News Upcoming Rocket Launches

[ijuin]

I'd say that we're launching rockets because we're too cheap to build an orbital elevator. ^_^

 

[Notebook]

GIOVE-B launch - 00:16 CEST Sunday, 27 April (22:16, 26 April UTC/GMT).

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM25TYZDFF_index_0.html

GIOVE-B, the second Galileo satellite, is scheduled for launch at 00:16 CEST on Sunday, 27 April (22:16, 26 April UTC/GMT). Live streaming video coverage from the launch site and the spacecraft control centre will be available on the GIOVE-B website.

GIOVE-B
The Soyuz launch vehicle has been transfered today (April 23) onto the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome (Kazahstan).

The Giove-B navigation satellite will be boosted by Starsem, Arianespace’s affiliate, for the European Space Agency (ESA).

The launch will occur on Saturday, April 26 at 10:16 p.m. UTC.​

• 04:16 a.m. (Baikonur time) on April 27,
• 02:16 a.m. (Moscow time) on April 27,
• 00:16 a.m. (Paris time) on April 27.​

Follow the launch live on www.starsem.com or www.arianespace.comhttp://www.arianespace.com/​

​

(starting H0- 20mn – English commentaries).​

----------------------------------------------------------------------


GIOVE-B

Le lanceur Soyuz a été transféré ce jour (le 23.04.08) sur le pas de tir du Cosmodrome de Baikonour (Kazahstan).​

Le satellite de navigation Giove-B sera lancé par Starsem , filiale d’Arianespace, pour le compte de l’Agence Spatiale Européenne (ESA).​

Le lancement est prévu dans la nuit du samedi 26 au dimanche 27 avril à :​

• 04h16 précises (heure de Baikonour)
• 00h16 précises (heure de Paris)​

Pour suivre l’événement en direct sur Internet et en haut débit, connectez vous sur les sites www.starsem.com ou www.arianespace.com​

(commentaires en anglais à partir de H-20 mn). ​

Edit:- Launch Kit
http://www.starsem.com/images/GB_GIOVE_B.pdf

N.

 

[simonpro]

Next launch is the first Land Launch mission, a modified Zenit-3SLB closely related to the Sea Launch vehicle will be used.
Mission will be to launch an Isreali comsat, and is scheduled for liftoff at 0500 UTC

 

[tblaxland]

Next launch is the first Land Launch mission, a modified Zenit-3SLB closely related to the Sea Launch vehicle will be used.
Mission will be to launch an Isreali comsat, and is scheduled for liftoff at 0500 UTC

Ummm, wasn't that, like, an hour ago? Did it launch yet?

EDIT: Just discovered it was scrubbed due to "technical reasons". Postponed until tomorrow 0500 UTC.

EDIT: Integration photos here.

 

[Notebook]

Giove-B

Info from Starsem:-

http://www.starsem.com/news/Giove-B_feature_story_4.html

N.

Edit:- more from ESA
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMAIC2QGFF_index_0.html

 

[Notebook]

Webcas have started from Baikonur on the ESA and Starstem links:

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/GIOVE-B_launch/SEMP83QJCFF_0.html

http://www.videocorner.tv/giove-b/popup.html

N.

 

[Scrooge McDuck]

18 minutes until launch, will watch it too. Haven't seen a launch live for a while..
Good stream/resulution.

 

[Chipstone306]

LIFTOFF!!!! looks good so far

 

[Scrooge McDuck]

4 boosters separated

...and second stage working normal
...fairing separated good

update:
... second stage separation confirmed

 

[Chipstone306]

second stage separation confirmed, fairing jettison confirmed . on target. flight continues to be nominal

 

[Scrooge McDuck]

Separation of fregat upper stage! No confirmation of separation received yet, but it appears the fregat is working.
Trajectory looks good. GIOVE separation about 3 hrs from now, so I will hear the news tomorrow.

regards,
mcduck

 

[Notebook]

Giove-B update

From ESA:-

The GIOVE-B satellite was lofted into a medium altitude orbit around the earth by a Soyuz/Fregat rocket departing from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan by launch operator Starsem. Lift-off occurred at 04:16 local time on 27 April (00:16 Central European Summer Time). The Fregat upper stage performed a series of manoeuvres to reach a circular orbit at an altitude of about 23 200 km, inclined at 56 degrees to the Equator, before safely delivering the satellite into orbit some 3 hours and 45 minutes later. The two solar panels that generate electricity to power the spacecraft deployed correctly and were fully operational by 05:28 CEST.

Current reports:-

ESA:-

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM9GD2QGFF_index_0.html

N.

 

[simonpro]

The PSLV carrying a multitude of small satellite (including TU Delft's satellite, I'm proud to say) launched successfully this morning.
There may be some issues with satellite failures, however.

 

[Notebook]

Any links, or playbacks?

N.

 

[simonpro]

Not to my knowledge. I can probably get a video of the launch from somewhere, but it'll take a few days.

Launch vehicle homepage: http://www.isro.org/pslv.htm
Small article on the launch: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/PSLV-C9_blasts_off_from_Sriharikota/articleshow/2989467.cms

Latest news is that all satellites are functioning. The Delfi-C3 was heard over california, but the AAU one has not been heard in anything other than beacon mode.

 

[Notebook]

Okey doke, thanks for the links, N.

Edit:

Just a note, the "Times Of India" link has a video in it, bit short though.

From the first link above, the control system for the first stage is

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Control [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]SITVC for Pitch & Yaw, Reaction control Thrusters for roll. SITVC in 2 PSOMs for roll control augmentation [/FONT]

I assume that VC is Vector Control, what is SITVC?

 

[simonpro]

Secondary injection thrust vector control.
You inject extra fuel into the engine in order to increase thrust on one side and rotate the vehicle.

 

[Notebook]

Thats clever, hadn't heard of that, thanks, N.

Having had a think, and realising the first stage has one engine plus six boosters. (I thought it had two engines, and used differential thrust, bit like a two engine aircraft.)
But with one engine, is fuel introduced to one or other part of the nozzle?
In other words is the thrust from the single engine asymetric?

N.

 

[simonpro]

It might be clever but it can be risky. The PSLV obviously runs with a lot of extra strength in it's chamber. The Chinese have blown up a few engines trying this technique.

It also seems that there may be a positioning error with today's launch. So far none of the spacecraft have appeared in the right place, the prelaunch TLEs are substantially out. All spacecraft have been heard (at least on the emergency beacons), and so are in orbit.

(edit) NORAD just provided TLEs as I wrote this post

 

[SiberianTiger]

From ESA:-

The GIOVE-B satellite was lofted into a medium altitude orbit around the earth by a Soyuz/Fregat rocket departing from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan by launch operator Starsem. Lift-off occurred at 04:16 local time on 27 April (00:16 Central European Summer Time). The Fregat upper stage performed a series of manoeuvres to reach a circular orbit at an altitude of about 23 200 km, inclined at 56 degrees to the Equator, before safely delivering the satellite into orbit some 3 hours and 45 minutes later. The two solar panels that generate electricity to power the spacecraft deployed correctly and were fully operational by 05:28 CEST.

Current reports:-

ESA:-

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM9GD2QGFF_index_0.html

N.

Yep, missed observing this one due to having a day off again.