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Progress M-15M - Mission Updates
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Progress M-15M ends busy Mission via Destructive Re-Entry |
August 20, 2012 |
Photo: NASA
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Progress M-15M has successfully ended its Mission with a targeted destructive re-entry over the Pacific Ocean, according to the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos. Surviving components of the vehicle splashed down in a specific area in the Pacific on August 20, 2012 at about 16:12 GMT, far away from populated areas.
This marked the end of an incredibly busy Progress Mission which was dedicated to International Space Station Resupply, the demonstration of a new KURS Navigation Sensor Suite and the Radar-Progress Experiment. After making its resupply mission and delivering 2,356 Kilograms of Cargo and Propellant to the Space Station, the Progress Vehicle undocked and performed an Undocking - Re-Docking Maneuver during which the new KURS-NA System was tested. Progress M-15M needed two attempts to successfully make its Re-Docking because the KURS System failed on the first try. Shortly after this re-docking in late July, the Progress undocked for the final time on July 30, 2012. |
Afterwards, the spacecraft spent several weeks in orbit performing an autonomous flight dedicated to the Radar-Progress Experiment that has been conducted on several previous flights, the most recent being Progress M-14M in April 2012. This is a geophysical experiment that assesses the density, size and reflectivity of the ionosphere environment around the spacecraft - caused by engine burns the vehicle makes. Plasma Distortions caused by engine burns are spread over several kilometers around the Spacecraft and can be present for more than 10 minutes. These engine maneuvers were made while the Vehicle was tracked by the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISZF), Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Irkutsk). Data on ionosphere irregularities, reflection characteristics of the cargo vehicle and VHF signal and its distortions, have been acquired as the vehicle passed over the Tracking Station. A total of six experiment sessions were performed over the course of the Free Flight. The Experiment is being conducted on several Progress Missions from 2010 through 2014.
On August 20, Progress M-15M fired its Main Propulsion System Engines to perform the deorbit burn. The burn began at 15:22 GMT and had a duration of 167.1 seconds to slow the vehicle by 89.3 meters per second placing it on a path towards Earth's atmosphere. Intercepting the atmosphere shortly thereafter, Progress M-15M performed a destructive re-entry, burning up in the atmosphere to a large extent with surviving components impacting in the southern Pacific Ocean at about 16:12 GMT - away from any populated areas.
For more details on the Progress M-15M Mission, refer to previous Mission Updates on this site.
On August 20, Progress M-15M fired its Main Propulsion System Engines to perform the deorbit burn. The burn began at 15:22 GMT and had a duration of 167.1 seconds to slow the vehicle by 89.3 meters per second placing it on a path towards Earth's atmosphere. Intercepting the atmosphere shortly thereafter, Progress M-15M performed a destructive re-entry, burning up in the atmosphere to a large extent with surviving components impacting in the southern Pacific Ocean at about 16:12 GMT - away from any populated areas.
For more details on the Progress M-15M Mission, refer to previous Mission Updates on this site.
Progress M-15M successfully makes its final Departure of ISS |
July 30, 2012 |
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Progress M-15M has departed ISS for the second time after a short period of docked operations following its Re-Docking on Sunday to test the new KURS-NA Rendezvous Sensors.
After the vehicle arrived at the Station making a successful Re-Docking on Sunday at 1:01 GMT, it was the subject of attention of the three Russian Crew Members. When a hard mate was achieved between the two Spacecraft, Gennady Padalka and Yuri Malenchenko performed the standard 1-hour leak check before opening hatches and installing the quick disconnect screw clamps of the docking & internal transfer mechanism (SSVP) to rigidize the coupling. The vehicle was powered down and air ducts were put in place. On Sunday, Malenchenko and Revin removed trash from the Cargo Carrier to allow Gennaday Padalka to access the KURS-NA avionics. He worked inside the vehicle for several hours removing the electronics and placing it aboard the Space Station. The hardware will return to Earth on a future mission to give engineers a chance to inspect the KURS-NA electronics to find the root cause of the thermal issue that prevented Progress M-15M from making an on time Re-Docking going into a passive abort on Tuesday, July 24. After the removal operation was complete, the three crew members placed all the trash and no-longer needed items aboard the spacecraft again. Hatches were closed and the leak checks were repeated to prepare for undocking. On Monday, July 30 at 21:19 GMT, Progress M-15M departed the International Space Station for good. At the time of undocking, the Space Station was passing over Kazakhstan. Three minutes after physical separation, the vehicle fired its thrusters to leave the vicinity of the Space Station. It will phase out and retreat to a large distance to ISS. Unlike most Progress Spacecraft, Progress M-15M will not make its deorbit burn shortly after undocking. For the next few weeks, the vehicle will perform an autonomous mission supporting two studies. Progress M-15M will support the Khlopushka Experiment from August 6-14 and Radar-Progress from August 15-20. |
Photo: NASA
Photo: NASA
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Radar Progress is a geophysical experiment that assesses the density, size and reflectivity of the ionosphere environment around the spacecraft - caused by engine burns the vehicle makes. Plasma Distortions caused by engine burns are spread over several kilometers around the Spacecraft and can be present for more than 10 minutes. These engine maneuvers are made while the Vehicle is being tracked by the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISZF), Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Irkutsk). Data on ionosphere irregularities, reflection characteristics of the cargo vehicle and VHF signal and its distortions, will be acquired as the vehicle passes over the Tracking Station. The Experiment is being conducted on several Progress Missions from 2010 through 2014.
When its orbital operations are complete, Progress M-15M will perform its deorbit burn and end its flight via destructive re-entry. Surviving debris will fall in the Pacific Ocean - away from populated areas.
When its orbital operations are complete, Progress M-15M will perform its deorbit burn and end its flight via destructive re-entry. Surviving debris will fall in the Pacific Ocean - away from populated areas.
Progress M-15M seen from the Ground
This image taken by Astrophotographer Ralf Vandebergh shows Progess M-15M in Orbit on July 27
as it was in its Stationkeeping phase waiting for its next Re-Docking Attempt.
>>>Visit his Website to view more of his work
as it was in its Stationkeeping phase waiting for its next Re-Docking Attempt.
>>>Visit his Website to view more of his work
Progress M-15M successfully re-docks to ISS testing new KURS-NA |
July 29, 2012 |
Photo: NASA
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Progress M-15M has successfully made its last-chance docking with the Pirs Module of the International Space Station on Sunday, July 29 at 1:01 GMT following the earlier trouble with the new KURS-NA System that was to be tested during the Re-Rendezvous.
