Launch News Soyuz TMA-03M on December 21 2011

[diogom]

Soyuz TMA-03M is scheduled to launch to the ISS on December 21, atop a Soyuz-FG rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Pads 1/5.

Time of launch is 13:16:15 UTC (17:16:15 MSK , 08:16:15 EST)
Docking is scheduled to December 23, at 15:22 UTC (19:22 MSK , 10:22 EST)
Planned landing date is in May 2012.

It will be the Soyuz's 112th flight, third in the new TMA-M series.


The crew:

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Commander Oleg Kononenko, Roscosmos|Flight Engineer André Kuipers, ESA|Flight Engineer Donald Petit, NASA

The mission patch:

And André Kuipers' mission patch by ESA:

The crew is in Baikonur undertaking final preparations for the launch.
The spacecraft has been transported for general integration with the LV, article by RCS Energia:

(older links from Energia: Check inspection of the spacecraft , Designers inspection of spacecraft and shroud roll-out , Transfer compartment attached to Soyuz TMA-03M , more here)

NASA: Expedition 30 , Expedition 30-31 Press Kit

Spaceflight Now: Kuipers Video News Release , Soyuz crew gets comfortable aboard its capsule

ESA: PromISSe mission

NASA Spaceflight.com: Soyuz-FG launch with Soyuz TMA-03M - December 21, 2011

 

[Scruce]

Next ISS Crew in Kazakhstan (NASATelevision):

The Expedition 30/31 crew slated to lift off to the International Space Station later this month takes part in activities in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The Soyuz spacecraft that'll take NASA Flight Engineer Don Pettit, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, and astronaut Andre Kuipers of the European Space Agency to the station is scheduled to launch Dec. 21 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, then dock to the orbiting laboratory two days later.

Expedition 30 Prepares for Dec. 21 Launch (ReelNASA):

NASA astronaut Don Pettit, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and European Space Agency astronaut Andre Kuipers arrive at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to begin the final phase of preparations for their Dec. 21 launch to the International Space Station.

When their Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft docks with the station on Dec. 23, Pettit, Kononenko and Kuipers will join Expedition 30 Commander Dan Burbank of NASA and Russian Flight Engineers Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoly Ivanishin, who have been on the station since Nov. 16.

 

[orb]

Final integration, rollout

Photos from final integration and roll-out:

 

[IronRain]

Go André Kuipers!

 

[orb]

ESA:
André’s rocket rolled out

19 December 2011

The Christmas season has brought the gift of a Soyuz launcher for the PromISSe mission. ESA’s André Kuipers and his crewmates are running their final simulations and preparing to board the rocket on Wednesday to head towards the International Space Station.

The weather at the Baikonur Cosmodrome was a crisp 24ºC below zero and the cloudless sky above the Kazakh Steppe was a deep blue.

Click on image to enlarge​

On 19 December 2011, the launch vehicle for the PromISSe Mission was transferred from the Assembly and Testing Facility to the launch site (Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazahkstan).

Credits: ESA - S. Corvaja, 2011​

Respecting traditions, the rocket and its precious spacecraft on top was rolled out this morning at 07:00 local time (01:00 GMT) and moved horizontally by rail to the launch pad – the same site where Yuri Gagarin began the first human spaceflight more than 50 years ago.

“It is so cold that even microphones have a fur hat,” said André’s crewmate Don Pettit in a TV interview at the 'Cosmonaut Hotel' in Baikonur town some 30 km from the cosmodrome. Russia’s Oleg Kononenko completes the crew, as Soyuz commander.


Routine launch preparations

The rocket that will loft the Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft into orbit on 21 December was assembled over the last week at the cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Click on image to enlarge​

Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft was attached to Soyuz upper stage on 12 December in the Spacecraft Assembly and Testing Facility at the Baikonur cosmodrome.

Credits: GCTC / RSC Energia​

Roscosmos:

Once the crew had made their last fit checks inside, it was inserted into its protective fairing and rolled to the rocket’s integration and checkout facility.

The assembly was mated during the weekend with the rocket’s upper stage and the escape tower added to the nose.

Click on image to enlarge​

Soyuz TMA-03M crew posing with their launcher after a second fit check in the Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft, now being atatched to launcher in the Spacecraft Assembly and Testing Facility in Baikonur cosmodrome.

Credits: GCTC / RSC Energia​

Finally, the upper stage was bolted to the rest of the launcher.

Shortly after the rollout and the slow train ride this morning, the vehicle was erected on the pad and is now being prepared for Wednesday’s launch.


Busy crew in quarantine

André and his two colleagues are busy reviewing procedures and taking refresher classes. They are staying in the hotel’s special crew quarters, where they are allowed contact only with people certified by flight surgeons to be in good health.

Click on image to enlarge​

André and his two colleagues are busy reviewing procedures and taking refresher classes. Photo is from André's blog

Credits: NASA / ESA​

The crew are also preparing their bodies for weightlessness: they sleep with wooden blocks under the feet end of their beds. Lying heads-down helps to redistribute the fluids in their bodies like in space.

Normally, gravity pulls blood and other fluids to the lower part of the body, but in space they distribute evenly, giving astronauts a characteristic puffy face, for example.

Click on image to enlarge​

Wooden blocks under the feet end of the bed. Photo is from André's blog

Credits: ESA - A. Kuipers​

The effect is particularly strong during the first days in weightlessness and may also cause headaches, but this low-tech preparation reduces the symptoms.

