Launch News Galileo IOV-3/4 on Soyuz-2-1b/Fregat, October 12, 2012

[Cosmic Penguin]

While all eyes are still on the "Falcon 8" rofl and what happened on Sunday night, the good old master of the all-kerosene rocket club is making another flight again on Friday. It will be a tense moment though, because the last flight of the most powerful variant of the R-7 family ended in embarrassing failure last December, and the passengers on Arianespace flight VS03 are the second of two pairs of in-orbit testing satellites for the European Galileo navigation system, now lagging behind schedule for years but finally almost ready for large scale deployment. Barring weather and technological constraints, we should see a beautiful afternoon liftoff from the rain-forests of the northern Amazon on Friday.

Launch location:

Kourou ELS 5°18'18"N 52°50'02"W

Launch dates and times:

[table="head"]{colsp=7}Launch times (updated)
Time Zone|Australia - Sydney/AEST|Moscow / MSK/ UTC+4|CEDT UTC+2|Universal / UTC|Washington / EDT|French Guiana

Launch time:|05:15:01|22:15:01|20:15:01 |18:15:01|14:15:01|15:15:01

on:|Oct. 13, 2012|Oct. 12, 2012|Oct. 12, 2012|Oct. 12, 2012|Oct. 12, 2012|Oct. 12, 2012


{colsp=7}[highlight][eventTimer]2012-10-12 18:15:01?before|after;%dd% Days %hh% Hours %mm% Minutes %ss% Seconds %c%[/eventTimer] Galileo IOV-3/4 Launch[/highlight][/table]

Live Coverage

• http://www.arianespace.tv/ - begins 20 minutes before the launch

PAYLOADS 1/2

Galileo IOV-3/4 navigation satellites

The outcome of the first partnership between ESA and the European Commission, the 30-satellite Galileo navigation system will provide high-quality positioning, navigation and timing services to users across the whole world as a civil-controlled service offering guaranteed continuity of coverage.

Galileo’s Development and In-Orbit Validation phase was initiated in late 2003. This phase aims to perform an in-orbit validation of the system using a reduced constellation of four Galileo In-Orbit Validation (IOV) satellites – the minimum number to guarantee the provision of exact positioning and timing at test locations – in combination with Galileo’s terrestrial network of ground stations.

The first two IOV satellites were launched on 21 October 2011, with the next two following them in 2012. The four satellites perform a dual role, serving as a validation of the overall Galileo system while also being part the operational Galileo constellation – each IOV satellite being designed for a full 12-year lifespan providing navigation services to users worldwide.

Following launch of the IOV satellites, ESA’s ground station at Redu in Belgium will be employed first for the Launch and Early Phase (LEOP) and then, once the four satellites are operational, for the In-Orbit Test (IOT) programme.

This test programme will verify the performance of the navigation payload for the navigation signal: both the downlink (from the satellite, broadcast to users) and the uplink (from Galileo’s Ground Mission Segment, broadcast to the satellites for rebroadcast to users).
The results will be crucial to Galileo’s success, used to set benchmarks for their operational life and used as a reference across the entire Galileo constellation.

[table="head"]Characteristics|Values
Orbit| Medium-Earth orbit, altitude 23222 km, inclination 55.345°
Weight at launch|700 kg
Size (with solar wings stowed)|3.02 x 1.58 x 1.59 m
Size (with solar wings deployed)|2.74 x 14.5 x 1.59 m
Available power|1420 watts (sunlight) / 1355 watts (in eclipse)
Design life|more than 12 years
Prime contractor|EADS Astrium (platform) / Thales Alenia Space (assembly and testing)
Navigation payload|

• Two Passive Hydrogen Maser atomic clocks
• Two Rubidium atomic clocks
• Clock monitoring and control unit
• Navigation signal generator unit
• L-band antenna for navigation signal transmission
• C-band antenna for up-link signal detection
• Two S-band antennas for telemetry and tele-commands
• Search and rescue antenna

[/table]

Launch Vehicle:

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

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

Soyuz-2.1b​

Prime contractor:​

|

• Samara Space Sentre (Energia Holding enterprise)
  

GRAU Index:​

|

• 14A14

Height:​

| 51.1 m

Diameter:​

| max 10.3 m

Liftoff mass:​

| 313 metric tonnes

Payload mass:​

| up to 7835 kg (a launch to LEO from Plesetsk)

1st stage (boosters B, V, G, D):​

|

• 4 X RD-107 engines
• Propellants (T-1 Kerosene and LOX)
• Thrust/ISP in vacuum - / 320.2 s
• Thrust/ISP at sea level 85.6 tonnes / 263.3 s

2nd stage (core A):​

|

• 1 X RD-108 engine
• Propellants (T-1 Kerosene and LOX)
• Thrust/ISP in vacuum 94 tonnes / 320.6 s
• Thrust/ISP at sea level 80.8 tonnes / 257.7 s