Following the failure of the KURS-NA System during the first Re-Docking Attempt on Tuesday, Russian Engineers have been checking the KURS-NA System and have successfully identified the problem after a series of unsuccessful tests while the Progress was in an extended period of Stationkeeping. After the failed Rendezvous, the spacecraft was placed several hundred Kilometers away from ISS to allow testing to take place aboard Progress M-15M and to make room for H-II Transfer Vehicle 3 which linked up with ISS on Friday for a capture and berthing by the Station's Robotic Arm. Russian Engineers have found the problem that caused the Progress to perform its passive abort on Tuesday morning (GMT) identifying the KURS-NA avionics box and its temperature tolerance to be the root cause of the problem. |
Apparently, the KURS-NA System had shut down when temperatures inside the vehicle got too low, preventing the electronics from functioning nominally. For the second Rendezvous, heaters were activated to take the temperature inside the vehicle from 18 to 22 degrees Celsius. At that temperature, Progress M-15M completed three successful activations and tests of the KURS-NA hardware giving Mission Controllers enough confidence to re-try the Rendezvous Procedure. For that, the three Russian ISS Crew Members had to shift their sleep cycles to support the operation. For the USOS Crew, there was no need to support the docking, but they had the freedom of deciding whether to get or stay up for the docking since sleeping in on a Sunday wouldn't interfere with their usual weekend timelines.
Progress M-15M began its Automated Rendezvous Sequence at around 22:36 GMT on Saturday in preparation for docking early on Sunday. The first of three major Rendezvous Burns was completed at 22:57 GMT when the spacecraft was at a range of 163.5 Kilometers. Two minutes later, the Passive KURS-P System on the Zvezda Service Module of ISS was activated and the active KURS-NA on the Progress followed at 23:01 GMT. KURS Initiation was nominal and no problems were reported. The vehicle performed Rendezvous impulses at 23:17 and 23:42 to stick to its nominal trajectory as it approached the Space Station. At a range of 45 Kilometers, the first KURS-NA test was performed to verify the navigation data that was provided by the system.
Progress M-15M began its Automated Rendezvous Sequence at around 22:36 GMT on Saturday in preparation for docking early on Sunday. The first of three major Rendezvous Burns was completed at 22:57 GMT when the spacecraft was at a range of 163.5 Kilometers. Two minutes later, the Passive KURS-P System on the Zvezda Service Module of ISS was activated and the active KURS-NA on the Progress followed at 23:01 GMT. KURS Initiation was nominal and no problems were reported. The vehicle performed Rendezvous impulses at 23:17 and 23:42 to stick to its nominal trajectory as it approached the Space Station. At a range of 45 Kilometers, the first KURS-NA test was performed to verify the navigation data that was provided by the system.
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The KURS System of the Progress and Soyuz Spacecraft is a radar-based system that allows the vehicles to perform a fully automated Rendezvous, Final Approach and Docking Sequence. When being used for docking, the KURS on the Visiting Vehicle broadcasts radar pulses from multiple antennas. The variation in strength in between the different antennas allows the Flight Computer to calculate relative position, attitude and range rate. Currently in use on Progress and Soyuz Vehicle is the KURS-A System with a corresponding KURS-P System installed on the Space Station. KURS-NA is a improved version of the KURS-A System that is currently undergoing final testing and flight certification. The new KURS-NA Navigation sensors are an improved version of the old suite of rendezvous sensors that have become hard to manufacture as they use fairly out-dated hardware. KURS-NA allows four antennas to be removed as it can accomplish its task with a single antenna.
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Photo: NASA TV
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Vehicles with the KURS-NA System will only feature a total of three antennas, half as many as current vehicles are using. The new system features an improved performance, reduces weight and also reduces power consumption – making the Progress vehicle more efficient. Future Progress and Soyuz vehicles could use the system as early as 2013 and 2014.
As Progress M-15M came closer to ISS, direct communications were established at 00:10 GMT on Sunday so that crew members aboard the Station were able to receive video and telemetry from the spacecraft. This data was also relayed to the ground when Progress M-15M was not above Russian Ground Stations. At 15 Kilometers, the standard KURS-P and NA Short Test took place as a final validation of navigation data. Passing this test, Progress was allowed to continue its Rendezvous and enter the direct vicinity of the International Space Station. At 0:39 GMT, the Spacecraft reached a distance of 400 meters to ISS at which it initiated its Flyaround Maneuver to align itself with the Pirs Docking Compartment. Once entering 400 meters, the passive abort option was no longer available and Gennady Padalka aboard the ISS Service Module was standing by at the controls of the TORU System - ready to assume control over the Progress Vehicle via his remote control station to bring the vehicle in for a manual docking using TORU. Correct TORU Commanding was verified when Progress was inside 9 Kilometers to ISS. To make a possible TORU approach easier, the Space Station was placed in its LVLH Attitude for the Rendezvous and Docking (Local Vertical/Local Horizontal). Progress M-15M performed a flawless flyaround and aligned itself with Pirs beginning a very short period of Stationkeeping to give Mission Controllers a chance to assess the vehicle's status and the alignment. Shortly thereafter, the Final Approach Command was sent and Progress M-15M fired its thrusters to initiate a gentle rate of closure and begin the final approach. Progress M-15M maintained perfect alignment and performed a flawless docking. Contact and Capture occurred at 1:01 GMT and hooks were closed to form a Hard-Mate between the two spacecraft.
This docking sets the stage for short, but intense, period of docked operations. Russian Mission Controllers have changed the plan of not opening the hatch to Progress M-15M. The ISS Crew will perform standard leak checks on Sunday and open the hatches to Progress M-15M to ingress the Cargo Carrier of the vehicle and access the KURS-NA Hardware. The new KURS avionics will be removed by Gennady Padalka and Yuri Malenchenko and will be placed aboard ISS for eventual return to Earth where the hardware will be inspected by specialists to learn more about the issues that have occurred with the spacecraft. The hardware will be returned to Earth via a future Soyuz Landing. After the removal of the equipment, hatches will be closed and leak checks will be repeated. To allow sufficient time for all these activities of the Russian crew members, the final Progress undocking was delayed by two orbits. It is now planned for Monday, July 30 at 21:19 GMT. After departing the Space Station, the Progress will make a series of phasing maneuvers to separate from ISS for a short autonomous mission supporting the Radar-Progress and Khlopushka Experiments for up to 3 weeks before ending its mission via destructive re-entry.
