Launch News (Bad orbit!) Arianespace Soyuz-STB flight VS09 with Galileo FOC-1/2, August 22, 2014

[Cosmic Penguin]

A crucial milestone has been reached for what is one of Europe's largest spaceflight related program ever. After years of difficult development, arguments over how to fund the program, more than 5 years of signal testing and another 3 years of validation, the Galileo satellite navigation system - Europe's answer to their own GPS - finally reached the mass deployment phase where up to 30 satellites will be launched over the next few years to make the system a reality (as well as expansion of supporting structures on the ground). Today marks the launch of the first 2 satellites of the "FOC" (full operational capability) block - the group of more than 20 satellite ordered to complete the constellation. With the completion of this launch, the world's first satellite navigation system not tied to the military will be one step closer to be used on your fingertips.

Launch location:

Kourou ELS 5°18'18"N 52°50'02"W

Launch dates and times:

{colsp=7}Launch times (updated)
Time Zone | Australia - Sydney/AEST | Moscow / MSK/ UTC+4 | CEDT UTC+2 | Universal / UTC | Washington / EDT | French Guiana Launch time: |23:27:11|16:27:11|14:27:11|12:27:11|08:27:11|09:27:11

on: | Aug. 22, 2014 | Aug. 22, 2014 | Aug. 22, 2014 | Aug. 22, 2014 | Aug. 22, 2014 | Aug. 22, 2014


{colsp=7}

[highlight][eventTimer]2014-08-22 12:27:11?before|after;%dd% Days %hh% Hours %mm% Minutes %ss% Seconds %c%[/eventTimer] Galileo FOC-1/2 Launch[/highlight]​

Live Coverage

• http://www.arianespace.tv/ - begins 20 minutes before the launch

PAYLOADS 1/2

Galileo FOC-1/2 navigation satellites

The Galileo satellite navigation system will consist of a total of 30 spacecraft in three planes in medium Earth orbit, which will each be occupied by nine satellites, and with three spares satellites distributed on the three orbital planes. At an altitude of 23,616 kilometers and an inclination of 56 degrees, the system will provide accurate positioning data to users as far north as 75 degrees longitude.

Although similar in design to the American GPS system and the Russian GLONASS navigation network, Galileo-FOC will be under the control of strictly civilian organizations. Galileo is the first joint program to be shared between the European Space Agency and the European Union.

In January 2010 the consortium consisting of OHB-System GmbH and SSTL was selected to built the first 14 Galileo-FOC (Galileo-Full Operational Capability) satellites of the system. OHB-System will act as prime contractor, build the busses while SSTL will provide the payloads. In January 2012, eight more satellites were ordered.

Characteristics|Values
Orbit| Medium-Earth orbit, altitude 23522 km, inclination 55.040°
Weight at launch|730 kg
Size (with solar wings stowed)|2.5 x 1.2 x 1.1 m
Span (with solar wings deployed)|14.74 m
Available power|1420 watts
Design life|more than 12 years
Prime contractor|OHB-System (platform) / SSTL (assembly and testing)
Navigation payload|

• Two Passive Hydrogen Maser atomic clocks
• Two Rubidium atomic clocks
• Clock monitoring and control unit
• Navigation signal generator unit (E5, E6, E1 signals)
• L-band antenna for navigation signal transmission
• C-band antenna for up-link signal detection
• Two S-band antennas for telemetry and tele-commands
• Search and rescue antenna

Launch Vehicle:

{colsp=2}Characteristics

|

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Soyuz-2.1b​

Prime contractor:​

|

• Samara Space Sentre (Energia Holding enterprise)
  

GRAU Index:​

|

• 14A14

Height:​

| 51.1 m

Diameter:​

| max 10.3 m

Liftoff mass:​

| 313 metric tonnes

Payload mass:​

| up to 7835 kg (a launch to LEO from Plesetsk)

1st stage (boosters B, V, G, D):​

|

• 4 X RD-107 engines
• Propellants (T-1 Kerosene and LOX)
• Thrust/ISP in vacuum - / 320.2 s
• Thrust/ISP at sea level 85.6 tonnes / 263.3 s

2nd stage (core A):​

|

• 1 X RD-108 engine
• Propellants (T-1 Kerosene and LOX)
• Thrust/ISP in vacuum 94 tonnes / 320.6 s
• Thrust/ISP at sea level 80.8 tonnes / 257.7 s

3rd stage (block I):​

|

• 1 X RD-0124 engine
• Propellants (T-1 Kerosene and LOX)
• Thrust/ISP in vacuum 30.00 tonnes / 359 s

Upper Stage:​

|

• GRAU Index: -
• Common Name: Fregat (meaning Frigate)
• Designer & Manufacturer: Lavochkin Association (NPO)
• Dimensions: Length 2.4 m, Diameter (max) 3.350 m
• Empty Mass 930 kg
• Propellants 5250 kg max

• Main Engine: 1 X S5.92
• Thrust in vacuum 2.0 tonnes of force (full power)
• Thrust in vacuum 1.4 tonnes of force (small power)
• ISP 333.2 s

Payload Fairing:​

|

• Diameter 3.7 m
• Length 7.7 m

The launch vehicle's reliability standings

According to http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/log2014.html#rate:

================================================================ 
Vehicle     Successes/Tries Realzd Pred  Consc. Last     Dates    
                             Rate  Rate* Succes Fail    
================================================================
Soyuz 2-1b/Fregat 14    15    .93  .88      8    12/23/11 2006-

Ascent profile

Weather Forecast for Kourou, French Guiana on August 22, 2014 (9 a.m.)

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. High 28C. Winds E at 10 to 15 km/h. Chance of rain 40%.

Time|Temps|Dew Point|Relative Humidity|Precip|Snow|Cloud cover|Pressure|Wind|Weather
9 AM|26°C|24°C|87%|19%|0%|44%|1014 hPa|13 km/h SE|

Partly Cloudy

References

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Navigation/The_future_-_Galileo/Launching_Galileo
http://download.esa.int/docs/Galileo_IOV_Launch/FOC_factsheet_20111003.pdf
http://www.arianespace.com
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com
http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru
http://www.forum-conquete-spatiale.fr
http://www.spacelaunchreport.com
http://www.samspace.ru
http://www.laspace.ru
http://english.wunderground.com/weather-forecast/zmw:00000.1.81403?

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

...and the launch has been scrubbed today due to weather conditions.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Launch in less than an hour from now...

 

[Notebook]

Webcast has started.

http://www.arianespace.tv/

N.

 

[Notebook]

T-4 minutes.

N.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Rocket performing flawlessly till now. Second Fregat burn is at 16:06 UTC.

 

[Ripley]

Have you noticed how altitude and speed go perfectly in sync with each other? :idk:
Is it really so, or was the display misconfigured?

Anyway, good launch!

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Have you noticed how altitude and speed go perfectly in sync with each other? :idk:
Is it really so, or was the display misconfigured?

Anyway, good launch!

Of course the display was wrong - unless you wanna believe that the Soyuz rocket reached 160+ km/s during its flight. :rofl:

And the satellites have been deployed in the planned orbit! "Only" 4 Soyuz and 3 more Ariane 5 launches to constellation complete and global coverage!

 

[Ripley]

Of course the display was wrong - unless you wanna believe that the Soyuz rocket reached 160+ km/s during its flight...

:facepalm:

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Oops!

VS09 Soyuz launch: Galileo satellites orbital injection anomaly
Kourou, August 22, 2014

Complementary observations gathered after separation of the Galileo FOC M1 satellites on Soyuz Flight VS09 have highlighted a discrepancy between targeted and reached orbit.

Investigations are underway. More information will be provided after a first flight data analysis to be completed on August 23, 2014.

US reports put the satellites in a 13700 x 25900 x 50 degree orbit, a bit off from the 23000 km, 55 degree circular orbit planned. Probably still within the satellites own capability to correct though....

 

[kerlix]

Of course the display was wrong - unless you wanna believe that the Soyuz rocket reached 160+ km/s during its flight. :rofl:

Ha I did notice that the broadcasters were talking about how the Alt/Range/Speed parameters were being "verified" before being broadcast.

Oops.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Oops!



US reports put the satellites in a 13700 x 25900 x 50 degree orbit, a bit off from the 23000 km, 55 degree circular orbit planned. Probably still within the satellites own capability to correct though....

Well even if they can't they should be OK to be put into service, although not in the desired orbital slot. Anyway Lavochikin has some explanation to do about what went wrong with the Fregat upper stage on its final burn! :uhh:

 

[Urwumpe]

Oops!



US reports put the satellites in a 13700 x 25900 x 50 degree orbit, a bit off from the 23000 km, 55 degree circular orbit planned. Probably still within the satellites own capability to correct though....

The periapsis altitude maybe, but the 5° inclination error is hard to correct

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

The periapsis altitude maybe, but the 5° inclination error is hard to correct

Well inclination isn't that problematic for navigation satellites - there are GPS satellites now orbiting 2° off-inclination right now due to orbital drift and they are currently used as is.

 

[Ripley]

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/N...alileo/Soyuz_Galileo_launch_injection_anomaly

23 August 2014

Following the announcement made by Arianespace on the anomalies of the orbit injection of the Galileo satellites, the teams of industries and agencies involved in the early operations of the satellites are investigating the potential implications on the mission.

Both satellites have been acquired and are safely controlled and operated from ESOC, ESA’s Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany.

Further information on the status of the satellites will be made available after the preliminary analysis of the situation.

 

[N_Molson]

Even if the satellites have enough propellant to correct the error, it will dramatically reduce their lifetime.

 

[Notebook]

BBC has woken up:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28910662

N.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Someone has made the calculations that a correct burn duration of the Fregat in its 2nd burn mis-pointing 145 degrees out of the V-bar (where it should have been pointed at) would result in the current orbit.

Sounds like some programmer at Lavochkin is about to be fired....

 

[ISProgram]

Someone has made the calculations that a correct burn duration of the Fregat in its 2nd burn mis-pointing 145 degrees out of the V-bar (where it should have been pointed at) would result in the current orbit.

Sounds like some programmer at Lavochkin is about to be fired....

First Proton/Briz-M, now Soyuz/Fregat...

Quality control not looking too good for Russia right now. It's sad to see such a simple programming error end the mission before it even really began...

Wondering if the satellites can be salvaged, if not saved.

 

[orbitingpluto]

First Proton/Briz-M, now Soyuz/Fregat...

Quality control not looking too good for Russia right now. It's sad to see such a simple programming error end the mission before it even really began...

Wondering if the satellites can be salvaged, if not saved.

Since the orbit is known, this Galileo sat still could be used for navigation, if they can have software correct for it's misplacement; the real impact comes in that it cause a gap in coverage, which while a headache for the program as a whole, it is not a total loss at this point. Presumably they can work this out.

No need to get too pessimistic here.