Launch News Meridian atop Soyuz-2.1a/Fregat from Plesetsk on May 4/5, 2011

[SiberianTiger]

On May 4, Russian Space Force will launch 4th in the series Meridian satellite to work as a part of the United System of Satellite Communications 2nd generation (USSC-2) used by various governmental agencies of Russia, including the armed forces. Placed in a Molniya orbit, it provides high latitude transponder coverage, while Raduga class satellites residing in the GEO, provide global coverage. Meridian is viewed upon as a replacement for the older Molniya-3 spacecraft class.

Launch location:

Plesetsk Launch pad no. 43/4 62°55'44.06"N, 40°27'24.71"E

Launch dates and times:

[table="head"]{colsp=5}Launch times
Time Zone|Australia - Sydney/AEST|Moscow / MSKS (UTC+4)/|Universal / UTC|Washington / EDT

Launch time:|3:41:33 a.m.|21:41:33|17:41:33|1:41:33 p.m.

on:|May 5, 2011|May 4, 2011|May 4, 2011|May 4, 2011

{colsp=5}[highlight][eventTimer]2011-05-04 17:41:33?before|after;%dd% Days %hh% Hours %mm% Minutes %ss% Seconds %c%[/eventTimer] Meridian #4 Launch[/highlight][/table]

Live Coverage Of The Launch:

None available, sorry.

PAYLOAD

Meridian #4 (14F112) navigation satellite.

Spacecraft Overview

According to unofficial postings on the web, the Meridian satellite is equipped with a pressurized service module and a three-axis attitude control system. Some of the systems, including onboard flight control computer and propulsion might be similar to those developed for the Uragan-M navigation satellite. The spacecraft also sports solar panels capable of rotating themselves toward the sun, along a single axis.

Both, Uragan and Meridian satellites were developed at NPO PM in Zheleznogorsk, where the latter project apparently originated back in 1978. NPO PM developed absolute majority of Russian spacecraft for telecommunications and navigation, both military and civilian.

As with Uragan satellites, the production of operational Meridian satellites was apparently subcontracted to PO Polyot in the city of Omsk. During several aerospace exhibitions in Russia circa 2001, the organization released a photo of a satellite, which was advertised as “new” Molniya, which is a communications satellite, operating in the highly elliptical orbit.

Meridian satellites reside in Molniya orbits (900 km x 39000 km; 65°)

On May 4, 2011 fourth Meridian will be launched.

[table="head"]Characteristics|

Meridian​

Parts diagram:​

|

Customer:​

|

• Russian MoD.

Prime contractor:​

|

• JSC "Information Satellite Systems Reshetnev Company"
  

Platform:​

|

• Uragan-M (?)

Mass at Separation:​

|

• ?

Dry Mass:​

|

• ?

Stabilization:​

|

• 3 axis stabilized

Dimensions:​

|

• ?

Batteries:​

|

• ?

Life time:​

|

• 7 years

Communication Payload:​

|Believed to have three high-gain transponders. Another reported payload is low-channel Pritsep duplex communucation payload for navy users, which uses a centimetre-range wavelength.

[/table]

Launch Vehicle:

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

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

Soyuz-2.1a​

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 6830 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-0110 engine
• Propellants (T-1 Kerosene and LOX)
• Thrust/ISP in vacuum 30.38 tonnes / 326 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]


Meridian Ascent Profile

The Soyuz rocket will launch eastwards from Plesetsk and deliver the upper composite into a suborbital trajectory with the apogee of 204 kilometers and the perigee of eight kilometers. 60 seconds after separation from the third stage, the Fregat upper stage fires for the first time, entering the initial circular orbit with the altitude of 203 kilometers. 49.5 minutes after the launch, the Fregat's engine fires again for 10.5 minutes, stretching the orbit into a 290 by 39,500-kilometers ellipse. The satellite and its upper stage then coast to the high point of the orbit, where some seven hours after the launch, the Fregat fires for 15 seconds, rising perigee to 1,000 kilometers. The Meridian satellite and the Fregat upper stage then separate.

Approximate Ground Track Plot

Western part (Northern European Russia):

Eastern part (Western Siberian Russia):

It's noticeable that many Siberian towns have a good contrail viewing opportunity after sunset this Wednesday.

Cloud cover in Western Siberia at 20:00 MSKS on 04.05.2011:

Associated NOTAM's

B2103/11 - TEMPO DANGER AREA NZD025, SUBANTARCTIC REGION, IS PRESCRIBED AS FLW: ALL THAT AIRSPACE BOUNDED BY S5145.0 E16300.0 S5700.0 E17600.0 S6000.0 E17234.0 S5635.0 E16300.0 S5145.0 E16300.0 ACTIVITY: MISSILE RE-ENTRY ADMINISTERING AUTHORITY: CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY OF NEW ZEALAND. PRESCRIBED PURSUANT TO CIVIL AVIATION RULE PART 71 UNDER A DELEGATED AUTHORITY ISSUED BY THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION. SFC - FL999, DAILY 1720-1900, 04 MAY 17:20 2011 UNTIL 07 MAY 19:00 2011. CREATED: 27 APR 02:30 2011

Plot of the area reserved by the NOTAM:

Weather forecast for Plesetsk, Russia on May 4, 2011 (9 p.m.)

