Meteor-M, Sumbandila etc, atop Soyuz-2-1b / Fregat on September 17, 2009

[SiberianTiger]

Launch site: Baikonur
Launch date: September 17, 2009

The launch time is:
21 : 55 : 00 Baikonur 17.09.2009
19 : 55 : 00 Moscow Local 17.09.2009
15 : 55 : 00 UTC September 17, 2009
11 : 55 : 00 a.m. EDT September 17, 2009

Payload 1:


Spacecraft: Meteor-M

Manufacturer: Moscow Engineering Physics Institute and the Research Institute for Electromechanics (VNIIEM)

Meteor-M satellites are a new generation of russian meteorological satelllites. They will feature following instruments:

* MSU-MR - Global and regional for cloud cover mapping
* KMSS - multichannel scanning unit for Earth surface monitoring
* MTVZA - imager/sounder for Atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles, sea surface wind
* Severjanin - SAR for Ice monitoring
* GGAK-M - Solar physics module
* SSPD - Data relay for 150 ground stations
* M, DM, SM bands trancievers

Right now Russian satellite constellation does not comprise any weather satellites. Meteor-M should begin replenishing it.

Meteor-M specifications

Parameter|Value
Application|Meteorology
Orbit|Sun-Sync, alt 832 km, inc 98.77°, period 101.3 min
Mass|2700 kg
Payload Mass|No less than 1200 kg
Medium power consumption|1.4 kW
Orientaion|3-axis; orientation precision 10'; stabilization precision 10e-4"
Lifetime|5 years

Payload 2:

Spacecraft: Sumbandila (ZA-002)

Manufacturer: SunSpace in cooperation with the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa)

http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/business/2009/0906021038.asp?S=IT in Government&A=ITG&O=google

The name means showing or pointing the way. Freely translated into English "Pathfinder".

The main payload is a multi-spectral imager with a 6.5m Ground Sampling Distance (GSD) with 6 spectral bands and will be supported by an on-board storage of 6 Gigabyte, expandable to 24 Gigabyte. In additions there are several experimental payloads.

The mission of the project is the development and growth of people and institutions, providing satellite data for applications addressing the needs of society and understanding the modalities of a small satellite programme in order to inform the space policy process in South Africa.

Parameter|Value
Application|Earth imaging
Orbit|Sun-Sync
Mass|60 kg
Lifetime|3 years

Payload 3:

Spacecraft: University Satellite Tatiana 2

Manufacturer: Moscow Engineering Physics Institute and the Research Institute for Electromechanics (VNIIEM)

http://space.msu.ru/projects/planned/Tatyana2/

The project is developed by the collaboration of the Universities and the Institutes of Russia, Korea and Mexico.

The main purpose of the experiment is study of interaction of the atmospere, ionospere and magnetosphere of the Earth by means of the orbital detectors. SINP MSU is traditionally involved in this research.

Sceintific equipment of the satellite:
1. Detector of ultraviolet and red radiation.
2. Scintillation detector of the charged particles flux.
3. Detector MTEL for study of transient events.

The project is sponsored by Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Payload 4:

Spacecraft: UGATUSAT

Manufacturer: Polyot Enterprise, Omsk

http://ru.microsat.ru/index.php?page=ugat_usat&category=satellite

UGATUSAT is a microsatellite developed by UGATU (Ufa State Aviation Technical University) on a budget of 115 million rubles. The 30 kg satellite features a earth observation camera with 50 m ground resolution.

Goals of the mission are to provide experience to the students in operating a satellite, to develop a satellite control system and to provide earth observation to monitor water and forrest resources.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Payload 5:

Spacecraft: Sterkh #2

Manufacturer: Manufacturer: Polyot Enterprise, Omsk

http://www.mcc.rsa.ru/sterh.htm

A COSPAS-SARSAT network satellite transmitting distress signals from ships and aircraft around the world to rescue centers.

Parameter|Value
Application|Search & Rescue
Orbit|LEO, alt 940 km, inc 83°, period 103.7 min
Mass|171 kg
Lifetime|5 years

Payload 6:

Spacecraft: BLITS

Manufacturer: Manufacturer: FSUE IPIE

http://ilrs.gsfc.nasa.gov/satellite_missions/list_of_satellites/blit_general.html

BLITS (Ball Lens In The Space) retroreflector satellite. The purpose of the mission is experimental verification of the spherical glass retroreflector satellite concept as well as obtaining SLR data for solution of scientific problems in geophysics, geodynamics, and relativity by millimeter and submillimeter accuracy SLR measurements.

