SOYUZ\ISS MISSION UPDATES

[ryan]

Hopefully it will, or NASA TV might air it.

 

[MJR]

I think I saw a Soyuz launch on NASA TV before I was about to go to school one morning. I think they will.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Is there any place i can watch the countdown? is the RKA tv or something.

Well, here it is:

The official launch time for the TMA-12 is:
08.04.2008, 15:16:35 MSD
April 8, 2008, 11:16:35 GMT
April 8, 2008, 7:16:35 A.M. EDT

You can quickly make your own countdown clock. Write a couple lines of code or use an existing software, such as:
http://countdown.safe-install.com/

 

[SiberianTiger]

The Soyuz-FG launch vehicle which is to carry Soyuz TMA-12 space ship into orbit has been rolled out and erected on the "Gagarin's" launch pad in Area 1 of Baikonur Cosmodrome today.

Some more rollout images are to follow.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Pictures of the Saturday's LV intergration in the assembly building:

Notice the FG in front of the picture: this one is intended either for GIOVE-B launch at April, 27 or the Progress M-64 launch at May, 14. You can see that the upper and lower halves of the core stage had not been attached together yet. This section is done to make it possible to transport the rocket parts from Samara to Baikonur by railways.

 

[ryan]

Here we go, im going to put updates on my Pointless Fact thread if that's ok Tiger? I cant wait, this will be my first Russian Space Luanch that i had followed closley.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Pictures of the Sunday's rollout and rocket's erection on the pad:

 

[ryan]

I find rollouts very boring.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Here we go, im going to put updates on my Pointless Fact thread if that's ok Tiger?

Why should I object?

 

[ryan]

No reason to object.

 

[SiberianTiger]

I find rollouts very boring.

I find them cool. Do you want me to stop posting notes on launch preparations and just post a short notice that a rocket blasted off? BTW, the time it takes for a Soyuz from beginning of vehicle assembling to launch, including standing on the pad, is fairly shorter than the one it takes for a shuttle.

 

[unussapiens]

No, please keep posting, it's interesting stuff, and you have some great pics (Any chance you could tell us where you get them?).

Keep up the good work SiberianTiger

 

[Urwumpe]

I find them cool. Do you want me to stop posting notes on launch preparations and just post a short notice that a rocket blasted off? BTW, the time it takes for a Soyuz from beginning of vehicle assembling to launch, including standing on the pad, is fairly shorter than the one it takes for a shuttle.

Actually, the time to assemble a R7 launcher is even shorter than for a contemporary western launcher Ariane V or Atlas V. The R7 once managed almost two launches per week for a year - with all launch vehicles coming from the same plant.

But I personally must say, that the assembly of the Shuttle has the more interesting steps. :lol:

 

[SiberianTiger]

No, please keep posting, it's interesting stuff, and you have some great pics (Any chance you could tell us where you get them?).

No big secret: the sources are are http://www.federalspace.ru/, http://www.energia.ru/ and sometimes http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/
Note that Enegria's site has a good deal of translated content in the news.

 

[SiberianTiger]

RussiaToday channel video: Soyuz undergoes final checks

http://www.russiatoday.ru/scitech/news/23110/video

Sorry, don't have an idea if these video streams can be embedded in the forum page like youtube's.

 

[SiberianTiger]

RussiaToday channel's video: Soyuz crew enjoy old movie before take-off

http://www.russiatoday.ru/scitech/news/23148/video

 

[SiberianTiger]

NASA TV's live launch coverage announced

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/MM_NTV_Breaking.html

April 8, Tuesday
6:15 a.m. - ISS Expedition 17/Spaceflight Participant Launch Coverage from Baikonur, Kazakhstan (launch scheduled at 7:16 a.m. ET) - JSC (All Channels)

 

[SiberianTiger]

The launch day schedule

Reminding that the set launch time for the TMA-12 is:
08.04.2008, 17:16:35 Baikonur local time
08.04.2008, 15:16:35 MSD
April 8, 2008, 11:16:35 GMT
April 8, 2008, 7:16:35 A.M. EDT

The launch day events will follow this schedule:

Т-05:30:00 - The State Committee's session to make a decision to begin fueling of the LV
Т-05:15:00 - The primary and backup crews arrive at the Area 254
Т-05:00:00 - Fueling of the Soyuz-FG rocket begins
Т-04:20:00 - The primary crew begins spacesuit donning
Т-03:40:00 - Meeting of the primary crew with The State Commitee's members, technical staff, Roscosmos representatives, Republic of Korea delegation and families.
Т-03:05:00 - The bus will depart carrying the Cosmonauts of the Soyuz TMA-12 from the Area 254 to Area 1
Т-02:45:00 - The bus makes a technical stop :rofl:
Т-02:00:00 - Crew take seats in the capsule, launch sequence begins

 

[SiberianTiger]

Last day's video reports links

In English:
http://www.russiatoday.ru/scitech/news/23185/video
In Russian:
http://www.vesti.ru/cvideo.html?id=127765

 

[SiberianTiger]

NASA press kit for the ISS Expedition 17

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition17/index.html