

22-11-2008 Baikonur Space Port: Progress M-01M Prelaunch Processing Goes On

Intensive prelaunch processing of the Soyuz-U rocket and the Progress M-01M cargo vehicle continues at the Baikonur space port.
Expert groups from the Russian space entities assembled the launch vehicle today. First, the upper composite was integrated with the third stage of the launcher. Then the upper assembly was integrated with the stack which comprises stages one and two of the rocket.
This evening a meeting of the State Board has to provide the approval for the roll-out. The roll-out is planned for Monday, Nov. 24.
Soyuz-U with Progress M-01M aboard is scheduled for lift-off on Nov. 26, 2008. The Progress is to deliver 2.5 t of propellant, food, water, scientific equipment and consumables to the International Space Station.
Progress M-01M is the first in the so-called "400" series. It is equipped with modern digital systems.

Roscosmos Press Office (photos by S.Kazak, Baikonur Federal Space Center)


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24-11-2008 Soyuz-U/Progress M-01M Roll-Out (photos)

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The time set for the Progress M-01M (prod# 401) launch on November 26 is:

Local Baikonur Time: 17:38:36
Moscow Standard Time: 15:38:36
UTC: 12:38:36
EST: 7:38:36 A.M.
PST: 3:38:36 A.M.

 

[SiberianTiger]

A Russian narrated streaming video showing process of loading the M-01M with supplies.

mms://video.rfn.ru/rtr-vesti/165195.asf

The narration says that a new air purification system for Zvezda module will be delivered to fight fungi infestation that began there due to cosmonauts abusing the on-board water usage rules (washing head, throwing wet towels, etc).

The docking is planned after a four day long transfer coasting, on November, 30. The longer flight is required to test the new avionics hardware.

 

[DaveS]

Fresh news from MCC-M: The Progress launched on time and has successfuly reached orbit. They're currently looking into an antenna issue on it though.

 

[SiberianTiger]

There are troubling news on the condition of the Progress M-01M spacecraft launched today. As DaveS quoted, there was an immediate post-launch problem with Kurs far range approach system antenna deployment:

"One of several antennas associated with the Kurs automated rendezvous system apparently did not deploy. The Progress passed out of range of Russian ground stations before all of the data from the initial post-insertion analysis could be received," NASA spokesman John Ira Petty said from Mission Control.

"Russian flight controllers will review data in the hours ahead. They are aiming at determining whether troubleshooting may be required on that antenna. The suspect antenna in question is one of two narrow field proximity antennas used for range and rate updates to the Progress computers through the final stage of its approach for docking at the Pirs Docking Compartment."

Later in the evening, a report came on the successful deployment of the Kurs antenna, but they did come together with news on some extra malfuctions, such as near range distance measurement equipment, approach video camera (these issues seem to be already overcome) and also some unnamed issue whose nature is being kept strictly silent about. However, an air of anxiety is felt from Energia people reports.


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Regardless of the problems the space vehicle itself might have (or might not, already), the published pics of the launch are something to take a viewing pleasure of. That was a twilight launch, and that says it all.

:speakcool:

 

[tblaxland]

Nice pics as always ST, especially that second last one. You haven't got that in a bigger resolution, have you? I can feel a wallpaper coming on...

I hope they sort the problem out. Any idea what the impact on station ops would be if they lost the vehicle (or at least couldn't get it to the station)? I wonder which would be the biggest constraint, SM fuel or food/water?

 

[SiberianTiger]

Nice pics as always ST, especially that second last one. You haven't got that in a bigger resolution, have you? I can feel a wallpaper coming on...

Unfortunately, no. I wish I had one in a better resolution - though I like the last pic most. I even asked for one, but got no reply.

I hope they sort the problem out. Any idea what the impact on station ops would be if they lost the vehicle (or at least couldn't get it to the station)? I wonder which would be the biggest constraint, SM fuel or food/water?

