Cosmic Penguin
Geek Penguin in GTO
Some years ago, at a time when I was still a new O-F active member trying out to report on launches, an incident happened that kicked off a sequence that nearly ruined the mood of my 18th birthday here. Well, maybe my coming of age has to do with spreading back omens and lucks all around..... :facepalm:
Anyway "that incident" is the start of the most intense part of Russia's nightmare of spaceflight in 2011 - the failure of the launch of what was to be Russia's most powerful communication satellite, Express-AM4, when it got stranded in medium Earth orbit after the now notorious Breeze-M upper stage went crazy in attitude control due to a programming error. That failure set off a series of set-backs in the Russian space industry that continues to plague through the rest of the year and beyond. (Well one could say the Proton launch failure in December 2010 was the first, but there was a period of relative calmness during the first half of 2011)
Well Express-AM4, the first foreign-built comsat for the Russians, is now no more (it was finally de-orbited in March 2012). But the gap in transponder coverage needs an ultimate replacement, and so here it is - Express-AM4R, again built by Astrium (never mind the new Airbus namesake yet) under the exact specifications of Express-AM4, ready to be sent to the skies under the recent spaceflight-geopolitical storm, using the exact same rocket and upper stages that has failed once after another for 5 times in 31 months. Well let's hope that the Russians got better luck this time, for another failure may well sink the Proton once and for all under this climate........ :sos:
Launch location:
Baikonur Launch pad no. 200/39 46° 2'23.85"N, 63° 1'54.98"E
Launch dates and times:
{colsp=6}Launch times
Time Zone |
{colsp=6}
Live Coverage Of The Launch:
PAYLOAD
Express-AM4R communication satellite:
Mission Summary
The Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) has selected a team of Khrunichev Space Center and Astrium to build the Ekspress-AM 4 communications satellite.
Ekspress-AM 4, to be delivered late 2010 and positioned at 80°E, is by far the largest Express satellite ever ordered.
RSCC is focused primarily on the development of satellite communications and the broadcasting network in the Russian Federation to secure the common information space across the country. RSCC currently operates 11 satellites from 14°W to 145°E in geostationary orbit, and is currently looking for high power satellites to complement the existing fleet and fulfil growing needs for satellite capacity.
Express AM4 will use Astrium's Eurostar-3000 satellite design. The satellite will be delivered in orbit by Khrunichev Space Center using the Proton launch vehicle. It will be equipped with a 63 active transponders operating in L, C, Ku and Ka bands at a payload power of 14 kW for its planned 15-year service life in orbit. Its ten antennas will provide high performance coverage over the Russian Federation and the CIS countries and its steerable antennas can be used to provide communication to any point within the satellite's visibility.
After launch, the contact with the Briz-M upper stage and the satellite was lost after the fourth of five ignitions. Although contact with the satellite was established, it was stranded in a usless orbit. It was deceided in March 2012, that Ekspress-AM 4 will be deorbited at the end of this month.
RSCC ordered in 2012 an identical replacement, Ekspress-AM 4R for a launch in 2013.
{colsp=2}Summary
Parameter | Value
Characteristics|
|
Launch Vehicle:
{colsp=2}Characteristics
|
{colsp=2}
The vehicle's reliability statistics according to http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/log2014.html#rate:
Proton-M Ascent Profile
The Proton-M first three stages place the orbital unit (OU), which consists of a Breeze-M upper stage, adapter system and the Express-AM4R satellite, into a 51.5° inclination suborbital trajectory.
Proton-M powered flight lasts 582 seconds. The OU powered flight begins at the moment of the third stage separation.
Immediately after the separation of the third stage booster, the Breeze-M stability engines start, damping the angular velocities of the third stage separation and then providing orbital unit orientation and stability during coast flight along a suborbital trajectory to await the first burn. The upper stage follows a five-burn injection profile.