As Progress M-15M came closer to ISS, direct communications were established at 00:10 GMT on Sunday so that crew members aboard the Station were able to receive video and telemetry from the spacecraft. This data was also relayed to the ground when Progress M-15M was not above Russian Ground Stations. At 15 Kilometers, the standard KURS-P and NA Short Test took place as a final validation of navigation data. Passing this test, Progress was allowed to continue its Rendezvous and enter the direct vicinity of the International Space Station. At 0:39 GMT, the Spacecraft reached a distance of 400 meters to ISS at which it initiated its Flyaround Maneuver to align itself with the Pirs Docking Compartment. Once entering 400 meters, the passive abort option was no longer available and Gennady Padalka aboard the ISS Service Module was standing by at the controls of the TORU System - ready to assume control over the Progress Vehicle via his remote control station to bring the vehicle in for a manual docking using TORU. Correct TORU Commanding was verified when Progress was inside 9 Kilometers to ISS. To make a possible TORU approach easier, the Space Station was placed in its LVLH Attitude for the Rendezvous and Docking (Local Vertical/Local Horizontal). Progress M-15M performed a flawless flyaround and aligned itself with Pirs beginning a very short period of Stationkeeping to give Mission Controllers a chance to assess the vehicle's status and the alignment. Shortly thereafter, the Final Approach Command was sent and Progress M-15M fired its thrusters to initiate a gentle rate of closure and begin the final approach. Progress M-15M maintained perfect alignment and performed a flawless docking. Contact and Capture occurred at 1:01 GMT and hooks were closed to form a Hard-Mate between the two spacecraft.
This docking sets the stage for short, but intense, period of docked operations. Russian Mission Controllers have changed the plan of not opening the hatch to Progress M-15M. The ISS Crew will perform standard leak checks on Sunday and open the hatches to Progress M-15M to ingress the Cargo Carrier of the vehicle and access the KURS-NA Hardware. The new KURS avionics will be removed by Gennady Padalka and Yuri Malenchenko and will be placed aboard ISS for eventual return to Earth where the hardware will be inspected by specialists to learn more about the issues that have occurred with the spacecraft. The hardware will be returned to Earth via a future Soyuz Landing. After the removal of the equipment, hatches will be closed and leak checks will be repeated. To allow sufficient time for all these activities of the Russian crew members, the final Progress undocking was delayed by two orbits. It is now planned for Monday, July 30 at 21:19 GMT. After departing the Space Station, the Progress will make a series of phasing maneuvers to separate from ISS for a short autonomous mission supporting the Radar-Progress and Khlopushka Experiments for up to 3 weeks before ending its mission via destructive re-entry.
Progress M-15M approved for Re-Docking using new KURS-NA |
July 27, 2012
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Following the aborted Re-Docking of Progress M-15M, Russian Engineers have successfully activated and tested the KURS-NA System that failed while the Spacecraft was beginning its Rendezvous with ISS on July 24 and caused Progress M-15M to switch to its abort mode.
After aborting the Rendezvous Sequence, Progress M-15M was placed in a position several hundred Kilometers in front of the Space Station to make room for H-II Transfer Vehicle 3 that was approaching ISS from behind. During its extended stay in Stationkeeping, Russian Specialists started troubleshooting and testing procedures. Initially, the KURS-NA System failed to activate. Early on Friday, it was reported that Progress M-15M completed three successful tests of the KURS-NA System enabling it to re-attempt a Docking. The new KURS-NA Navigation sensors are an improved version of the old suite of rendezvous sensors that have become hard to manufacture as they use fairly out-dated hardware. KURS-NA allows four antennas to be removed as it can accomplish its task with a single antenna. Vehicles with the KURS-NA System will only feature a total of three antennas, half as many as current vehicles are using. |
Photo: NASA
Progress M-15M during initial Undocking
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The new system features an improved performance, reduces weight and also reduces power consumption – making the Progress vehicle more efficient. Future Progress and Soyuz vehicles could use the system as early as 2013 and 2014.
With KURS-NA back in business on Progress M-15M, the vehicle was approved for Re-Docking. To allow HTV-3 activities to wrap up around and on-board the Station, the maneuver has been planned for July 29. "Abort cases for both HTV3 and Progress have been addressed and reviewed to ensure reduced risk to all three vehicles," a NASA Report noted. Late GMT on July 28, Progress M-15M will re-initiate its automated Rendezvous Sequence placing itself on a trajectory towards the Space Station and activating its KURS-NA System which will be closely monitored by Mission Control Korolev. At a Range of 15 Kilometers, Progress M-15M will perform the crucial KURS-NA Short Test that is used to verify that the system is providing valid Navigation Data. The KURS-P System aboard ISS will also undergo a test. Once arriving in the vicinity of ISS, Progress M-15M will initiate a Flyaround Maneuver at a Range of about 300 meters to align itself with the Pirs Module. Afterwards, the spacecraft will initiate a short period of Stationkeeping to give teams a chance to assess the KURS-NA System and the alignment of the vehicle. When all Systems have been verified, the command to start the final approach will be sent to the Progress which will then resume its approach at a gentle speed to dock with the Pirs Module. Currently, Docking is planned for 1:00 GMT on July 29, 2012.
The three Russian Crew Members will be sleep shifting to support the maneuver by acquiring footage of the vehicle and standing by at the controls of the TORU System. Via TORU, Gennady Padalka and Yuri Malenchenko could assume manual control over the vehicle to dock it to Pirs remote controlled. This is done in case of problems with the KURS Navigation System that occur when it is in the direct vicinity of ISS when a Passive Abort is no longer possible. The USOS crew members, Joe Acaba, Suni Williams and Aki Hoshide, are not shifting their sleep cycles since their support is not required. Should they decide to get up to watch the docking, they would be allowed to sleep in on Sunday since there are no timeline constraints for a weekend day.
After Docking, Progress M-15M will be staying at ISS very briefly. Initially, its hatch was planned to stay closed, but after the failure of the KURS-NA System, Russian Egnineers want to return the NA System's avionics to Earth so that the hardware can be examined in order to find the problem that caused the initial failure. After Progress M-15M arrives at ISS, its hatch will be opened and Gennady Padalka and Yuri Malenchenko will remove the KURS-NA main avionics box and stow its on the Space Station for return to Earth on the next Soyuz Vehicle. To allow enough time for hatch opening, avionics removal and hatch closure and associated leak checks, the Undocking was delayed by two Orbits. Progress M-15M will make its final undocking on July 30 at 21:16 GMT. After departing the Space Station, the Progress will make a series of phasing maneuvers to separate from ISS for a short autonomous mission supporting the Radar-Progress and Khlopushka Experiments for up to 3 weeks.