Time|Temps|Wind|Chill|Heat Index|UV Index|Dew Point|Relative Humidity|Precip|Snow|Clouds|Visibility|Wind|Weather
9 PM|12°C|11°C|12°C|0|Low|7°C|72%|40%|0%|41%|16KM|ESE 3.13 m/s|

Showers

Sunrise/Sunset and associated twilight times for Plesetsk on Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Times are local.

Event|Time
Astronomical twilight begins|n/a
Nautical twilight begins|n/a
Civil twilight begins|03 : 43
Sunrise|04 : 46
Transit (sun is at its highest)|13 : 15
Sunset|21 : 44
Civil twilight ends|22 : 47
Nautical twilight ends|n/a
Astronomical twilight ends|n/a

References
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com
http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru
http://space.skyrocket.de
http://www.spacelaunchreport.com
http://www.russianspaceweb.com
http://npopm.ru
http://www.samspace.ru
http://www.laspace.ru
http://www.geomidpoint.com/destination/
http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/calculators
http://www.notamdecoder.com/
http://gsak.net/google/polygoneditor.html
http://wap.marsian.borda.ru/?1-3-30-00000001-000-0-0-1171904149
http://www.intellicast.com
http://www.gismeteo.ru
http://www.good-stuff.co.uk/suntimes/sunmap.php

 

[tl8]

Hope they don't drop it short. Seems quite close to NZ and Oz...

 

[orb]

There's calendar event for this launch, if anyone needs it.

 

[SiberianTiger]

A mission profile for today, made available:

[table="head"]Event|Time, Moscow Summer|Time, UTC|Duration|Shaped Orbit Inc|Shaped Orbit Pe x Ap|Shaped Orbit T
1st Burn of Fregat|21:51:21|17:51:21|23 seconds|62.8°|203 km x 203 km|88.4 min
2nd Burn of Fregat|22:27:26|18:27:26|608 seconds|62.8°|287 km x 36,313 km|642.7 min
3rd Burn of Fregat|23:58:18|19:58:18|35 seconds|62.8°|998 km x 39,712 km|724.7 min
Spacecraft Separation|23:59:23|19:59:23||||
Fregat Disposal burn|00:29:23|20:29:23|36 seconds|?|?|?
[/table]

 

[SiberianTiger]

The launch was commenced on time.

 

[SiberianTiger]

The rocket's contrail pictured as seen in Yekaterinburg, at embankment of the Iset'!

 

[SiberianTiger]

There's a first set of elements for the transfer orbit:

1 37398U 11018A   11124.78741234  .00000158  00000-0  00000+0 0    13
2 37398 062.8020 077.7979 7318345 280.1128 011.6133 02.23125098    06

 

[SiberianTiger]

There is a message of successful spacecraft separation in target orbit!

http://pda.rian.ru/science/20110505/370992840.html

 

[SiberianTiger]

A hand-cam Vid showing 2/3 stage separation over Urals. Both background voices and comments on youtube make me LOL. For example: "It was too scary for anyone who didn't know what that was, including me. I begun praying at once!"

(If only people had paid attention to correct Internet resources, like Orbiter forum, or my blog... :lol: )

 

[orb]

NASASpaceflight: Soyuz 2-1a launches with Russian Meridian 4 military satellite

Spaceflight Now: Russian military craft launched by Soyuz rocket

RIA Novosti: Russia orbits military communications satellite (this one is in English)

ITAR-TASS: Soyuz-2 carrier rocket puts in orbit Meridian spacecraft

​

 

[N_Molson]

The rocket's contrail pictured as seen in Yekaterinburg, at embankment of the Iset'!

What causes that laser-like blue beam ? Looks like the rocket jumped into a paralled dimension ! :blink:

About the above pic : wow, that's what I call a fairing !

 

[SiberianTiger]

Video of the launch in Zvezda TV report (go by the link, as the player doesn't embed):

http://www.tvzvezda.ru/news/russia/content/s_kosmodroma_plesetsk_startovala_0505.html

Plus, RT.com's report on strange light in the sky.

N.Molson: hardly there's anything here except for long exposure smearing.

 

[IronRain]

[Deleted, see posts below]

 

[SiberianTiger]

I have no idea what they are saying, but I guess they are talking about the mission and it shows the launch

Thank you, but it is that launch.

 

[IronRain]

Thank you, but it is that launch.

You see, I told ya I had no idea what they were talking about :lol:

---------- Post added at 12:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:48 PM ----------

But the descripton says that it was the Meridian...: :shrug:

A Soyuz-2-1a/Fregat rocket has launched a communications satellite for the Russian military. The rocket, carrying the fourth Meridian spacecraft, lifted off from pad 43/4 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia on Wednesday.

 

[SiberianTiger]

But the descripton says that it was the Meridian...: :shrug:

Can't be. In addition to what was said about a Glonass-K launch in the narration, you can see that the launch happens in the dark, while Meridian lifted off in almost broad polar daylight (see my lighting conditions notes in the 1st post).