Express-AM4R Ascent Timeline
Event|Time rel lift-off|Time UTC|Comment
Ignition Start Sequence|-00:00:02.5|21:41:57.5|
Stage 1 Ignition (40% thrust)|-00:00:01.75|21:41:58.25|
Command Stage 1 (100% thrust)|-00:00:00.9|21:41:59.1|
Maximum Dynamic Pressure|00:01:02|21:43:02|
1st/2nd Stage Separation|00:02:00|21:44:00|
2nd/3rd Stage Separation|00:05:27|21:47:27|
Payload Fairing Separation|00:05:47|21:47:47|
3rd Stage/Breeze M Separation|00:09:42|21:51:42|
1st Burn Ignition|00:11:16|21:53:16|
1st Burn Shutdown|00:15:47|21:57:47|1st Burn's Duration 00:04:31
2nd Burn Ignition|01:07:33|22:49:33|
2nd Burn Shutdown|01:25:17|23:07:17|2nd Burn's Duration 00:17:44
3rd Burn Ignition|03:28:12|01:10:12|
3rd Burn Shutdown|03:40:27|01:22:27|3rd Burn's Duration 00:12:15
APT Jettison|03:41:17|01:23:17|
4th Burn Ignition|03:42:44|01:24:44|
4th Burn Shutdown|03:47:55|01:29:55|4th Burn's Duration 00:05:11
5th Burn Ignition|08:53:08|06:35:08|
5th Burn Shutdown|09:00:04|06:42:04|5th Burn's Duration 00:06:56
Express-AM4R Separation|09:13:00|06:55:00|
Weather forecast for Baikonur, Kazakhstan on May 16, 2014 (3 a.m.)
Clear skies. Low 20C. Winds NE at 15 to 30 kph.
Time|Temps|Dew Point|Relative Humidity|Precip|Snow|Cloud cover|Pressure|Wind|Weather
3 AM|23°C|1°C|24%|0%|0%|3%|1014 hPa|16 km/h ENE|
Clear
References
http://www.federalspace.ru
http://tvroscosmos.ru
http://www.khrunichev.ru
http://tihiy.fromru.com/Rn/RN_Proton.htm
http://www.satbeams.net
http://rscc.ru
http://www.astrium.eads.net/en/programme/express-am4r-and-express-am7.html
http://space.skyrocket.de
http://www.tsenki.com
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com
http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru
http://www.spacelaunchreport.com
http://english.wunderground.com/q/locid:KZXX0055
Anyway "that incident" is the start of the most intense part of Russia's nightmare of spaceflight in 2011 - the failure of the launch of what was to be Russia's most powerful communication satellite, Express-AM4, when it got stranded in medium Earth orbit after the now notorious Breeze-M upper stage went crazy in attitude control due to a programming error. That failure set off a series of set-backs in the Russian space industry that continues to plague through the rest of the year and beyond. (Well one could say the Proton launch failure in December 2010 was the first, but there was a period of relative calmness during the first half of 2011)
Well Express-AM4, the first foreign-built comsat for the Russians, is now no more (it was finally de-orbited in March 2012). But the gap in transponder coverage needs an ultimate replacement, and so here it is - Express-AM4R, again built by Astrium (never mind the new Airbus namesake yet) under the exact specifications of Express-AM4, ready to be sent to the skies under the recent spaceflight-geopolitical storm, using the exact same rocket and upper stages that has failed once after another for 5 times in 31 months. Well let's hope that the Russians got better luck this time, for another failure may well sink the Proton once and for all under this climate........ :sos:
Launch location:
Baikonur Launch pad no. 200/39 46° 2'23.85"N, 63° 1'54.98"E
Launch dates and times:
Time Zone |
Baikonur / UTC+6
|
Moscow / UTC+4
|
Universal / UTC
|
Washington / EDT
|
Los Angeles / PDT
Launch time (Primary):
|
03:42:00
|
01:42:00
|
21:42:00
|
17:42:00
|
14:42:00
on:
|
May. 16, 2014
|
May. 16, 2014
|
May. 15, 2014
|
May. 15, 2014
|
May. 15, 2014
{colsp=6}
[highlight][eventTimer]2014-05-15 21:42:00?before|after;%dd% Days %hh% Hours %mm% Minutes %ss% Seconds %c%[/eventTimer] Express-AM4R Launch[/highlight]
Live Coverage Of The Launch:
- TSENKI Video Streams: http://www.tv-tsenki.com/livechoose.php
- Khrunichev COOPI (login: ? password: ?): http://coopi.khrunichev.ru/main.php?id=200
- Owners of PDA can watch the launch in test mode on: http://www.space-center.ru
PAYLOAD
Express-AM4R communication satellite:
Mission Summary
The Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) has selected a team of Khrunichev Space Center and Astrium to build the Ekspress-AM 4 communications satellite.
Ekspress-AM 4, to be delivered late 2010 and positioned at 80°E, is by far the largest Express satellite ever ordered.
RSCC is focused primarily on the development of satellite communications and the broadcasting network in the Russian Federation to secure the common information space across the country. RSCC currently operates 11 satellites from 14°W to 145°E in geostationary orbit, and is currently looking for high power satellites to complement the existing fleet and fulfil growing needs for satellite capacity.
Express AM4 will use Astrium's Eurostar-3000 satellite design. The satellite will be delivered in orbit by Khrunichev Space Center using the Proton launch vehicle. It will be equipped with a 63 active transponders operating in L, C, Ku and Ka bands at a payload power of 14 kW for its planned 15-year service life in orbit. Its ten antennas will provide high performance coverage over the Russian Federation and the CIS countries and its steerable antennas can be used to provide communication to any point within the satellite's visibility.
After launch, the contact with the Briz-M upper stage and the satellite was lost after the fourth of five ignitions. Although contact with the satellite was established, it was stranded in a usless orbit. It was deceided in March 2012, that Ekspress-AM 4 will be deorbited at the end of this month.
RSCC ordered in 2012 an identical replacement, Ekspress-AM 4R for a launch in 2013.
Parameter | Value
Working Orbit:
|
GEO
Orbital Location:
|
80° East
Coverage:
|
Russia/Eastern Europe
ApA at separation:
|
35786 km
PeA at separation:
|
5210 km
Inc at separation:
|
20.5°Express-AM4R
Customer:
|- Russian Satellite Communications Company
Prime contractor:
|- Airbus Defense and Space (ex-EADS Astrium)
Platform:
|- Eurostar-3000
Mass at Separation:
|- 5770 kg
Dry Mass:
|- ?
Stabilization:
|- 3 axis stabilized
Dimensions (stowed):
|- ?
Batteries:
|- three-section solar panels providing 14 kW of power
Payload:
|- 30 C-band transponders
- 28 Ku-band transponders
- 2 Ka-band transponders
- 3 L-band transponders
Life time:
|- 15 years
C-band coverage:
|
Ku-band coverage:
|
|
Launch Vehicle:
Proton-M / Briz-M
Prime contractor:
|- Khrunichev Space Centre
GRAU Index:
|- 8K82KM
Height:
| 58.2 m with upper stage and payload fairingDiameter:
| max 7.4 mLiftoff mass:
| 705 metric tonnesPayload mass:
| ~22 tonnes at LEO1st stage:
|- 6 X RD-275 engines
- Empty 30.6 tonnes
- Propellants 419.41 tonnes (UDMH and NTO)
- Thrust in vacuum 1069.8 tonnes of force
- Thrust at sea level 971.4 tonnes of force
2nd stage:
|- 1 X RD-0211 engine 3 X RD-0210 engines
- Empty 11.4 tonnes
- Propellants 156.113 tonnes (UDMH and NTO)
- Thrust in vacuum 237.4 tonnes of force
3rd stage:
|- 1 X RD-0213 engine & 1 X RD-0214 vernier engine
- Empty 3.7 tonnes
- Propellants 46.562 tonnes (UDMH and NTO)
- Thrust in vacuum 59.36 (core) + 3.15 (vernier) tonnes of force
Upper Stage:
|
- GRAU Index: 14S43
- Common Name: Briz-M
- Designer & Manufacturer: Khrunichev Space Centre
- Dimensions: Length 2.654 m, Diameter 4 m
- Empty Mass 2.2 tonnes
- Propellants 6 660 kg UDMH + 13 260 kg N2O4