Parameter|Value
Application|Technology
Mass|7.53 kg
Lifetime|5 years

Launcher: Soyuz-2-1A with Fregat upper stage

|"Soyuz-2" launch vehicle is a current generation R-7 family launch vehicle. It is a replacement for "Soyuz-U", "Soyuz-FG" and "Molniya-M" launch vehicles. "Soyuz-2" launch vehicle with "Fregat" upper stage can launch spacecrafts to various orbits: low, medium, high elliptical, sun-synchronous, GTO and GSO. Its main distinctions from the Soyuz-FG are new injectors on Stage I-II eniges, a digital flight control system, digital data downlink, deorbitable stage III and a new payload fairing. It's capable of launches from modified R-7 launch complexes.

Manufacturer: Samara Space Centre

Spec|Spec Value
Number of stages|3
Liftoff mass|312 tonnes
Maximum length|46.3 m
Nose Fairing diameter|2.7 m; 3.0 m; 3.3 m; 3.715 m; 4.11 m

The 2-1b version adds an upgraded engine of the third stage with improved performance. It has some parts simplified in comarison against step 2-1a rocket, but costs more.

The upper stage: Fregat (meaning Frigate)

Manufacturer: NPO Lavochkin

The dry mass of a Fregat (as of October 2006) is 924 kg; with fuel the mass is up to 5350 kg. Current modification of the main engine has a specific impulse of 332 s and a thrust of 2018 kg. The reaction control system includes 12 engines, each having 5 kg thrust, 225 s Isp, using pure hydrazine, with mass up to 42 kg.

The payload assembly drawing:

In-orbit operations chart

(http://www.space.gov.za/eee5024f/presentations/Steyn_09_05_07_Satellite_Design.pdf)

The vehicle's reliability statistics according to http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/reliability2009.txt:

================================================================ 
Vehicle     Successes/Tries Realzd Pred  Consc. Last     Dates    
                             Rate  Rate* Succes Fail    
================================================================ 
Soyuz 2-1b/Fregat 1     1   1.00  .67      1    None     2006-

Weather forecast for Baikonur, Kazakhstan on September 15, 2009

Hi: 19°
Lo: 11°
Scattered showers. There is a 10% chance of precipitation. Mostly cloudy. Mild. Temperature of 19°C. Winds NE 12km. Humidity will be 51% with a dewpoint of 9° and feels-like temperature of 19°C.

Watching the launch live

Streaming video coverage will be available tomorrow shortly before the launch with Russian narration by the following link (a public TV channel):

High Quality
http://www.vesti.ru/video1.asx?vid=onair
Low Quality
http://www.vesti.ru/video1.asx?vid=onair_low

---------- Post added at 02:39 ---------- Previous post was at 02:35 ----------

Related videos

1. Spacecraft release animation

2. Works in the assembly facility

3. Attaching the upper stages assembly to the rocket core

4. Rocket rolling out and erection

 

[Jarvitä]

Quite a crowded flight.

 

[Star Voyager]

Sun-sync from Baikonur? I thought that Plesetsk was for that kind of orbit.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Sun-sync from Baikonur? I thought that Plesetsk was for that kind of orbit.

If I'm not at mistake here, the SSO-directed track from Baikonur crossing Ural Mountains was employed for the first time during the launch of European MetOp-A satellite on Oct 19, 2006:

---------- Post added at 17:41 ---------- Previous post was at 12:10 ----------

Weather satellite Meteor-M's launch has been postponed for one day, till September, 16th, because of bad weather conditions. Launch time TBD.

---------- Post added at 20:35 ---------- Previous post was at 17:41 ----------

The exact cause of postponement is detected high gradient of wind speeds along the altitudes, not weather conditions on the ground.

 

[Star Voyager]

Thanks! Launch resceduled for 11:55 a.m. EDT, 1555 GMT on the 16th .

 

[SiberianTiger]

Thanks! Launch resceduled for 11:55 a.m. EDT, 1555 GMT on the 16th .

Cool, thanks, but isn't 15 GMT or UTC the same as 10 EDT?

 

[Star Voyager]

Here's what Spaceflightnow says:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html

 

[DaveS]

Cool, thanks, but isn't 15 GMT or UTC the same as 10 EDT?

No. EDT is UTC+5. EST is UTC+4.

 

[simonpro]

No. EDT is UTC+5. EST is UTC+4.

Err, EDT isn't UTC+5. Anyway, you're wrong. EDT is UTC-4. EST is UTC-5.