3rd stage (block I):​

|

• 1 X RD-0124 engine
• Propellants (T-1 Kerosene and LOX)
• Thrust/ISP in vacuum 30.00 tonnes / 359 s

Upper Stage:​

|

• GRAU Index: -
• Common Name: Fregat (meaning Frigate)
• Designer & Manufacturer: Lavochkin Association (NPO)
• Dimensions: Length 2.4 m, Diameter (max) 3.350 m
• Empty Mass 930 kg
• Propellants 5250 kg max

• Main Engine: 1 X S5.92
• Thrust in vacuum 2.0 tonnes of force (full power)
• Thrust in vacuum 1.4 tonnes of force (small power)
• ISP 333.2 s

Payload Fairing:​

|

• Diameter 3.7 m
• Length 7.7 m

[/table]
[/table]

The launch vehicle's reliability standings

According to http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/log2012.html#rate:

================================================================ 
Vehicle     Successes/Tries Realzd Pred  Consc. Last     Dates    
                             Rate  Rate* Succes Fail    
================================================================
Soyuz 2-1b/Fregat 6     7    .86  .78      0    12/23/11 2006-

Ascent profile

Weather Forecast for Sinnamary, French Guiana on October 12, 2012 (3 p.m.)

Overcast with a chance of rain, then a chance of a thunderstorm and rain in the afternoon. High of 32C with a heat index of 36C. Breezy. Winds from the ESE at 15 to 20 km/h. Chance of rain 50%.

References

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Galileo_IOV/
http://www.arianespace.com
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com
http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru
http://www.forum-conquete-spatiale.fr
http://www.spacelaunchreport.com
http://www.samspace.ru
http://www.laspace.ru
http://english.wunderground.com

 

[Notebook]

ARIANESPACE FLIGHT VS03 / GALILEO IOV-2 FM3 & FM4

http://www.arianespace.tv/


mhtml:{7B50D47F-4EEF-4D5E-8F1A-67B5CA1E7111}mid://00000137/!x-usc:http://www.videocorner.tv/

LANCEMENT ARIANESPACE VS03 / GALILEO IOV-2 FM3 et FM4​

La Revue d'Aptitude au Lancement (RAL) s'est déroulée le jeudi 11 octobre 2012 à Centre Spatial Guyanais et a autorisé les opérations de chronologie pour le Vol Soyuz ST-b– GALILEO IOV-2 FM3 et FM4.
Pour son troisième lancement Soyuz depuis le Centre Spatial Guyanais, Arianespace mettra en orbite deux nouveaux satellites de la constellation européenne Galileo.
Avec Soyuz au Centre Spatial Guyanais, et avec Ariane 5 et Vega, Arianespace est le seul opérateur au monde à lancer toutes les charges vers toutes les orbites, des plus petits aux plus grands satellites géostationnaires, des grappes de satellites pour les constellations à la déserte de la Station spatiale internationale.
Le lancement sera effectué depuis l'Ensemble de Lancement Soyuz (ELS) en Guyane française, à un instant précis:

18:15:01 (UTC) le jeudi 20 octobre 2011
15:15:01 (Heure de Guyane)
20:15:01 (Heure de Paris)
14:15:01 (Heure de Washington, DC)
22:15:01 (Heure de Moscou)

mhtml:{7B50D47F-4EEF-4D5E-8F1A-67B5CA1E7111}mid://00000137/!x-usc:http://www.arianespace.tv/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARIANESPACE FLIGHT VS03 / GALILEO IOV-2 FM3 & FM4​

THE LAUNCH READINESS REVIEW (RAL) took place in Kourou on Thursday October 11, 2012 and authorized count-down operations for the Soyuz ST-b – GALILEO IOV-2 FM3 & FM4 launch.
For its third Soyuz launch from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana, Arianespace will place two new satellites of the Galileo constellation into circular orbit at 23,000 km, as part of the IOV (In Orbit Validation) program.
With the successful Soyuz launch from the Guiana Space Center, along with Ariane 5 and Vega, Arianespace is now the only launch services provider in the world capable of launching all types of payloads to all orbits, from the smallest to the largest geostationary satellites, along with clusters of satellites for constellations and missions to support the International Space Station.
The launch will be from the Soyuz Launch Complex (ELS) in Sinnamary, French Guiana.
Liftoff is scheduled for Friday, October 12, at exactly:

03:15:01 pm local time in French Guiana
18:15:01 in UTC
02:15:01 pm in Washington, D.C.
08:15:01 pm in Paris
10:15:01 pm in Moscow.

http://www.arianespace.tv/

N.
EDIT thanks for the merger, did a search, didn't find this thread.

 

[orb]

DLR: Two more satellites for the Galileo system

ESA:

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f2PfeDbJU8"][Soyuz] Processing Highlights & Rollout for Third Soyuz from French Guiana [/ame]

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

And here we go!

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now:

• Mission Status Center
  
  
• Soyuz rocket set to deploy two Galileo satellites
  
  
• Soyuz countdown timeline
  
  
• Soyuz launch timeline
  
  
• PHOTOS: Soyuz rolls to French Guiana launch pad

NASASpaceflight: Soyuz ST-B set to loft Galileo twins to orbit

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Wow! Daylight Korolev's cross from down under the Amazon!

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Nail-biting moment: RD-0124 now firing...

 

[mahdavi3d]

successful firing...

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Blok-I A-OK, now off to the Fregat to finish up!

 

[N_Molson]

T+ 24 minutes 35 seconds : first Fregat-NT engine shutdown.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Fregat cut off as expected. Now in a 3 hours coasting phase. The Fregat orbit circulation burn is scheduled at 21:49 UTC with satellites separation at 21:59 UTC.

 

[orb]

Video replays of the launch

SpaceVidsNet:

Alternate camera angles:

ESA:

 

[orb]

The satellites successfully separated a couple of minutes ago, after good 2nd Fregat burn, and control center in Toulouse has received first signals from them.


ESA: Deployment of Europe’s Galileo constellation continues

Click on image to enlarge

12 October 2012: Soyuz lifts off for the third time from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on its mission to place the second pair of Galileo In-Orbit Validation satellites into orbit.

Credits: ESA–S. Corvaja, 2012​

Arianespace: Keeping up the Arianespace launcher family pace: Soyuz orbits two Galileo satellites

Spaceflight Now:

• Twin navigation satellites launched by Soyuz rocket
  
  
• PHOTOS: Soyuz success boosts Europe's GPS

RIA Novosti: Russia Orbits Two European Galileo-IOV Navigation Satellites

 

[orb]

Astrium: Galileo IOV satellites 3 and 4 now fully deployed into orbit

 

[Zachstar]

Congrats to them on the good launch!

It is amazing that once this is up the sheer number of birds that a modern GPS device will be able to track.

It has gotten to the point where a phone can take you back to where you have parked in a busy lot.

 

[orb]

ESA:
Galileo launch and early orbit phase report

26 October 2012

A week after the dual liftoff from Kourou, French Guiana, the two latest Galileo satellites completed the critical Launch and Early Orbit Phase on 19/20 October.

The FM3 and FM4 satellites were handed over from the joint ESA/CNES Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) team in Toulouse, France, to the Galileo Control Centre, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, from where Spaceopal will manage the operations of the Galileo constellation.

Following liftoff at 18:15 GMT on 12 October, the intensive LEOP activities began upon separation of the satellites from the Fregat upper stage of their Soyuz launcher, with the first signals being received from the pair almost four hours later.

The handovers took place at 06:00 GMT on 19 October for FM4 and at 18:10 GMT on 20 October for FM3. During the week, LEOP operations proceeded according to the planned sequence.

Three orbit manoeuvres were conducted for each satellite to start them on drift orbits towards their operational positions, where they are expected to arrive on 10 November (FM3) and 12 November (FM4) after a series of drift-stop and fine-positioning manoeuvres.

The satellites were configured into a secure mode shortly after handover. While underway to their final positions, they will also undergo a series of tests to confirm the performance of their subsystems before switching on the payload.

{...}

 

[orb]

ESA:
Third Galileo satellite begins transmitting navigation signal

4 December 2012

Europe’s third Galileo satellite has transmitted its first test navigation signals back to Earth. The two Galileo satellites launched last October have reached their final orbital position and are in the midst of testing.

The third Galileo Flight Model, known as FM3, transmitted its first test navigation signal in the E1 band on 1 December, the band being used for Galileo’s freely available Open Service interoperable with GPS.

Then, on the morning of 4 December, the satellite broadcast signals across all three Galileo bands – E1, E5 and E6.

[table="head;width=200"]

Click on image to enlarge​

The first test navigation signal from the third Galileo satellite, FM3, received at ESA's Redu centre in Belgium on 1 December 2012 and signed by the In-Orbit Test team.

Credits: ESA​

[/table]​

{...}

 

[orb]

ESA: Redu activates third Galileo satnav payload:

6 December 2012

For the first time, a Galileo payload has been activated directly from the ESA Redu Centre, located in the heart of Belgium’s Ardennes forest.

{...}

Redu is specially equipped for Galileo testing, with a 15 m-diameter S-band antenna to upload commands and receive telemetry from the satellite, and a 20 m-diameter L-band dish to monitor the shape and quality of navigation signals at high resolution.

“This marked the very first time that a Galileo payload was activated directly from ESA’s Redu Centre,” explains Marco Falcone, overseeing the campaign effort as Galileo’s System Manager.

{...}