- Flight time: no less than 24 hours
- Main Engine: 1 X 14D30
- Thrust in vacuum 2.0 tonnes of force
- ISP 328.6 s
- Main engine restarts: up to 8 times
- Precision Manoeuvering Engines: 4 X 11D458
- Thrust in vacuum 400 N each
- ISP 252 s
- RCS Engines: 12 X 17D58E
- Thrust in vacuum 13.3 N each
- ISP 274 s
Payload Fairing:
|- Diameter 4.35 m
- Length 11.6 m
The vehicle's reliability statistics according to http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/log2014.html#rate:
Code:
================================================================
Vehicle Successes/Tries Realzd Pred Consc. Last Dates
Rate Rate* Succes Fail
================================================================
Proton-M/Briz-M 68 74 .92 .91 12 12/08/12 2001-Proton-M Ascent Profile
The Proton-M first three stages place the orbital unit (OU), which consists of a Breeze-M upper stage, adapter system and the Express-AM4R satellite, into a 51.5° inclination suborbital trajectory.
Proton-M powered flight lasts 582 seconds. The OU powered flight begins at the moment of the third stage separation.
Immediately after the separation of the third stage booster, the Breeze-M stability engines start, damping the angular velocities of the third stage separation and then providing orbital unit orientation and stability during coast flight along a suborbital trajectory to await the first burn. The upper stage follows a five-burn injection profile.
Express-AM4R Ascent Timeline
Ignition Start Sequence|-00:00:02.5|21:41:57.5|
Stage 1 Ignition (40% thrust)|-00:00:01.75|21:41:58.25|
Command Stage 1 (100% thrust)|-00:00:00.9|21:41:59.1|
Maximum Dynamic Pressure|00:01:02|21:43:02|
1st/2nd Stage Separation|00:02:00|21:44:00|
2nd/3rd Stage Separation|00:05:27|21:47:27|
Payload Fairing Separation|00:05:47|21:47:47|
3rd Stage/Breeze M Separation|00:09:42|21:51:42|
1st Burn Ignition|00:11:16|21:53:16|
1st Burn Shutdown|00:15:47|21:57:47|1st Burn's Duration 00:04:31
2nd Burn Ignition|01:07:33|22:49:33|
2nd Burn Shutdown|01:25:17|23:07:17|2nd Burn's Duration 00:17:44
3rd Burn Ignition|03:28:12|01:10:12|
3rd Burn Shutdown|03:40:27|01:22:27|3rd Burn's Duration 00:12:15
APT Jettison|03:41:17|01:23:17|
4th Burn Ignition|03:42:44|01:24:44|
4th Burn Shutdown|03:47:55|01:29:55|4th Burn's Duration 00:05:11
5th Burn Ignition|08:53:08|06:35:08|
5th Burn Shutdown|09:00:04|06:42:04|5th Burn's Duration 00:06:56
Express-AM4R Separation|09:13:00|06:55:00|
Weather forecast for Baikonur, Kazakhstan on May 16, 2014 (3 a.m.)
Clear skies. Low 20C. Winds NE at 15 to 30 kph.
3 AM|23°C|1°C|24%|0%|0%|3%|1014 hPa|16 km/h ENE|
References
http://www.federalspace.ru
http://tvroscosmos.ru
http://www.khrunichev.ru
http://tihiy.fromru.com/Rn/RN_Proton.htm
http://www.satbeams.net
http://rscc.ru
http://www.astrium.eads.net/en/programme/express-am4r-and-express-am7.html
http://space.skyrocket.de
http://www.tsenki.com
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com
http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru
http://www.spacelaunchreport.com
http://english.wunderground.com/q/locid:KZXX0055
Last edited:
! Maybe it'll fix it!