With KURS-NA back in business on Progress M-15M, the vehicle was approved for Re-Docking. To allow HTV-3 activities to wrap up around and on-board the Station, the maneuver has been planned for July 29. "Abort cases for both HTV3 and Progress have been addressed and reviewed to ensure reduced risk to all three vehicles," a NASA Report noted. Late GMT on July 28, Progress M-15M will re-initiate its automated Rendezvous Sequence placing itself on a trajectory towards the Space Station and activating its KURS-NA System which will be closely monitored by Mission Control Korolev. At a Range of 15 Kilometers, Progress M-15M will perform the crucial KURS-NA Short Test that is used to verify that the system is providing valid Navigation Data. The KURS-P System aboard ISS will also undergo a test. Once arriving in the vicinity of ISS, Progress M-15M will initiate a Flyaround Maneuver at a Range of about 300 meters to align itself with the Pirs Module. Afterwards, the spacecraft will initiate a short period of Stationkeeping to give teams a chance to assess the KURS-NA System and the alignment of the vehicle. When all Systems have been verified, the command to start the final approach will be sent to the Progress which will then resume its approach at a gentle speed to dock with the Pirs Module. Currently, Docking is planned for 1:00 GMT on July 29, 2012.
The three Russian Crew Members will be sleep shifting to support the maneuver by acquiring footage of the vehicle and standing by at the controls of the TORU System. Via TORU, Gennady Padalka and Yuri Malenchenko could assume manual control over the vehicle to dock it to Pirs remote controlled. This is done in case of problems with the KURS Navigation System that occur when it is in the direct vicinity of ISS when a Passive Abort is no longer possible. The USOS crew members, Joe Acaba, Suni Williams and Aki Hoshide, are not shifting their sleep cycles since their support is not required. Should they decide to get up to watch the docking, they would be allowed to sleep in on Sunday since there are no timeline constraints for a weekend day.
After Docking, Progress M-15M will be staying at ISS very briefly. Initially, its hatch was planned to stay closed, but after the failure of the KURS-NA System, Russian Egnineers want to return the NA System's avionics to Earth so that the hardware can be examined in order to find the problem that caused the initial failure. After Progress M-15M arrives at ISS, its hatch will be opened and Gennady Padalka and Yuri Malenchenko will remove the KURS-NA main avionics box and stow its on the Space Station for return to Earth on the next Soyuz Vehicle. To allow enough time for hatch opening, avionics removal and hatch closure and associated leak checks, the Undocking was delayed by two Orbits. Progress M-15M will make its final undocking on July 30 at 21:16 GMT. After departing the Space Station, the Progress will make a series of phasing maneuvers to separate from ISS for a short autonomous mission supporting the Radar-Progress and Khlopushka Experiments for up to 3 weeks.
Progress M-15M aborts Re-Docking Sequence due to KURS-NA Failure
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July 24, 2012
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After completing a nominal Undocking and initial portion of its Re-Rendezvous Maneuver, the Progress M-15M Spacecraft and its new KURS-NA Navigation System encountered a failure and sent the vehicle on a nominal abort trajectory, canceling the planned Re-Docking on Tuesday. A second Re-Docking Attempt is planned for July 29 after troubleshooting is completed.
Progress M-15M had undocked from the Pirs Module on Sunday, July 22 at 20:26 GMT and retreated to a distance of about 160 Kilometers where it spent 27 hours in a Stationkeeping Mode. This Undocking – Re-Docking Maneuver was designed to test a new KURS Navigation System. KURS-NA is a improved version of the KURS-A System that is currently undergoing final testing and flight certification. KURS A is currently in use by the Progress and Soyuz Fleet. The new KURS-NA Navigation sensors are an improved version of the old suite of rendezvous sensors that have become hard to manufacture as they use fairly out-dated hardware. |
*Progress File Image* Photo: NASA
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KURS-NA allows four antennas to be removed as it can accomplish its task with a single antenna. Vehicles with the KURS-NA System will only feature a total of three antennas, half as many as current vehicles are using. The new system features an improved performance, reduces weight and also reduces power consumption – making the Progress vehicle more efficient. During its approach for the Re-Docking, Progress M-15M was also planned to fly a modified trajectory in preparation for the expedited Progress M-16M Docking planned for August 2 (GMT).
Progress M-15M initiated its Re-Rendezvous Maneuver at 23:38 GMT on Monday and started closing in on the Space Station once again. The new KURS-NA System was activated and underwent its nominal Short-Test at a Range of 15 Kilometers which is a built-in self test that occurs during the Rendezvous Sequence of all Progress and Soyuz Vehicles and validates the performance of the system, making sure correct Range and Range Rate Data is being acquired. The System detected a failure of the KURS-NA System at 0:23 GMT and put itself in a nominal abort mode which is a known and flight proven abort scenario taking the Spacecraft to a trajectory that ensures the vehicle passes ISS at a safe distance. With Progress in its passive-abort mode, the Re-Docking was canceled for the day. Progress passed about 3.8 Kilometers underneath the Station at 1:37 GMT before the vehicle was placed in Stationkeeping at a safe distance of 480 Kilometers again. Russian Flight Controllers and RSC Energia Engineers are looking at the System trying find the cause of the abort. The KURS-NA System was reactivated once Progress had passed ISS to gather more data needed to identify the issue and develop a plan for the next Docking Attempt. A Re-Docking on Wednesday was not possible since engineers needed more time to troubleshoot the problem. Progress is now standing by in Stationkeeping Mode for several days since the HTV-3 Spacecraft has priority for the remainder of the week with its planned Rendezvous and Capture on Friday, July 27. Progress M-15M could stay in space for an extended period of time should teams be confident that the problem could be solved in orbit. Russian Engineers are currently looking at a Re-Docking Attempt next weekend after HTV-3 activities will have been completed. Currently, the Re-Docking is planned for 1:00 GMT on July 29. If there is no chance of a safe approach, Russian Controllers and ISS Mission Managers will cancel the Re-Docking for the M-15M Mission and send the vehicle on a path to destructive re-entry without docking to ISS for a second time. The Spacecraft’s primary mission of delivering supplies to the station and accepting trash and no-longer-needed items has already been completed. Originally, Progress M-15M was scheduled for it final undocking on July 30 to make room for Progress M-16M that is undergoing final launch preparations at the Baikonur Cosmodrome for its Launch on August 1. After leaving the Station, Progress M.15M was planned to stay in orbit for up to three additional weeks to support the Radar-Progress and Khlopushka Experiments before ending its mission via destructive re-entry.
The three Russian Crew Members aboard the International Space Station, Gennady Padalka, Yuri Malenchenko and Sergei Revin, were informed about the situation and were instructed to power-down the TORU equipment which was in stand-by mode with crew members ready to assume manual control over the Progress should a failure have occurred when the vehicle was closer to the Station. The six ISS crew members had actually split in two halves working in shifts on Tuesday and Wednesday to allow the USOS Crew Members to stick to their nominal schedule while the Russian Crew supported Progress Activities.
Progress M-15M initiated its Re-Rendezvous Maneuver at 23:38 GMT on Monday and started closing in on the Space Station once again. The new KURS-NA System was activated and underwent its nominal Short-Test at a Range of 15 Kilometers which is a built-in self test that occurs during the Rendezvous Sequence of all Progress and Soyuz Vehicles and validates the performance of the system, making sure correct Range and Range Rate Data is being acquired. The System detected a failure of the KURS-NA System at 0:23 GMT and put itself in a nominal abort mode which is a known and flight proven abort scenario taking the Spacecraft to a trajectory that ensures the vehicle passes ISS at a safe distance. With Progress in its passive-abort mode, the Re-Docking was canceled for the day. Progress passed about 3.8 Kilometers underneath the Station at 1:37 GMT before the vehicle was placed in Stationkeeping at a safe distance of 480 Kilometers again. Russian Flight Controllers and RSC Energia Engineers are looking at the System trying find the cause of the abort. The KURS-NA System was reactivated once Progress had passed ISS to gather more data needed to identify the issue and develop a plan for the next Docking Attempt. A Re-Docking on Wednesday was not possible since engineers needed more time to troubleshoot the problem. Progress is now standing by in Stationkeeping Mode for several days since the HTV-3 Spacecraft has priority for the remainder of the week with its planned Rendezvous and Capture on Friday, July 27. Progress M-15M could stay in space for an extended period of time should teams be confident that the problem could be solved in orbit. Russian Engineers are currently looking at a Re-Docking Attempt next weekend after HTV-3 activities will have been completed. Currently, the Re-Docking is planned for 1:00 GMT on July 29. If there is no chance of a safe approach, Russian Controllers and ISS Mission Managers will cancel the Re-Docking for the M-15M Mission and send the vehicle on a path to destructive re-entry without docking to ISS for a second time. The Spacecraft’s primary mission of delivering supplies to the station and accepting trash and no-longer-needed items has already been completed. Originally, Progress M-15M was scheduled for it final undocking on July 30 to make room for Progress M-16M that is undergoing final launch preparations at the Baikonur Cosmodrome for its Launch on August 1. After leaving the Station, Progress M.15M was planned to stay in orbit for up to three additional weeks to support the Radar-Progress and Khlopushka Experiments before ending its mission via destructive re-entry.
The three Russian Crew Members aboard the International Space Station, Gennady Padalka, Yuri Malenchenko and Sergei Revin, were informed about the situation and were instructed to power-down the TORU equipment which was in stand-by mode with crew members ready to assume manual control over the Progress should a failure have occurred when the vehicle was closer to the Station. The six ISS crew members had actually split in two halves working in shifts on Tuesday and Wednesday to allow the USOS Crew Members to stick to their nominal schedule while the Russian Crew supported Progress Activities.
Progress M-15M undocks from ISS to test new Rendezvous Sensors |
July 22, 2012 |
Progress M-15M *File Image* - Photo: NASA
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Progress M-15M has kicked off a series of International Space Station Visiting Vehicle Movements planned for the coming weeks by undocking from the Station on Sunday, July 22, 2012. This marked the beginning of an Undocking - Re-Docking Sequence to test a new KURS Rendezvous System.
The KURS System of the Progress and Soyuz Spacecraft is a radar-based system that allows the vehicles to perform a fully automated Rendezvous, Final Approach and Docking Sequence. When being used for docking, the KURS on the Visiting Vehicle broadcasts radar pulses from multiple antennas. The variation in strength in between the different antennas allows the Flight Computer to calculate relative position, attitude and range rate. Currently in use on Progress and Soyuz Vehicle is the KURS-A System with a corresponding KURS-P System installed on the Space Station. KURS-NA is a improved version of the KURS-A System that is currently undergoing final testing and flight certification. |
The new KURS-NA Navigation sensors are an improved version of the old suite of rendezvous sensors that have become hard to manufacture as they use fairly out-dated hardware. KURS-NA allows four antennas to be removed as it can accomplish its task with a single antenna. Vehicles with the KURS-NA System will only feature a total of three antennas, half as many as current vehicles are using. The new system features an improved performance, reduces weight and also reduces power consumption – making the Progress vehicle more efficient. Future Progress vehicles could use the system as early as 2013 and 2014.
Progress M-15M docked with the Space Station on April 22, 2012 and delivered 2,356 Kilograms of cargo and propellant to the Space Station. Cargo Operations were completed by the crews of Expedition 30, 31 and 32 that transferred all items to the Space Station. In addition, the crew placed trash and no-longer needed items inside the vehicle’s Cargo Compartment for disposal. In addition, the Gas Tanks of the Progress were emptied by making ISS Oxygen and Nitrogen Repressurizations. Once Cargo Operations were complete, hatches between ISS and Progress M-15M were closed by the Russian Station crew members. The standard leak check was completed to make the seal between the respective Docking Interfaces was tight. Physical Separation occurred on Sunday at 20:26 GMT and the Progress Vehicle slowly drifted away from the Space Station. Undocking occurred while the Space Station was flying in the view of Russian Ground Stations.
The vehicle will make several phasing maneuvers to increase the distance between itself and ISS to about 160 Kilometers. Once reaching that point, Progress M-15M will spend about 27 hours in a Stationkeeping Mode before the vehicle re-initiates a Rendezvous Sequence at 23:38 GMT on Monday using its new sensors. While approaching, performance data of the KURS-NA System is obtained with the vehicle using the NA System as its primary source for Navigation Data. At a range of 15 Kilometers, the Progress will start a series of KURS-NA Tests. Mission Control Moscow and the three Russian Crew Members will be monitoring the approach of the vehicle closely - ready to take action should it become necessary. Via the TORU System, the crew members aboard ISS could assume control and bring the Progress in for docking in manual mode. Also, a decision to abort the approach and fly Progress away from the Station can be made should any large malfunctions occur during the Re-Rendezvous. The Re-Docking is planned for 1:58 GMT on Tuesday, July 24. After completing the Re-Docking Maneuver, Progress M-15M will stay docked for only a few more days. Final Undocking is expected at 18:11 GMT on July 30. Shortly thereafter, the Vehicle will fire its Engines to make a deorbit burn to place it on a trajectory to re-enter Earth’s Atmosphere.
Progress M-15M docked with the Space Station on April 22, 2012 and delivered 2,356 Kilograms of cargo and propellant to the Space Station. Cargo Operations were completed by the crews of Expedition 30, 31 and 32 that transferred all items to the Space Station. In addition, the crew placed trash and no-longer needed items inside the vehicle’s Cargo Compartment for disposal. In addition, the Gas Tanks of the Progress were emptied by making ISS Oxygen and Nitrogen Repressurizations. Once Cargo Operations were complete, hatches between ISS and Progress M-15M were closed by the Russian Station crew members. The standard leak check was completed to make the seal between the respective Docking Interfaces was tight. Physical Separation occurred on Sunday at 20:26 GMT and the Progress Vehicle slowly drifted away from the Space Station. Undocking occurred while the Space Station was flying in the view of Russian Ground Stations.
The vehicle will make several phasing maneuvers to increase the distance between itself and ISS to about 160 Kilometers. Once reaching that point, Progress M-15M will spend about 27 hours in a Stationkeeping Mode before the vehicle re-initiates a Rendezvous Sequence at 23:38 GMT on Monday using its new sensors. While approaching, performance data of the KURS-NA System is obtained with the vehicle using the NA System as its primary source for Navigation Data. At a range of 15 Kilometers, the Progress will start a series of KURS-NA Tests. Mission Control Moscow and the three Russian Crew Members will be monitoring the approach of the vehicle closely - ready to take action should it become necessary. Via the TORU System, the crew members aboard ISS could assume control and bring the Progress in for docking in manual mode. Also, a decision to abort the approach and fly Progress away from the Station can be made should any large malfunctions occur during the Re-Rendezvous. The Re-Docking is planned for 1:58 GMT on Tuesday, July 24. After completing the Re-Docking Maneuver, Progress M-15M will stay docked for only a few more days. Final Undocking is expected at 18:11 GMT on July 30. Shortly thereafter, the Vehicle will fire its Engines to make a deorbit burn to place it on a trajectory to re-enter Earth’s Atmosphere.
Progress gears up for Re-Docking Sequence for Systems Testing
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July 12, 2012
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Preparations
are underway to kick off the busy Visiting Vehicle Traffic planned for International Space
Station Expedition 32. After the Launch and Docking of Soyuz TMA-05M that is
currently sitting at the Launch Pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, awaiting Liftoff
on July 15 with three ISS Residents, the Progress M-15M Spacecraft will perform
a Undocking – Re-Docking Maneuver. [Related Pages: Soyuz TMA-05M, Expedition 32
Preview with a detailed look at all the Visiting Vehicles]
Progress M-15M docked with the Space Station on April 22, 2012 and delivered 2,356 Kilograms of cargo and propellant to the Space Station. Cargo Operations were completed by the crews of Expedition 30, 31 and 32 that transferred all items to the Space Station. In addition, the crew placed trash and no-longer needed items inside the vehicle’s Cargo Compartment for disposal. Progress Loading is still proceeding at the moment and will be finished shortly before Hatch Closure and Undocking. |
Photo: NASA
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In addition, during its stay
at ISS, the Progress Avionics Systems was re-wired by Gennady Padalka who
set-up the new KURS-NA Navigation System for this On-Orbit Test. The KURS
System of the Progress and Soyuz Space is a radar-based system that allows the
vehicles to perform a fully automated Rendezvous, Final Approach and Docking
Sequence. When being used for docking, the KURS on the Visiting Vehicle broadcasts radar pulses from
multiple antennas. The variation in strength in between the different antennas
allows the Flight Computer to calculate relative position, attitude and range
rate. Currently in use on Progress and Soyuz Vehicle is the KURS-A System with
a corresponding KURS-P System installed on the Space Station. KURS-NA is a
improved version of the KURS-A System that is currently undergoing final
testing and flight certification. The new KURS-NA Navigation sensors
are an improved version of the old suite of rendezvous sensors that have become
hard to manufacture as they use fairly out-dated hardware. The new system
features an improved performance, reduces weight and also reduces power
consumption – making the Progress vehicle more efficient. Future Progress
vehicles could use the system as early as 2013 and 2014.
The first On-Orbit Test will be carried out on the Progress M-15M Mission. The Spacecraft will undock from the Pirs Docking Compartment on July 22 at 20:27 GMT and move away from the Station. The vehicle will make several phasing maneuvers to increase the distance between itself and ISS to reach its hold point. Once reaching that point, the vehicle re-initiates a Rendezvous Sequence using its new sensors. While approaching, performance data of the KURS-NA System is obtained with the vehicle using the NA System as its primary source for Navigation Data. Mission Control Moscow and the three Russian Crew Members will be monitoring the approach of the vehicle closely - ready to take action should it become necessary. Via the TORU System, the crew members aboard ISS could assume control and bring the Progress in for docking in manual mode. Also, a decision to abort the approach and fly Progress away from the Station can be made should any large malfunctions occur during the Re-Rendezvous. The Re-Docking is currently planned for 1:57 GMT on July 24. After completing the Re-Docking Maneuver, Progress M-15M will stay docked for only a few more days. Final Undocking is expected at 18:11 GMT on July 30. Shortly thereafter, the Vehicle will fire its Engines to make a deorbit burn to place it on a trajectory to re-enter Earth’s Atmosphere. Progress M-15M will end its mission with a destructive re-entry burning up in the atmosphere before surviving components impact in the Pacific Ocean – away from any populated areas.
The first On-Orbit Test will be carried out on the Progress M-15M Mission. The Spacecraft will undock from the Pirs Docking Compartment on July 22 at 20:27 GMT and move away from the Station. The vehicle will make several phasing maneuvers to increase the distance between itself and ISS to reach its hold point. Once reaching that point, the vehicle re-initiates a Rendezvous Sequence using its new sensors. While approaching, performance data of the KURS-NA System is obtained with the vehicle using the NA System as its primary source for Navigation Data. Mission Control Moscow and the three Russian Crew Members will be monitoring the approach of the vehicle closely - ready to take action should it become necessary. Via the TORU System, the crew members aboard ISS could assume control and bring the Progress in for docking in manual mode. Also, a decision to abort the approach and fly Progress away from the Station can be made should any large malfunctions occur during the Re-Rendezvous. The Re-Docking is currently planned for 1:57 GMT on July 24. After completing the Re-Docking Maneuver, Progress M-15M will stay docked for only a few more days. Final Undocking is expected at 18:11 GMT on July 30. Shortly thereafter, the Vehicle will fire its Engines to make a deorbit burn to place it on a trajectory to re-enter Earth’s Atmosphere. Progress M-15M will end its mission with a destructive re-entry burning up in the atmosphere before surviving components impact in the Pacific Ocean – away from any populated areas.
Progress M-15M performs successful Docking
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April 22, 2012
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Photo: NASA
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Following its Launch aboard a Soyuz-U Rocket on Friday, the Progress M-15M International Space Station Resupply Spacecraft has successfully completed its 2-day journey to link up and dock with the Space Station. Docking occurred on Sunday at 14:39 GMT and was as planned without any technical problems. The Progress actually arrived earlier than planned showing that all operations were proceeding very smoothly.