Therefore kl15 UTC is kl11 EDT and kl10 EST.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Two video stream sources currently showing the pre-launch state:

http://www.tv-tsenki.com/live.php

http://www.tv-tsenki.com/live3.php

---------- Post added at 19:18 ---------- Previous post was at 19:15 ----------

Very nice ambient sound

---------- Post added at 19:49 ---------- Previous post was at 19:18 ----------

Scrub! :thumbsdown: The launch is postponed till tomorrow. Now they will also have to dump propellants.

---------- Post added at 20:38 ---------- Previous post was at 19:49 ----------

Weather forecast for Baikonur, Kazakhstan on September 17, 2009

Hi: 21°
Lo: 9°
There is a 0% chance of precipitation. Partly cloudy. Mild. Temperature of 21°C. Winds N 14km. Humidity will be 40% with a dewpoint of 7° and feels-like temperature of 21°C.

---------- Post added 17-09-09 at 11:34 ---------- Previous post was 16-09-09 at 20:38 ----------

The final decision on whether the rocket carrying Meteor-M and the company will launch today (or be postponed for some more time) is not yet taken. However, Baikonur services are preparing to support both launches tonight. TSENKI will be doing video coverage of them.

---------- Post added at 17:46 ---------- Previous post was at 11:34 ----------

Jungle telegraph says that the cause for the yesterday's scrub was underfueling of the rocket by Kerosene because of a cover plug not unplugged in a fueling duct. It's all clear for launch today.

---------- Post added at 19:42 ---------- Previous post was at 17:46 ----------

The report is ON AIR again, -12 minutes and counting.

http://www.tv-tsenki.com/live.php

http://www.tv-tsenki.com/live3.php

---------- Post added at 19:43 ---------- Previous post was at 19:42 ----------

People have evacuated from the launch pad.

---------- Post added at 19:52 ---------- Previous post was at 19:43 ----------

The rocket stopped fuming - drain valves are closed.

---------- Post added at 19:52 ---------- Previous post was at 19:52 ----------

1 minute

---------- Post added at 19:55 ---------- Previous post was at 19:52 ----------

Liftoff!

---------- Post added at 19:57 ---------- Previous post was at 19:55 ----------

There is a 1st stage (boosters) separation.

---------- Post added at 20:00 ---------- Previous post was at 19:57 ----------

Video report ended

---------- Post added at 20:13 ---------- Previous post was at 20:00 ----------

A user from Baikonur has just posted this pic! In the lower right corner is the Proton launch complex with the rocket carrying Nimiq-5 sat, ready to lift off in about 3 hours!

---------- Post added at 20:29 ---------- Previous post was at 20:13 ----------

ROSCOSMOS: The upper stage separation at 20:04 MSK; the upper composite is in the orbit with apogee altitude of 211 km.

---------- Post added at 21:38 ---------- Previous post was at 20:29 ----------

5 minutes before the final payload separation.

---------- Post added at 23:18 ---------- Previous post was at 21:38 ----------

ROSCOSMOS: Reporting of a good separation of all the payloads put into orbut during the clustered launch. TSUP-M reports acquiring a telemetry from Sterkh #12L.

---------- Post added at 23:21 ---------- Previous post was at 23:18 ----------

Thousands of people in Ural cities are shocked at view of the rocket roaming through the upper atmoshpere... :lol:

And congratulations go the long way to South Africa for getting their second national satellite!

 

[Star Voyager]

Fantastic! 3 hours and 24 minutes later...

 

[SiberianTiger]

Fantastic! 3 hours and 24 minutes later...

This is not a record breaking, though.

May 13, 1987 at 05:39 Moscow: Cosmos-1844 atop Zenit-2 (17973 / 1987 041А), Baikonur launch complex 45

May 13, 1987 at 06:00 Moscow: Cosmos-1845 atop Soyuz-U (17975 / 1987 042А), Baikonur launch complex 31

Here is the official launch video of Meteor-M:

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiO0_t-wroo&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube down for maintenance[/nomedia]

---------- Post added at 15:54 ---------- Previous post was at 14:24 ----------

I was just advised that there was one even more amazing example of two consecutive launches:

07/04/1961 at 07:00 - R-7A (8К74) performing ICBM test, Baikonur launch complex 31
07/04/1961 at 23:20 - R-7A (8К74) performing ICBM test, Baikonur launch complex 31

---------- Post added at 17:22 ---------- Previous post was at 15:54 ----------

Two more related Roscosmos videos are published

Payload post-arrival activities

 

[SiberianTiger]

An article and an interview related to launching of the 1st Meteor-M satellite published in Rossiyskiy Kosmos magazine (English translation).

http://tvroscosmos.ru/frm/zhurnal/1009_1engl.php

 

[SiberianTiger]

Cloud cover observation images received yesterday from off Meteor-M satellite.

Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea:

Scandinavia: