Updates ISS Soyuz flights updates

[Cosmic Penguin]

Soyuz TMA-14M report

Continuing another exchange of crew at the human outpost in space, this time all eyes will fall on one of the crew members. Understandable of course, for Elena Serova is the first female cosmonaut to be dispatched to the ISS, and the first time a first female cosmonaut reaches the launch pad since Yelena Kondakova in 1997 (ironically on Space Shuttle Atlantis - mission STS-84). She was an engineer working at the Russian aerospace giant RSC Energia and at MCC-M before selected into the cosmonaut corps in 2006.

But let's not focus on her too much here (here's a dedicated thread for this :tiphat and turn to the other 2 in the group. Both should be familiar who have been tracking human spaceflight activities - ex-Navy aviator Barry Wilmore was on the right hand seat of Space Shuttle Atlantis on STS-129 in 2009 and ex-Russian Air Force colonel Alexander Samokutyaev was on the 2011 ISS Expedition 27/28 crew that saw the last 2 shuttle missions to the ISS.

Safe journeys guys and girls!

Launch location:

Baikonur Launch pad no. 1/5 45°55'12.85"N, 63°20'32.27"E

Launch dates and times:

{colsp=6}Launch times

Time Zone |

Australia - Sydney/AEST (UTC+10) ​

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Baikonur / UTC+6 ​

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Moscow / MSKS (UTC+4) ​

|

Universal / UTC ​

|

Washington / EDT (UTC-4) ​

Launch time (Primary): ​

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06:25:00​

|

02:25:00​

|

00:25:00​

|

20:25:00​

|

16:25:00​

on: ​

|

Sep. 26, 2014​

|

Sep. 26, 2014​

|

Sep. 26, 2014​

|

Sep. 25, 2014​

|

Sep. 25, 2014​

Launch time (Backup): ​

|

05:39:50​

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01:39:50​

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23:39:50​

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19:39:50​

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15:39:50​

on: ​

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Sep. 28, 2014​

|

Sep. 28, 2014​

|

Sep. 27, 2014​

|

Sep. 27, 2014​

|

Sep. 27, 2014​

{colsp=6}

[highlight][eventTimer]2014-09-25 20:25:00?before|after;%dd% Days %hh% Hours %mm% Minutes %ss% Seconds %c%[/eventTimer] Soyuz TMA-14M Launch[/highlight]​

{colsp=5}Docking times

Time Zone |

Australia - Sydney/AEST (UTC+10) ​

|

Moscow / MSKS (UTC+4)/ ​

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Universal / UTC ​

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Washington / EDT (UTC-4) ​

Docking time (Primary): ​

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12:16:13 +-3 min​

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06:16:13 +-3 min​

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02:16:13 +-3 min​

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22:16:13 +-3 min​

on: ​

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Sep. 26, 2014​

|

Sep. 26, 2014​

|

Sep. 26, 2014​

|

Sep. 25, 2014​

Docking time (Backup): ​

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07:40 +-3 min​

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01:40 +-3 min​

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21:40 +-3 min​

|

17:40 +-3 min​

on: ​

|

Sep. 30, 2014​

|

Sep. 30, 2014​

|

Sep. 29, 2014​

|

Sep. 29, 2014​

{colsp=5}

[highlight][eventTimer]2014-09-26 02:16:13?before|after;%dd% Days %hh% Hours %mm% Minutes %ss% Seconds %c%[/eventTimer] Soyuz TMA-14M docking to ISS[/highlight]​

Live Coverage Of The Launch:

• NASA TV: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html (coverage starts 3:30 p.m. EDT / 19:30 UTC)
• TSENKI Video Streams: http://www.tsenki.com/broadcast/broadcast/ - coverage starts at 21:25 MSKS (17:25 UTC)

Soyuz TMA-14M (industry id 11F747 #714, NASA id Soyuz 40S) manned spaceship

The crew:

|

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Commander Alexander Samokutyaev, Roscosmos (previous flight experience: Soyuz TMA-21 / ISS Exp. 27/28)​

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Flight Engineer Elena Serova, Roscosmos(previous flight experience: /)​

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Flight Engineer Barry Wilmore, NASA (previous flight experience: STS-129)​

The mission patch:

Mission Profile

Ascent Chart:

1. Approach and Docking Chart:

The times below are Moscow Time (UTC+4), commas separate fractional part of numbers:

Expected time of spacecraft separation: 00:33.48.26

2. Orbital Parameters of Soyuz TMA-14M and the ISS

Parameter|Designation|Soyuz TMA-14M at 26/09|ISS at 26/09
Orbital Period|T, min|88.64 +-0.367|92.81
Inclination|i, degrees|51.67 +-0.058|51.64
Min altitude|h, km|200 +7 -22|414.32
Max altitude|H, km|242 +-42|433.72

Phase angle between the space ship and the ISS is about 30.0 degrees.
Projected duration of the space ship staying at the nominal orbit is no less than 20 orbits (~30 hrs).