After being inserted in its initial orbit by the Soyuz Rocket, the Spacecraft completed 5 large Rendezvous Burns to close in on the Space Station before starting its automated Rendezvous. All aspects of the Rendezvous, final approach and docking were executed in automated mode using the KURS Navigation System. Russian ISS Crewmembers were ready to switch to manual control using the TORU System in case of any problems. No problems were noted during nominal checks of the KURS Systems and the Progress made a nominal Flyaround of the Station to align itself with its Docking Port at the Pirs Module. |
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Starting its final approach after a very brief period of Stationkeeping to give Mission Controllers the chance to assess alignment, the M-15M Spacecraft docked on time at 14:39 GMT on Sunday while the Space Station was orbiting nearly 400 Kilometers above northern China - south of the Mongolian border.
After hooks and latches are fully closed and a hard mate between the Docking Compartment and the Progress is established, the Crew will start several hours of leak checks before opening hatches. After hatch opening, the interior of the Spacecraft will be outfitted to be ready for its docked mission.The M-15M Spacecraft is expected to remain docked for several months to deliver its cargo to the station and be loaded with trash and no-longer-needed items for disposal. Progress M-15M is set to deliver various cargo items to the International Space Station to keep that Station in operating shape. A total of 2,356 kilograms of cargo are aboard the Progress Spacecraft. These include 648 Kilograms of Propellants for transfer to ISS Tanks and use on Station for regular Reboosts, Debris Avoidance Maneuvers and other maneuvers. Also, 47 Kilograms of Oxygen are stored inside Progress Tanks to repressurize the ISS Atmosphere and provide additional Oxygen next to on-board capabilities of the Station. 420 Kilograms of water will be transferred to ISS from Progress Tanks. The Dry Cargo inside the Cargo Compartment of the Progress Spacecraft has a total mass of 1,241 Kilograms and includes ISS Resupply Equipment for ISS Systems (144kg), maintenance hardware, Hygiene Supplies (114kg), Personal Protective Equipment (60kg) and 142 Kilograms of medical equipment. In addition to that, food for the Station Crew is aboard the Spacecraft. A total of 382 Kilograms of food will be delivered to station including fresh food. 137 Kilograms of personal items for the Russian Crew such as clothing and personal belongings of upcoming crewmembers are stored in the cargo compartment. The dry cargo also includes equipment for Russian Science Experiments and Module Outfitting operations. Photo Gallery: Progress M-15M Docking |
Photo: Roscosmos
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Docking Video
Progress M-15M in Orbit after Flawless Launch
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April 20, 2012
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Launching on Time on Friday, April 20, at 12:50:24 GMT from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, a Russian Soyuz-U Launch Vehicle successfully delivered the Progress M-15M to Orbit to begin its International Space Station Resupply Mission.
Countdown Operations got underway as planned after Rollout and nominal On-Pad Procedures were completed at the Cosmodrome and the Launch Complex. Prior to fueling, the State Commission met to conduct a final Systems Review. A GO for fueling was given and the tanking process got underway after the 6-hour countdown sequence started. During the Countdown Process, no problems were reported and the Automated Sequence of the Launch Countdown started on time at 12:44 GMT - making final vehicle re-configurations to place the Rocket in its final Launch Configuration. Liftoff was on time and the Soyuz-U Rocket performed a nominal ascent - successfully delivering the Progress M-15M Spacecraft to Orbit. After spacecraft separation, the Progress deployed its Solar Arrays and Communications Antennas to complete Orbital Insertion and start its Mission to resupply the Space Station. |
Photo: Tsenki TV
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Photo: Energia
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This successful orbital insertion marks the start of orbital operations for the Progress M-15M Spacecraft that will now link up with the Space Station. Five Maneuvers will be conducted to fine-tune the Orbit of the capsule before Rendezvous operations will be started early on Sunday. Rendezvous and Docking are planned to be fully automated using the KURS System aboard the Station and the Progress. The Russian Crewmembers aboard ISS will be ready to take action if necessary to perform a manual approach and docking should there be any malfunctions. Docking is set for Sunday, April 22, at 14:40 GMT to the DC-1 Docking Compartment. The M-15M Spacecraft is expected to remain docked for several months to deliver its cargo to the station and be loaded with trash and no-longer-needed items for disposal. In July, Progress M-15M will undock from the Pirs Module and perform a Re-Rendezvous two Days later to test a new KURS Navigation Antenna. Shortly after this 2-Day activity planned for July 22-24, the Progress will depart ISS again on July 30 (planned) headed for destructive re-entry to end its mission.
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The next Progress Vehicle will launch one day later from Baikonur for a docking in early August.
Progress M-15M is set to deliver various cargo items to the International Space Station to keep that Station in operating shape. A total of 2,356 kilograms of cargo are aboard the Progress Spacecraft. These include 648 Kilograms of Propellants for transfer to ISS Tanks and use on Station for regular Reboosts, Debris Avoidance Maneuvers and other maneuvers. Also, 47 Kilograms of Oxygen are stored inside Progress Tanks to repressurize the ISS Atmosphere and provide additional Oxygen next to on-board capabilities of the Station. 420 Kilograms of water will be transferred to ISS from Progress Tanks. The Dry Cargo inside the Cargo Compartment of the Progress Spacecraft has a total mass of 1,241 Kilograms and includes ISS Resupply Equipment for ISS Systems (144kg), maintenance hardware, Hygiene Supplies (114kg), Personal Protective Equipment (60kg) and 142 Kilograms of medical equipment. In addition to that, food for the Station Crew is aboard the Spacecraft. A total of 382 Kilograms of food will be delivered to station including fresh food. 137 Kilograms of personal items for the Russian Crew such as clothing and personal belongings of upcoming crewmembers are stored in the cargo compartment. The dry cargo also includes equipment for Russian Science Experiments and Module Outfitting operations.
With Progress M-15M in orbit, there are currently two Progress Spacecraft circling the Earth. Progress M-14M undocked from ISS on April 19 to make room for the upcoming docking of the next ISS Resupply Spacecraft. The Spacecraft was moved away from the Station to perform several days of free flight dedicated the the Radar-Progress Experiment. For more information, see the Progress M-14M Updates Site.
Photo Gallery: Progress M-15M Launch
Progress M-15M is set to deliver various cargo items to the International Space Station to keep that Station in operating shape. A total of 2,356 kilograms of cargo are aboard the Progress Spacecraft. These include 648 Kilograms of Propellants for transfer to ISS Tanks and use on Station for regular Reboosts, Debris Avoidance Maneuvers and other maneuvers. Also, 47 Kilograms of Oxygen are stored inside Progress Tanks to repressurize the ISS Atmosphere and provide additional Oxygen next to on-board capabilities of the Station. 420 Kilograms of water will be transferred to ISS from Progress Tanks. The Dry Cargo inside the Cargo Compartment of the Progress Spacecraft has a total mass of 1,241 Kilograms and includes ISS Resupply Equipment for ISS Systems (144kg), maintenance hardware, Hygiene Supplies (114kg), Personal Protective Equipment (60kg) and 142 Kilograms of medical equipment. In addition to that, food for the Station Crew is aboard the Spacecraft. A total of 382 Kilograms of food will be delivered to station including fresh food. 137 Kilograms of personal items for the Russian Crew such as clothing and personal belongings of upcoming crewmembers are stored in the cargo compartment. The dry cargo also includes equipment for Russian Science Experiments and Module Outfitting operations.
With Progress M-15M in orbit, there are currently two Progress Spacecraft circling the Earth. Progress M-14M undocked from ISS on April 19 to make room for the upcoming docking of the next ISS Resupply Spacecraft. The Spacecraft was moved away from the Station to perform several days of free flight dedicated the the Radar-Progress Experiment. For more information, see the Progress M-14M Updates Site.
Photo Gallery: Progress M-15M Launch
Launch Video
Soyuz rolled to Launch Complex
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April 18, 2012
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Setting the
Stage for Liftoff later his week, the Soyuz-U Launch Vehicle with the Progress
M-15M International Space Station Resupply Spacecraft on top was rolled to the
Launch Complex at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.
Once arriving at Site 31/6 on April 18, the Launch Vehicle was placed in its Liftoff Position and L-2 activities were started. These operations include final testing of the Rocket and Spacecraft as well as battery charging, fueling preparations and final systems reviews. The State Commission will conduct its final meeting ahead of the countdown to give a GO/No GO for Launch Vehicle Fueling. Launch remains set for Friday, April 20 at 12:50:26 GMT. After orbital insertion, the Progress Spacecraft will perform two days of free flight making Rendezvous Burns and preparing for docking. After an on-time launch, docking would occur at about 14:40 GMT on Sunday. Photo Gallery: Soyuz Rollout |
Photo: Energia
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Payload Integration on Soyuz Launcher complete
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April 17, 2012
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Photo: Energia
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Progress
M-15M Launch Preparations are progressing as planned at the Baikonur
Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, as the Soyuz-U Launch Vehicle and the Progress
Spacecraft enter integrated Pre-Launch Processing.
After completing final inspections of the Spacecraft while in a processing stand, the fully fueled and loaded Progress was rotated to be encapsulated in its Payload Shroud. After encapsulation, the Upper Composite of the Launch Vehicle was moved from the Spacecraft Processing Facility to the Launch Vehicle Integration Facility to be attached to the Soyuz-U Booster that was assembled at the Cosmodrome in March. Final inspections have been completed on the Soyuz Launcher as it is getting ready for the mission. On April 17, the Progress M-15M Spacecraft was installed on the Soyuz-U Launch Vehicle. After payload integration was complete, a final round of testing began to make sure all connections are in place and all systems are working as planned before being rolled to the Launch Complex 31/6 where the Rocket will be put in its launch position. The State Commission has given the GO for the Rollout of the Launch Vehicle as all operations were completed nominally. Launch is planned for 12:50:24 UTC on Friday, April 20. At this point, all preparations are on track and no issues are being worked by the team. Before being delivered to orbit and start its Rendezvous, Progress M-15M has to wait until its docking port aboard the International Space Station is clear. For that, Progress M-14M will undock on Thursday and clear the way for the next ISS Resupply Mission. |
Progress fueled for Flight
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April 13, 2012
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Photo: Roscosmos
Photo: Energia
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Final Launch Preparations for the Flight of a Soyuz-U Rocket with the Progress M-15M International Space Station Resupply Spacecraft are progressing as planned at the Baikonur Cosmodrome where the Spacecraft is undergoing final pre-integration steps and the Launch Vehicle is ready to be attached to its Payload.
On March 9, the Technical Management meeting took place to review all systems and progress associated with overall launch operations at the Cosmodrome. The team reached a decision to press into final spacecraft preparations with Progress Fueling. The Fueling Process includes filling the Module with Propellants it needs to make maneuvers once in orbit and for transfer to the Space Station for use on ISS Propulsion, as well as compressed gases such as Oxygen and Nitrogen to replenish the Station's atmosphere. This complex fueling operations took place on April 10 and 11 inside a special facility for hazardous processing. On April 12, the vehicle returned to the Spacecraft Assembly and Testing Facility after the fueling process concluded. The Spacecraft was placed in a test-stand for further processing. There, a thorough inspection was made to ensure the vehicle is in good condition. Afterwards, the Progress Capsule was installed on its Payload Adapter completing spacecraft integration. Also, the Payload Fairing was cleaned and inspected. Next week, the vehicle will be attached to its launcher to complete the stacked vehicle and kick off one more round of integrated tests before rolling to the Launch Complex . All Preparations are on track for liftoff at 12:50:24 GMT on April 20, 2012 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for an on-time docking to the Space Station two days later. Photo Gallery: Progress M-15M Pre-Launch Processing Related Site: Progress M-14M Mission Updates >>>Expedition 30 Updates |
Final Launch Preparations Underway
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April 7, 2012
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Preparations for the Launch of the next International Space Station Resupply Mission are reaching a final stage at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, from where a Soyuz-U Launch Vehicle will deliver the Progress M-15M Spacecraft to Orbit. Launch is currently planned for April 20, 2012 at 12:50 GMT from Site 31/6 at the Cosmodrome. The Progress M-15M Flight is also called 47P in the US numbering System for ISS Flights.
The Progress Capsule arrived at the Baionur Cosmodrome on February 22 to begin its final launch preparations after being assembled and tsted just out of Moscow, Russia. After being extracted from its transport canister, the vehicle was placed in a test stand for extensive inspections. All structural components were examined and all of the Spacecraft's systems were checked out. Final launch preparations include late-cargo load and spacecraft fueling as well as integration on the Soyuz-U Booster. Launch Vehicle integration was underway inside the MIK-40 Facility in March. The four strap-on boosters were attached to the Core Stage and the third stage was instellaed on the large Core Stage. After the Progress Spacecraft is attached to its launcher, the stack will be rolled to the launch complex for final preparations to place the vehicle in its launch configuration. Before the M-15M Spacecraft can be launched, the progress Vehicle currently docked with ISS, M-14M, has to be undocked. Undocking is currently planned for April 19. Aboard the Station preparations for the departure of the Progress are already underway. Final fuel and oxygen transfers are being made to empty the tanks of the capsule. Cargo and trash that is no longer needed aboard ISS is being loaded into the cargo compartment for disposal via destructive Re-Entry after Progress M-14M completes its mission. Should the Progress M-15M be launched on time, docking would occur on April 22. |
Photo: Roscosmos
Photo: Roscosmos
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Photo: Roscosmos
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