The crew will suit up for their ride to space on Wednesday, boarding Soyuz several hours before the evening liftoff at 13:16 GMT (14:16 CET; 19:16 local time).

Click on image to enlarge​

André is scheduled to be launched on 21 December from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan, on a Soyuz spacecraft as flight engineer for Expeditions 30 and 31, together with Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and NASA astronaut Don Pettit. They will remain in space for nearly five months as part of the resident, international six-astronaut crew.

Credits: ESA - S. Corvaja, 2011​

They will chase the International Space Station by fine-tuning and raising their orbit for two days, docking on Friday, 23 December at 15:22 GMT (16:22 CET).

André’s PromISSe mission will last until mid-May, after 148 days in orbit.



Florida Today - The Flame Trench: Soyuz Rocket Rolled Out For Launch Wednesday

Click to enlarge
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[orb]

NASA: MEDIA ADVISORY : M11-251 - Station Crew Set To Launch To A New Home For The Holidays :

{...}

NASA TV's scheduled coverage for launch includes (all times Central):

• Wednesday, Dec. 21
  • 5:45 a.m. [11:45 UTC] -- Video file feed of the crew prelaunch launch day activities in Baikonur
  • 6:30 a.m. [12:30 UTC] -- Launch coverage (launch at 7:16 a.m.), including launch replays
  • 9:30 a.m. [15:30 UTC] -- Video file of prelaunch and launch video b-roll and postlaunch interviews
  
  
• Friday, Dec. 23
  • 8:45 a.m. [14:45 UTC] -- Docking coverage (docking at 9:22 a.m.) followed by the post-docking news conference from Mission Control in Korolev, Russia
  • 11:45 a.m. [17:45 UTC] -- Hatch opening and welcoming ceremony (hatch opening scheduled at 12:20 p.m.)
  • 2 p.m. [20:00 UTC] -- Video file of docking, hatch opening and welcoming ceremony

{...}

 

[orb]

Soyuz integration and roll out to the launch pad

From NASAtelevision:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWd3-oh2Dbo"]Expedition 30 Soyuz Spacecraft Integration and Rocket Roll Out to the Launch Pad - YouTube[/ame]

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now:

• Next trio launching on space station's 30th expedition
  
  
• Mission Status Center
  
  
• Dutch astronaut heads for space station
  
  
• Station crew's ride rolls to launch pad (PHOTO GALLERY #1)
• Station crew's ride rolls to launch pad (PHOTO GALLERY #1)

CBS News Space: Soyuz TMA-03M set for launch to boost ISS crew back to six


Florida Today: Soyuz launch Wednesday will fill ISS once again


Parabolic Arc: Crew to Launch to ISS on Wednesday


SPACE.com: New Space Crew to Launch From Winter Wonderland on Wednesday


RIA Novosti: Space station's new crew prepares for blastoff


Universe Today: Soyuz Ready for Wintery Launch to the Space Station



Rollout photos from RSC Energia:

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Click on images to enlarge​

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Rollout video from tvroscosmos:

 

[Scruce]

Expedition 30 Crew Meets Officials and Reporters as Launch Approaches (NASATelevision):
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMRDlmmgD-w"]Expedition 30 Crew Meets Officials and Reporters as Launch Approaches - YouTube[/ame]

Expedition 30 Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko, NASA Flight Engineer Don Pettit and European Space Agency Flight Engineer Andre Kuipers appeared before the Russian State Commission on December 20, 2011, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The commission gave its final approval for their launch December 21 to the International Space Station. The crew also conducted a final pre-launch news conference at the Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters as they prepared for liftoff in the Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft. The trio will spend five months on the Station. Also featured in the video are the backup crew members, Russian Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko, NASA Flight Engineer Suni Williams and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Flight Engineer Aki Hoshide.

 

[IronRain]

The Russian State Commission met to review readiness of the Soyuz rocket for launch and granted official approval to proceed with fueling the booster.

"After hearing the reports of the supervisors, the State Commission has decided (the rocket is) ready for filling with propellant components and launch. In accordance with the schedule of prelaunch specialists of Russian Space Agency began operations on (rocket) fueling the "Soyuz-FG" propellants," the agency said in a statement.

So we're now underway into the final five hours of the count towards today's launch at 8:16 a.m. EST.

 

[SiberianTiger]

The launch and docking information from MCC-M for this mission.
http://www.mcc.rsa.ru/sojuztma_03m/start.htm

 

[Scrooge McDuck]

Watching the live stream through: http://multimedia.esa.int/Live
Are there any alternative streams?

Best regards,
mcduck

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

My latest NASASpaceflight article: Russian Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft set for launch to International Space Station

 

[DaveS]

Watching the live stream through: http://multimedia.esa.int/Live
Are there any alternative streams?

Best regards,
mcduck

NASA TV: http://www.ustream.tv/nasahdtv

 

[Ripley]

...Are there any alternative streams?

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/station/exp30/status.html

 

[Fabri91]

There's also the OLM livestream, which is also the NASA stream relayed, but with Italian commentary.

 

[Scrooge McDuck]

Thanks a lot people! Will give them a try.
Also got a stream for us Dutch people: http://nos.nl/nieuws/live/journaal24/

 

[SiberianTiger]

And http://www.tsenki.com/broadcast/broadcast/, of course.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Pressurization

 

[SiberianTiger]

Launch