The manifest lists 870 kilos of fuel specially for the ISS + 250 spare fuel in the vehicle's own tanks. Also, there is 185 kilos of fresh water and 296 food rations, along with the other stuff. If this is all lost, that might be an issue requiring to speed up launching of the next Progress (the next in queue is with the old avionics).

I'm a bit concerned that a bigger deal will be if they smash it into the station...

The Energia people on a forum say "Chill out, all, this is a flight test of the vehicle, the issues MAY be there. We've got no funding comparable to the ATV team to cure them all out on the ground."

 

[SiberianTiger]

The announced time for the Progress M-01M docking is today, November 30, 2008...

15:23 Moscow Standard Time
12:23 UTC

 

[DaveS]

Contact and capture at 1228 UTC after a flawless TORU approach by Yuri Lonchakov after the KURS system malfunctioned for as of now unknown reasons at a distance of 20 m from docking with DC-1. The Progress automatically initiated a back-away manuever when the KURS system failed.

Hooks and latches are driving closed now.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Contact and capture at 1228 UTC after a flawless TORU approach by Yuri Lonchakov after the KURS system malfunctioned for as of now unknown reasons at a distance of 20 m from docking with DC-1. The Progress automatically initiated a back-away manuever when the KURS system failed.

Hooks and latches are driving closed now.

There have been unreliable distance readings from the Kurs that triggered putting the approach on hold. Energia says the issues found will be addressed in the future production items.


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Answering myself: actually, the message coming along about "the KURS distance readings are unreliable" does ALWAYS come along when the distance measurement antenna is retracted prior to a docking. This can't be regarded off-nominal. In any case, a switch-over to the remote pilot's control did take place this time.

 

[tblaxland]

Answering myself: actually, the message coming along about "the KURS distance readings are unreliable" does ALWAYS come along when the distance measurement antenna is retracted prior to a docking. This can't be regarded off-nominal. In any case, a switch-over to the remote pilot's control did take place this time.

I'm confused now. If the message was nominal, why switch to TORU?

 

[SiberianTiger]

I'm confused now. If the message was nominal, why switch to TORU?

I have to wait till I receive the January issue of the Novosti Kosmonavtiki with an interview of someone from the Mission Control staff to be sure why the swicth-over has occurred. They don't really tell much on-line.


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I'm confused now. If the message was nominal, why switch to TORU?

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/iss_reports/index.htm

"Yesterday’s manual docking of 31P by Yuri Lonchakov with the TORU came about because of a computer malfunction. During the spacecraft’s final approach, at a range of 20-30m at ~7:22am EST, the Progress computer aborted the final approach and initiated a backout to Stationkeeping, also switching from Kurs-A Set 1 to Set 2. This left TsUP-Moscow with two options for completing the docking: (1) Re-initiating final approach in automated mode with the Kurs-A Set 2, or (2) directing the crew to take manual control via TORU. TsUP opted for the latter. The crew switched to TORU immediately and completed the docking manually at 7:28am. TsUP is investigating this anomaly and has not yet determined the root cause"

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Progress docking videos at the Space Multimedia website:

Expedition 18 - Views Progress Before Docking.

Expedition 18 - Progress M-01M / 31 Docking Coverage

Expedition 18 - Progress M-01M / 31 Docking

 

[tblaxland]

Thanks for the update

 

[SiberianTiger]

The launch video of the Progress M-01M is downloadable by:
http://tvroscosmos.ru/picture_library/video/start35.wmv

 

[SiberianTiger]

08-02-2009 The First Digital Progress Deorbited

Progress M-01M, the first Russian cargo vehicle equipped with modern digital control systems, was deorbited today over the defined unpopulated area of the Pacific.

The retroburn was initiated at 10:32 Moscow time. Remaining parts of the Progress, which had not burnt during the reentry, fell down in the south area of the Pacific ocean at appr. 11:20.

Roscosmos Press Office

Clearly enough, the MOD didn't play with this one.