This has been my first real time mission. It was very nice and so I decided to post it.
I used the add-on [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=4331"]Real Time Update[/ame].
Target
To put an MTKSSAT in a geo-stationary orbit over Luigi Broglio Space Centre, launching from the same location.
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Marco_platform"]Broglio Space Centre - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
Vectors and vehicles
Atlas 421
MTKSSAT
Status
Completed
Launch date
UT 03/20/2010, 13.30
Data
Inclination: 23.45°
Longitude of asc. node: 180°
Alt radius: 42'160 km
PeA & ApA: 35'790 km
Updates
T-15 - Holding…
UT 13.30 - Launch
UT 13.31.14 - Separation of SRB boosters
UT 13.32.53 - Separation of fairings
UT 13.33.51 - SECentaur separated from the launcher
UT 13.37.33 - Alt: 162.2; getting orbit
UT 13.39.51 - Reached stable orbit; alt: 153.3
UT 13.41.32 - Atlas vector touches the sea; location: -2.584986, 64.857951
UT 13.44 - SECentaur is waiting for the burn; the sunset is vanishing
UT 13.56 - All systems nominal
UT 14.20 - SECentaur at 180° from SM platform
UT 14.35 - Flying over the Americas
UT 14.36 - Prograde direction
UT 14.38.11 - Burn started at 112° from target location
UT 14.43.17 - Target ApA reached; we're in GTO
UT 14.45 - Travelling at 9'630 m/s
UT 14.47.00 - Little correction of ApA with linear thrusters
UT 15.23.44 - Little correction of ApA; Earth slowly moves away
UT 16.06 - Orbiting; SECentaur and the satellite are working correctly
UT 18.12.53 - Little correction of ApA; Earth is really small, we are at an altitude of 32'650Km
UT 18.40.02 - Taking antinormal direction for the alignment operation
UT 18.47 - 600 seconds ca. to the alignment correction opportunity
UT 18.57.50 - Target inclination reached
UT 19.01.42 - 3'300 seconds to the apogee
UT 19.46 - Reaching the apogee; prograde direction, we are ready for the burn
UT 19.56.16 - Burn started
UT 20.13.31 - After some post-burn corrections, SECentaur successfully reached GSO
UT 20.25 - 16% of fuel in the SECentaur's tank
UT 20.33.02 - Satellite released
UT 20.41.14 - SECentaur in retrograde position; ready to fall on Earth
UT 20.45.59 - SECentaur set to fall back; PeA: 31k
UT 20.55.05 - MTKSSAT powered up; mission accomplished
UT 03/21/2010, 02.03 - SECentaur crashes into the atmosphere at 01.55.35
Some screenshots
After the burn for GTO insert:
Reaching apogee:
GSO reached:
View of the SECentaur in its GSO orbit:
Satellite released and powered up:
Of course I've powered up the satellite editing the scenario, because this was an unmanned mission and the MTKSSAT needs an EVA to be activated.
To reach a perfect value for the eccentricity you have to calculate correctly when to start the re-entry (for the GSO insert). The most important thing, I've noticed, is that you have to have the apogee to be ever after your current position in orbit, so you can do corrections using linear thrusters. If you have already passed the apogee, you can't succede in getting a zero eccentricity, so you have to wait an orbit, but doing this you clearly miss your target point on Earth.
I used the add-on [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=4331"]Real Time Update[/ame].
Target
To put an MTKSSAT in a geo-stationary orbit over Luigi Broglio Space Centre, launching from the same location.
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Marco_platform"]Broglio Space Centre - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
Vectors and vehicles
Atlas 421
MTKSSAT
Status
Completed
Launch date
UT 03/20/2010, 13.30
Data
Inclination: 23.45°
Longitude of asc. node: 180°
Alt radius: 42'160 km
PeA & ApA: 35'790 km
Updates
T-15 - Holding…
UT 13.30 - Launch
UT 13.31.14 - Separation of SRB boosters
UT 13.32.53 - Separation of fairings
UT 13.33.51 - SECentaur separated from the launcher
UT 13.37.33 - Alt: 162.2; getting orbit
UT 13.39.51 - Reached stable orbit; alt: 153.3
UT 13.41.32 - Atlas vector touches the sea; location: -2.584986, 64.857951
UT 13.44 - SECentaur is waiting for the burn; the sunset is vanishing
UT 13.56 - All systems nominal
UT 14.20 - SECentaur at 180° from SM platform
UT 14.35 - Flying over the Americas
UT 14.36 - Prograde direction
UT 14.38.11 - Burn started at 112° from target location
UT 14.43.17 - Target ApA reached; we're in GTO
UT 14.45 - Travelling at 9'630 m/s
UT 14.47.00 - Little correction of ApA with linear thrusters
UT 15.23.44 - Little correction of ApA; Earth slowly moves away
UT 16.06 - Orbiting; SECentaur and the satellite are working correctly
UT 18.12.53 - Little correction of ApA; Earth is really small, we are at an altitude of 32'650Km
UT 18.40.02 - Taking antinormal direction for the alignment operation
UT 18.47 - 600 seconds ca. to the alignment correction opportunity
UT 18.57.50 - Target inclination reached
UT 19.01.42 - 3'300 seconds to the apogee
UT 19.46 - Reaching the apogee; prograde direction, we are ready for the burn
UT 19.56.16 - Burn started
UT 20.13.31 - After some post-burn corrections, SECentaur successfully reached GSO
UT 20.25 - 16% of fuel in the SECentaur's tank
UT 20.33.02 - Satellite released
UT 20.41.14 - SECentaur in retrograde position; ready to fall on Earth
UT 20.45.59 - SECentaur set to fall back; PeA: 31k
UT 20.55.05 - MTKSSAT powered up; mission accomplished
UT 03/21/2010, 02.03 - SECentaur crashes into the atmosphere at 01.55.35
Some screenshots
After the burn for GTO insert:
Reaching apogee:
GSO reached:
View of the SECentaur in its GSO orbit:
Satellite released and powered up:
Of course I've powered up the satellite editing the scenario, because this was an unmanned mission and the MTKSSAT needs an EVA to be activated.
To reach a perfect value for the eccentricity you have to calculate correctly when to start the re-entry (for the GSO insert). The most important thing, I've noticed, is that you have to have the apogee to be ever after your current position in orbit, so you can do corrections using linear thrusters. If you have already passed the apogee, you can't succede in getting a zero eccentricity, so you have to wait an orbit, but doing this you clearly miss your target point on Earth.
Last edited:
