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Soyuz TMA-03M - Mission Updates
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Expedition 30/31 Crew back on Earth after perfect Landing |
July 1, 2012 |
Photo: NASA
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Soyuz TMA-03M and its three International Space Station Expedition 30/31 Crew Members, Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineers Don Pettit and Andre Kuipers, successfully landed at the Steppes of Kazakhstan on Sunday, July 1, 2012. The trio of ISS Residents undocked aboard their Soyuz at 4:47 GMT on Sunday, completed two-and-a-half hours of free flight and re-entered the atmosphere making a successful Touchdown to conclude a 193-day Space Flight.
Final Preparations for the departure of the three crew members started late on Saturday (GMT) as the entire crew changed their sleep schedules to support the event after preparations for the Undocking and Landing started several weeks ago with Soyuz Cargo Operations, Descent Simulations and Vehicle Checkouts. |
Final preparations started with the activation of the Soyuz Spacecraft and all of its Systems followed by thorough checks and verifications - ensuring that the vehicle was in readiness for the upcoming operation. Just before 1:40 GMT, the crew members moved to the correct side of the hatches and said their final Goodbyes after living and working together for several months aboard the Space Station. Before closing hatches, final time-critical experiments and samples were loaded into the Descent Module of the Soyuz Spacecraft for return to Earth and post-flight analysis. Hatch Closure Operations were completed on schedule and the standard one-hour leak check operation got underway to make sure the vestibule between the two spacecraft was tightly sealed. Soyuz Systems checkouts and leak checks were normal indicating that all Systems aboard the Spacecraft were ready for its brief period of free flight and re-entry. Inside the Soyuz, the three crew members donned their Sokol Launch and Entry Suits and strapped themselves into their Seat Liners with Oleg Kononenko taking the Center Seat, the Commander's Position.
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To set the stage for physical separation, the Space Station maneuvered to the Proper Undocking Orientation and the Undocking Command was sent by Soyuz Computer starting to drive hooks in order to break the Hard-Mate between Station and Soyuz that was formed after docking on December 23, 2011 when Kononenko, Kuipers and Pettit arrived to the warm Christmas Greetings of the first half of the Expedition 30 Crew. Hooks and latches opened as planned and Physical Separation of the Soyuz TMA-03M Vehicle occurred at 4:47 GMT. As the Spacecraft slowly departed its Docking Port at the Rassvet Module, Commander Oleg Kononenko activated the Digital Auto Pilot. Soyuz TMA-03M was the third Flight of the new Soyuz TMA-M Spacecraft that features a new control system that makes the vehicle easier to control in Manual Mode and reduces its weight and power consumption as well as work loads on the individual crew members. The TMA-M version also has improved crew interfaces and avionics. The first two flights were considered to be test flights of the new system including on-orbit testing operations with Soyuz TMA-03M being the first normal flight of the new Soyuz. To further evaluate the Control System for future operations, the TMA-03M Flight also had a short testing operation built into its ISS Departure Profile. About 100 Seconds after Undocking, the Space Station maneuvered from its Undocking Attitude to its LVLH (Local vertical/local horizontal) orientation while the Soyuz Vehicle made a manual Separation Burn controlled by Oleg Kononenko just shortly after ISS started its maneuver. Arriving at a Range of 50 meters, Soyuz TMA-03M started a short period of Stationkeeping for the DAP (Digital Autopilot) Test. For that, the Soyuz and its Rendezvous Sensors and Control System observed a Re-Orientation Maneuver made by ISS, moving back to its Undocking Orientation. This was done to acquire data from the new Soyuz Control System to evaluate future Flight Trajectories that might not require an ISS Attitude Change for Docking and Undocking. When the short test was complete, Separation Burn 2 occurred causing the vehicle to rapidly depart the vicinity of the Space Station after a 191-day docked mission. Starting a 2-orbit free flight, the Soyuz retreated to a point 19 Kilometers from ISS to start Deorbit Operations.
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Photo: NASA
*File Image* - Photo: NASA
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The Soyuz ignited its SKD Main Propulsion System Engines providing 2,942 Newtons of thrust at 7:19 GMT to start the Deorbit Burn. The Burn was 4 Minutes and 19 Seconds in duration and slowed the velocity of the Soyuz by 115.2 Meters per Second placing it on its planned trajectory to intercept Earth's Atmosphere in order to begin Re-Entry. Just before experiencing the first traces of the dense atmosphere, the three Modules of the Soyuz Vehicle separated at an altitude of 140 Kilometers - placing the Orbital Module and Instrumentation Section of the spacecraft on a course to destructive re-entry burning up in the Atmosphere. Protected by its heat shield, the Entry Module maneuvered to the correct orientation to dive into the atmosphere. 7 Minutes after hitting the atmosphere, the Stress on the Vehicle and its crew reached its maximum. "Sensation of G-load pressure on the body, heaviness of the body, labored breathing and speech. These are normal sensations, and the advice is to "take them coolly". In case of the feeling of a lump in the throat, this is no cause to "be nervous". This is frequent and should not be fought. Crew should check vision and, if any disturbances occur, create additional tension of abdominal pressure and leg muscles, in addition to the Kentavr anti-G suit," a NASA/Roscosmos description of what the crew experiences at that point in the flight said. During re-entry, communications were relayed by the Space Station orbiting above the Vehicle. For that, ISS made a small maneuver to provide favorable communication angles, but due to the increased altitude of the Station, communication signals were not as strong as normally, so that communications during entry were limited. 15 Prior to Touchdown, the Parachute Opening Sequence was initiated. After the command was issued, the Pilot Chute, followed by the Drogue Chute, opened - slowing the vehicle down to 79.6 Meters per Second on its descent to Earth. Later, the main chute opened and the vehicle slowed down further. As the Vehicle descended, airplanes provided the communication link with Mission Control Moscow and recovery forces tracking the vehicle to get to its landing point as fast as possible. Coming out of the Communications Blackout occurring during the Entry Sequence when plasma and vehicle attitude prevent stable communications, the crew reported that both, the crew and the vehicle, were in good shape. As the capsule slowly descended under its main parachute, the heat shield was jettisoned exposing the altimeter instrument to provide altitude and rate of descent data. Also, residual propellant inside the vehicle's tanks was dumped. Moments before landing the seat liners inside the Soyuz moved into the landing position to absorb a portion of the Impact Load. Also, the Soyuz fired its six Landing Engines about 2 seconds prior to touchdown to slow the vehicle down to its appropriate landing speed of 2 - 4 meters per second. Landing occurred on time and right on target - at 8:14 GMT, near the town of Zhezkazgan at the Steppes of Kazakhstan in perfect weather conditions. The Soyuz Capsule landed in an upright position which is a common occurence and does not cause problems for crew extraction. Recovery Forces were quick to arrive at the Landing Site where they immediately began to extract the three crew members from the Soyuz Capsule. A medical tent was set up near the landed vehicle.
Photo: NASA
When Oleg Kononenko was extracted from the capsule, he was and appeared to be in good condition. Andre Kuipers was second to leave the Soyuz Capsule. The ESA Astronaut appeared to be in good health and had a big smile on his face. Last to exit the Soyuz was Don Pettit who was looking well, too. After being extracted, the three former ISS Residents were placed in special reclining chairs to allow them to re-adept to Earth's Gravity. After spending a few minutes under the clear Kazakh sky, the crew members were transported to the medical tent for initial medical exams. About 2 hours after landing, they departed the landing site for a nearby Airfield in northern Kazakhstan. There, they will part ways for the first time in more than six months after completing a successful 193-day Space Flight being part of Expeditions 30 and 31.
These two Space Station Increments were quite busy for the crew that supported hundreds of scientific experiments and studies that have been in progress aboard that station - often participating as test subjects themselves. They also saw the arrival of Automated Transfer Vehicle 3 in March 2012 and the crew supported the Milestone Mission of the SpaceX Dragon in May - becoming the first Commercial Spacecraft resupply the Station. All Expedition 30 and 31 activities can be found in our Mission Updates Sections here and here.
This successful Undocking and Landing of the Soyuz Vehicle also marked the end of International Space Station Expedition 31 and the start of Station Increment 32 that begins with a crew of three until the Soyuz TMA-05M Spacecraft is launched on July 15 and arrives at the Space Station on the 17th delivering Yuri Malenchenko, Sunita Williams and Akihiko Hoshide to ISS for their long duration mission. For full coverage and background Information, please visit our Expedition 32 Section and the extensive preview.
Photo Gallery: Soyuz TMA-03M Landing
These two Space Station Increments were quite busy for the crew that supported hundreds of scientific experiments and studies that have been in progress aboard that station - often participating as test subjects themselves. They also saw the arrival of Automated Transfer Vehicle 3 in March 2012 and the crew supported the Milestone Mission of the SpaceX Dragon in May - becoming the first Commercial Spacecraft resupply the Station. All Expedition 30 and 31 activities can be found in our Mission Updates Sections here and here.
This successful Undocking and Landing of the Soyuz Vehicle also marked the end of International Space Station Expedition 31 and the start of Station Increment 32 that begins with a crew of three until the Soyuz TMA-05M Spacecraft is launched on July 15 and arrives at the Space Station on the 17th delivering Yuri Malenchenko, Sunita Williams and Akihiko Hoshide to ISS for their long duration mission. For full coverage and background Information, please visit our Expedition 32 Section and the extensive preview.
Photo Gallery: Soyuz TMA-03M Landing
Landing Video
Space Station Expedition 30/31 Trio to Return this Weekend |
June 29, 2012 |
Photo: NASA
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A trio of International Space Station Residents is getting ready for the Return Trip to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-03M this weekend after completing a 6-month Space Flight. Expedition 31 Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineers Don Pettit and Andre Kuipers will undock from ISS aboard their Soyuz on July 1, 2012 at 4:53 GMT to begin a two-orbit free flight setting up for Re-Entry. Landing at the Steppes of Kazakhstan is expected at 8:15 GMT on Sunday.
Aboard the complex, the Soyuz TMA-03M Crew Members have completed landing preparations as well as cargo operations for the return trip to Earth. Several science payloads and equipment was placed aboard the Entry Module for return to Earth and post-flight analysis. The science equipment includes samples taken from ISS Air and Water supply as well as experiment samples that are part of ongoing ISS Science Studies. Time-Critical Payloads will be loaded just before hatch closure late on Saturday. The Orbital Module of the Soyuz Spacecraft was loaded with trash and no-longer-needed items for disposal via destructive re-entry. |
Also, final preparations for the brief period of free flight were made inside the Entry Module of the Soyuz Spacecraft. These preparations included the activation of the Vehicle's Life Support Systems and Toilet Facility as well as a check of all Thrusters that haven't been used since docking in late December 2011. To prepare for Entry, Oleg Kononenko and Andre Kuipers have completed the standard Descent Drills which are simulations of various Entry Scenarios that are conducted inside the Soyuz Spacecraft to get the crew up to speed on all associated procedures. The entire Soyuz TMA-03M Crew performed the standard leak checks of their Sokol Suits that will be worn during entry and landing. They also checked the fit of their custom Kazbek Seat Liners inside the Soyuz Entry Module and made adjustments where it was required making sure the seats can provide their shock absorbing capabilities during Landing. On Friday, the crew will perform the Change of Command Ceremony during which Oleg Kononenko will hand over the Command of the Space Station to Gennady Padalka who will lead Expedition 32 - making him the first person to command three ISS Expeditions. On Saturday, the Soyuz Spacecraft will be activated and all systems will be checked thoroughly.
Photo: NASA
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Just before 2:00 GMT on Sunday, the crew members will move to the correct sides of the Hatches and say their final Goodbyes after working together for several months as part of Expedition 31 - becoming a real 'Space Family.' Afterwards, they will get started on hatch closure operations and perform the standard one-hour leak check to make sure the seals on both ends of the vestibule between the two spacecraft are tight. The Soyuz Crew will make final checks of the vehicle's systems before donning their Sokol Launch and Entry Suits and strapping themselves into their Seat Liners. At 4:50 GMT on Sunday, the Undocking Command will be sent and physical separation will occur 3 minutes later. As Soyuz TMA-03M departs the Rassvet Module of ISS, the Vehicle and its crew will be leaving the Space Station behind after a 191-day Docked Mission. This is the third flight of the new Soyuz TMA-M spacecraft that features a new control system that makes the vehicle easier to control in Manual Mode and reduces its weight and power consumption. The TMA-M version also has improved crew interfaces and avionics. The first two flights were test flights of the new system including on-orbit testing operations with Soyuz TMA-03M being the first normal flight of the new Soyuz. However, a short test will be conducted following undocking to gather Rendezvous Sensor and Navigation System Data. For that, the Digital Autopilot of the vehicle will be activated moments after separation and the Soyuz will perform a manual separation burn controlled by Oleg Kononenko. At that point, the Space Station will make a re-orientation maneuver from its Undocking Attitude to the LVLH (Local vertical/local horizontal) orientation. At a range of 50 meters, Soyuz TMA-03M will initiate a short period of Stationkeeping to observe an ISS Maneuver back to the Undocking Attitude to gather data concerned with Guidance System and DAP Performance. Once the short test is complete, the Soyuz Spacecraft will make its second Separation Burn to depart the vicinity of the International Space Station. A two Orbit Free-Flight will follow during which the vehicle maneuvers to a safe distance to ISS to perform its Deorbit Burn at 7:17 GMT.
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Photo: NASA/ESA
Photo: NASA
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The Burn will be 4 minutes and 19 seconds in duration slowing the Soyuz down by 115.2 meters per second - just enough to place it on a trajectory to intercept Earth's Atmosphere to start re-entry. Just before Entry Interface, the modules of the Soyuz will separate and the Entry Module will move to the correct Entry Attitude. Landing at the Steppes of Kazakhstan is planned to occur at 8:15 GMT. Recovery forces will immediately start post-landing operations to extract the crew that will have completed their long duration Space Mission at that point.
Soyuz TMA-03M arrives at ISS
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December 23, 2011
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The
International Space Station has a crew of six again after the Arrival of the
second half of the Expedition 30 Crew. Oleg Kononenko, Don Pettit and Andre
Kuipers are now aboard the Station as part of ISS Expedition 30 and
31.
Docking occurred today at 15:19 GMT (10:19am EST) after the vehicle launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday December 21 at 13:16 GMT (8:16 am EST). Orbital Insertion was nominal and the vehicle was on a path to the Station which was refined by three major Rendezvous Burns that were conducted on Wednesday and Thursday. Today, the fully automated docking sequence with the new Digital Soyuz TMA-M variant was performed. This is only the third TMA-M Soyuz to fly and the first that is not classed as a development flight. The entire process of linking up with the Station and the Docking itself were by the book. When arriving in the vicinity of the Station, the Capsule made a short Flyaround Maneuver to achieve a perfect alignment with the Docking Port on the Rassvet Module. At a distance of 200 Meters to the Docking Target, a period of Stationkeeping started. This gives teams inside Mission Control time to evaluate systems and alignment. |
Photo: NASA TV
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Today, the GO for Final Approach came after just a few minutes and Soyuz Commander
Kononenko sent the command for the final phase of the docking operation. 4
Minutes ahead of time, the Soyuz gently came into contact with ISS at a
relative velocity of less than 0.3 meters per second. Soft Docking was
confirmed shortly thereafter and hooks and latches were closed 10 minutes after
docking to form a hard-mate between ISS and the TMA-03M Soyuz or 29S in the US
numbering scheme. Extensive leak checks and vehicle reconfigurations were made
from both sides of the Docking System before Mission Control gave a GO to open
the hatch to the Soyuz.
Aboard the Station, long duration Crewmembers Dan Burbank, Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoly Ivanishin were supporting the docking and welcoming the crew with a warm Christmas Greeting after hatches were opened at 17:43 GMT (12:43pm EST). Mandatory safety briefings and familiarization procedures were conducted by the crew before operations as part of Expedition 30 started. Dan Burbank was giving the safety brieifng as Commander of Exp 30. Emergency routes and equipment locations were reviewed and procedures for contingencies like fire, depressurization ot toxic release have been discussed. Today’s operations aboard the Outpost included unloading of the newly arrived Soyuz Capsule that is filled with time-critical experiment equipment for upcoming scientific studies aboard ISS. Also, the three new residents had some time to get settled in their private crew quarters and prepare their personal equipment for use aboard the Station.
Aboard the Station, long duration Crewmembers Dan Burbank, Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoly Ivanishin were supporting the docking and welcoming the crew with a warm Christmas Greeting after hatches were opened at 17:43 GMT (12:43pm EST). Mandatory safety briefings and familiarization procedures were conducted by the crew before operations as part of Expedition 30 started. Dan Burbank was giving the safety brieifng as Commander of Exp 30. Emergency routes and equipment locations were reviewed and procedures for contingencies like fire, depressurization ot toxic release have been discussed. Today’s operations aboard the Outpost included unloading of the newly arrived Soyuz Capsule that is filled with time-critical experiment equipment for upcoming scientific studies aboard ISS. Also, the three new residents had some time to get settled in their private crew quarters and prepare their personal equipment for use aboard the Station.
Patch: ESA
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The Soyuz TMA-03M crew is now starting a 147-day stay aboard the station that will be filled with a variety of activities. Andre Kuipers is also starting his PromISSe Mission as part of ESA’s activities. PromISSe stands for Programme for Research in Orbit Maximising the Inspiration from the Space Station for Europe. During his mission, Kuipers will be the prime crewmember responsible for operations with the Automated Transfer Vehicle scheduled to dock to ISS in March 2012. Earlier the crew is awaiting a visit from SpaceX’ Dragon Capsule. The crew will be involved in preparations for this docking and support it during the actual event.
For the Russian Crewmembers, an EVA will be on Tap in Febrauary. Currently planned for Feb 14 the Spacewalk will likely be re-scheduled since this is the planned docking day for the Dragon C2 Mission. Stepping out of the Station will be Oleg Kononenko and Anton Shkaplerov. No US Spacewalk is planned for Expedition 30, however Pettit and Burbank are trained to respond to external equipment failures. With six crewmembers back on station, more hands can focus on science operations to increase the weekly hours of scientific work completed aboard ISS. The new crew of three will have daily fimiliarization operations on their schedule for the next three weeks. More on upcoming Expedition Events can be found on our Exp 30 Preview Site and the Expedition Updates. |
Docking Video
Soyuz on Course for Docking
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December 22, 2011
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The Soyuz TMA-03M Capsule has completed its fist day in orbit without any problems. It is on a 35-Orbit journey that will take it and the three Crewmembers, Don Pettit, Andre Kuipers and Commander Oleg Kononenko to the International Space Station. For that, the capsule made 3 rather large Engine Firings to achieve a trajectory that lines it up with ISS tomorrow for an automated docking at 15:22 GMT (10:22 am EST). These burns were completed as expected with velocity changes of 94, 46 and 5 miles per hour and the vehicle and its crew are in very good condition following their busy Flight Day 2. Aboard ISS, final preparations for the docking and upcoming operations have been completed today. Cameras aboard the Station were configured to record tomorrow’s docking. Also, the crew quarters for the three upcoming ISS Residents have been prepared by the first half of the Espedition 30 Crew. These operations included a reconfiguration of the onboard Network for personal computer and internet settings. Everything is on track for an on time docking tomorrow. |
Docking Timeline
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TMA-03M in Orbit after successful Launch
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December 21, 2011
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A Soyuz FG
Launch Vehicle liftted off on time earlier today from the Baikonur Cosmodrome,
Kazakhstan, delivering the Soyuz TMA-03M Spacecraft with the ISS Expedition 30/31
Crew to Orbit. Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineers Don Pettit
(NASA) and Andre Kuipers (ESA) are safely in orbit and have started their
jounrey to ISS to complete a 148-day mission.
Launch Day Activities picked up six hours before liftoff and included final launch vehicle preparations and crew launch procedures. It was a typical winter day at the Launch Site. Temperatures were hovering around 4°F when the Crew was transported to their Rocket. Five hours prior to Liftoff, the State Commission met and discussed the Vehicle’s status. A GO for Fueling was given when the meeting concluded. After the fueling process which was by the book, the crew of three entered their Syouz Capsule and got strapped into their seats. When all hatches were closed, a set of extensive leak checks was completed to make sure the Cabin was sealed properly. They configured the Soyuz Capsule for Launch and made final Communication Checks starting one hour before ignition. Around that time, the sun set at the Cosmodrome to set the mood for a spectacular Soyuz Launch. To prepare the vehicle for launch, the Soyuz Service Structure was retracted at T-45 Minutes to expose the fully fueled vehicle to the harsh weather conditions at the Launch Site. Just six minutes before launch, the automated seuquence of the Countdown began to complete the final preparatory steps to place the Rocket in its launch configuration. For that, the vehicle was switched to internal power, all fuel tanks were pressurized for flight and umbilicals were retracted from the rocket. 20 seconds before liftoff, the Launch Command was issued which prompted the ignition of all first stage engines. When all Turbopumps reached Flight Speed and engine performance was verified, the Soyuz FG Rocket blasted off. Liftoff was on time at 7:16:15pm local time (13:16 GMT/ 8:16am EST). Photo Gallery: Soyuz Launch |
Photo: ESA / Roscosomos
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Photo: Energia
Just before making their way into the small Space Capsule, the crew turned around for one final Good Bye
Photo Gallery: Soyuz TMA-03M Crew - Launch Day Activities
Photo Gallery: Soyuz TMA-03M Crew - Launch Day Activities
First Stage
performance was nominal and the Rocket followed a nominal Ascent Path. Just
under two minutes into the flight, the four strap-on boosters were jettisoned
after giving extra thrust for the first 118 seconds of the mission. One Minute
later, the launch escape tower and the payload shroud were separated as well
and the Soyuz TMA-03M Capsule was no longer hidden under its protective
fairing. The core stage continued to burn until the T+4:58 Mark when Staging
occurred. Operation of the third stage was normal and the Soyuz Capsule
separated after a 4-minute burn to begin its trip to the ISS. Immediately after
separation, solar arrays and communication antennas were deployed to complete a
successful orbital insertion process. This is the third flight of the new digital Soyuz TMA-M series. The first two flights were evaluation flights with built-in tests of the vehicle. This is the first normal flight of the new generation spacecraft. The digital controls make it easier for the Commander to manually maneuver the vehicle around and monitor automated activity during Rendezvous and Docking.
The crew was allowed to open their visors and egress their seats after all vehicle parameters were validated. They have opened the hatch to the Orbital Module of the Soyuz and got set up for on-orbit operations. On tap for the crew and their vehicle are three major Rendezvous Burns today and tomorrow to put them on the proper trajectory to link up with ISS. Docking is set to occur on Friday, December 23 at 15:22GMT/10:22am EST.
When entering the Station, the three new crewmembers will receive a warm Christmas greeting from ISS Commander Dan Burbank and Flight Engineers Anatoly Ivanishin and Anton Shkaplerov. ISS operations with six crewmembers will then be restored as Expedition 30 begins its second part that will be more science oriented as more crew time for experiments is available with a greater number of hands aboard the orbiting outpost.
An Expedition 30 Preview can be found here.
The crew was allowed to open their visors and egress their seats after all vehicle parameters were validated. They have opened the hatch to the Orbital Module of the Soyuz and got set up for on-orbit operations. On tap for the crew and their vehicle are three major Rendezvous Burns today and tomorrow to put them on the proper trajectory to link up with ISS. Docking is set to occur on Friday, December 23 at 15:22GMT/10:22am EST.
When entering the Station, the three new crewmembers will receive a warm Christmas greeting from ISS Commander Dan Burbank and Flight Engineers Anatoly Ivanishin and Anton Shkaplerov. ISS operations with six crewmembers will then be restored as Expedition 30 begins its second part that will be more science oriented as more crew time for experiments is available with a greater number of hands aboard the orbiting outpost.
An Expedition 30 Preview can be found here.
Launch Video
Launch Preparations complete
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December 20, 2011
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L-2 Launch Operations have wrapped up at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, in preparation for an on-time Launch of Soyuz TMA-03M with International Space Station Crewmembers Don Pettit, Oleg Kononenko and Andre Kuipers on Wednesday at 13:16:15 GMT – 8:16:15am EST. Today, L-1 preparations were in progress and are essentially complete. Today's activities included packing the Soyuz Capsule with time-critical science payloads for their delivery to ISS. All teams are ready for countdown operations starting around 6 hours before liftoff. A final GO for Launch will be given by the State Commission that will meet just before Fueling of the Soyuz Rocket commences.
Coutdown and Ascent Timeline
| T -/+ | Time EST | Event | |
| -6:00:00 | 02:16am | Crew Departure | |
| -5:45:00 | 02:31am | Booster Battery Installation | |
| -5:15:00 | 02:46am | Crew arrives at Launch Site | |
| -5:00:00 | 3:01am | Soyuz Fueling begins | |
| -4:30:00 | 03:46am | Crew Suit-Up | |
| -4:05:00 | 04:11am | Booster LOX Load complete | |
| -3:05:00 | 05:11am | Core Stage LOX Load complete | |
| -3:00:00 | 05:16am | Crew Walkout | |
| -2:35:00 | 05:41am | Crew Arrives at Launch Pad | |
| -2:25:00 | 05:51am | Crew boards Soyuz | |
| -1:35:00 | 06:41am | Soyuz Hardware Tests | |
| -1:00:00 | 07:16am | Launch Vehicle Configurations | |
| -0:45:00 | 07:31am | Service Structure Retraction | |
| -0:40:00 | 07:36am | Entry Vehicle Checks complete, Suit Leak Checks | |
| -0:30:00 | 07:46am | Launch Abort System Armed, Launch Command Support Unit Activation | |
| -0:25:00 | 07:51am | Service Tower Retraction | |
| -0:15:00 | 08:01am | Leak Checks complete, personal escape hardware auto mode | |
| -0:10:00 | 08:06am | On-Board Recorder Activation, Gyros uncaged | |
| -0:07:00 | 08:09am | Prelaunch Operations complete | |
| -0:06:15 | 08:10:00am | Automated Sequence Initiation | |
| -0:06:00 | 08:10:15am | All Systems configured for Launch | |
| -0:05:00 | 08:11:15am | Handover to onboard Control | |
| Ground Measurement System Activation | |||
| Manual Control System enabled | |||
| Crew switches to Suit Air and closes visors | |||
| -0:03:15 | 08:13:00am | Engine Nitrogen Purge | |
| -0:02:30 | 08:13:45am | Booster Tank Pressurization | |
| Onboard Measurement System Activation | |||
| Nitrogen Tank Pressurization | |||
| -0:02:15 | 08:14:00am | Fuel Fill&Drain Valves closed | |
| LOX and Nitrogen Loading are terminated | |||
| -0:01:00 | 08:15:15am | Vehicle to internal Power | |
| Automatic Sequencer in control of the Count | |||
| First Umbilical Tower separates from Booster | |||
| -0:00:40 | 08:15:35am | Third Stage Umbilical separates | |
| -0:00:20 | 08:15:55am | Launch Command | |
| Egnine Start | |||
| -0:00:15 | 08:16:00am | Second Umbilical Tower Retraction | |
| -0:00:10 | 08:16:05am | Engines at Flight Level | |
| -0:00:05 | 08:16:10am | Fueling Tower Separation | |
| 00:00:00 | 08:16:15am | LIFTOFF | |
| +0:01:58 | 08:18:13am | Booster Separation | |
| +0:02:40 | 08:18:55am | Escape Tower and Launch Shroud Jettison | |
| +0:04:58 | 08:21:15am | Stage Separation | |
| +0:09:00 | 08:25:15am | Cutoff | |
| Orbital insertion | |||
| Spacecraft Separation | |||
| Antenna and Solar Array Deployment | |||
| Flight Control handed to Mission Control Moscow |
Soyuz TMA-03M rolled to Launch Pad
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December 19, 2011
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In
Preparation for the next manned space flight, Launch Vehicle Integration was
wrapped up over the weekend and the completed Soyuz TMA-03M Spacecraft with its
protective payload fairing was attached to the Rocket. One of the final steps that was completed was the
attachment of the Launch Abort System that would be used in the event of a
Launch Vehicle Failure to safely fly the manned space capsule away from the
Rocket. The Upper Composite was then installed on the Launch Vehicle to complete
the TMA-03M Stack. Integrated tests have been performed to make sure all
connections are in place and communication ways are working as expected.
On December 18, 2011, technical management personnel met and the traditional State Commission was held. Spacecraft and Launch Vehicle Systems were reviewed and open items were discussed. The meeting concluded with a decision to press into Rollout and Countdown Operations and a GO for Launch on December 21 was given. |
Photo: Energia
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Earlier
today, the Launch Vehicle was rolled out to the Launch Complex where it was put
in its erect Launch Position. L-2 Countdown activities are now underway at the
Baikonur Cosmodrome in preparation for Liftoff of the Expedition 30/31 Crew.
Over the next two days, more testing of the rocket will be performed. Also,
time-critical payloads will be loaded into the small capsule.
Weather Forecast Models for Wednesday indicate that the crew of three will be lifting off in harsh winter conditions that are typical for Kazakhstan at this time of year.
Photo Gallery: Final Integration
Photo Gallery: TMA-03M Rollout
Weather Forecast Models for Wednesday indicate that the crew of three will be lifting off in harsh winter conditions that are typical for Kazakhstan at this time of year.
Photo Gallery: Final Integration
Photo Gallery: TMA-03M Rollout
Photo: Energia
Launch Preparations almost complete
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December 14, 2011
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The Launch
of the next manned Soyuz Rocket to the International Space Station is one week
away as Launch Preparations are nearing completion.
The Soyuz Crew of Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineers Don Pettit and Andre Kuipers arrived at the Baikonur Launch Site on December 8 and began their final training phase. They completed several training sessions on board their actual space capsule to get familiar with documentation and cargo on board their spacecraft. Sokol-KB Flight Suit Leak Checks were also performed by each crewmember to ensure the suits are ready for flight as well. The Technical Management Branch at the Launch Site had given the GO to fill the Soyuz Spacecraft with propellants and high pressure gasses. The Soyuz TMA-03M Spacecraft was then fueled for flight and checked out one final time inside its processing facility. On December 11, the Spacecraft was delivered to the Spacecraft Assembly Facility for Launch Vehicle Integration. |
Photo: Energia
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The
Integration Process of the Soyuz FG Rocket had taken place over the past weeks
and the Rocket was readied for launch inside the large facility. One Day after being rolled tothe assembly building,
the Soyuz Capsule was installed on its Rocket. Inspections and tests of the
combined stack kicked off to make sure all electrical and communication lines from the capsule to the rocket were configured properly. All integrated tests went well and inspections wrapped up before the protective Payload Shroud was installed on the Soyuz
Vehicle. With these final steps, Launch Vehicle Integration is almost complete.
The only piece that still has to be installed on the Rocket is the Launch
Escape System required for manned launches.
Preparations are on track for an on-time launch on December 21, 2011 at 8:16am EST. Weather forecast models indicate that typical Weather for this time of year at the launch site can be expected. Temperatures of –18°C on Launch Day and heavy snow are currently shown in forecast models for the Baikonur Cosmodrome next week.
Photo Gallery: TMA-03M Processing
Preparations are on track for an on-time launch on December 21, 2011 at 8:16am EST. Weather forecast models indicate that typical Weather for this time of year at the launch site can be expected. Temperatures of –18°C on Launch Day and heavy snow are currently shown in forecast models for the Baikonur Cosmodrome next week.
Photo Gallery: TMA-03M Processing
Photo: Energia