3. Transfer maneuvers
(six hours short approach scheme applied)

* Nominal two-burn maneuver and two-burn orbit phasing correction

Date|Burn at|Orbit #|Delta V, m/s|Burn duration, s|post-burn T,min|post-burn i,deg|post-burn h,km|post-burn H,km
26.09.14|1:10:16|1|28.16|70.1|89.61|51.64|229.87|295.94
26.09.14|1:54:17|2|18.94|47.2|90.26|51.64|286.46|308.93
26.09.14|2:28:31|2|7.00|18.2|90.51|51.67|286.84|324.45
26.09.14|2:32:15|2|7.00|18.2|90.76|51.64|305.72|333.07

Autonomous approach program is initiated at 4:07:10.

4. Approach at the Close range

Fly-around, station keeping and docking will be initiated at 5:39:32 on September 26, 2014.

5. Docking

Contact and capture is planned on September 26, 2014 at 06:16 +-3 min.

Docking is performed to MRM-2 Poisk +Y docking node

Launch Vehicle:

{colsp=2}Characteristics

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{colsp=2}

Soyuz-FG​

Prime contractor:​

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• Samara Space Sentre (Energia Holding enterprise)
  

GRAU Index:​

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• 11A511U-FG

Height:​

| 51.1 m

Diameter:​

| max 10.3 m

Liftoff mass:​

| 313 metric tonnes

Payload mass:​

| 6.95 tonnes at ISS orbit from Baikonur

1st stage (boosters B, V, G, D):​

|

• 4 X RD-107A engines
• Propellants (T-1 Kerosene and LOX)
• Thrust/ISP in vacuum - / 316 s
• Thrust/ISP at sea level 79.4 tonnes / 253 s
• Total 1st stage's thrust at sea level: 411.1 tonnes

2nd stage (core A):​

|

• 1 X RD-108A engine
• Propellants (T-1 Kerosene and LOX)
• Thrust/ISP in vacuum 102 tonnes / 314 s
• Thrust/ISP at sea level 83.5 tonnes / 257 s

3rd stage (block I):​

|

• 1 X RD-0110 engine
• Propellants (T-1 Kerosene and LOX)
• Thrust/ISP in vacuum 30.38 tonnes / 359 s

The vehicle's reliability statistics according to http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/log2014.html#rate:

================================================================ 
Vehicle     Successes/Tries Realzd Pred  Consc. Last     Dates    
                             Rate  Rate* Succes Fail    
================================================================
Soyuz-FG          38    38   1.00  .97     38    None     2001-

Weather forecast for Baikonur, Kazakhstan on September 26, 2014 (2 a.m.)

A few clouds. Low 13C. Winds W at 15 to 30 km/h.

Time|Temps|Dew Point|Relative Humidity|Precip|Snow|Cloud cover|Pressure|Wind|Weather
2 AM|19°C|7°C|44%|0%|0%|82%|1005 hPa|11 km/h E|

Overcast

References
http://www.mcc.rsa.ru/sojuztma_14m/start.htm
http://www.federalspace.ru
http://tvroscosmos.ru
http://www.tsenki.com
http://www.samspace.ru
http://www.npoenergomash.ru/engines/
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com
http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru
http://www.spacelaunchreport.com
http://english.wunderground.com/q/locid:KZXX0055

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

In orbit, as expected. :yes: (I will never write these words when the first Dragon and CST-100 crew flies in 2-3 years time )

 

[DaveS]

Potentially serious problem with Soyuz TMA-14M being troubleshooted. One of the two solar arrays on the PAO (Russian acronym for the Propulsion Module of the Soyuz) did not deploy following separation of spacecraft from the LV third stage. Currently no impact to RNDZ and docking but that could change.

The last time this happened was on Soyuz 1 in April 1967.

 

[Kyle]

Doesn't sound like a problem to me, pretty lucky that this happened on a fast-approach mission.

 

[RGClark]

Doesn't sound like a problem to me, pretty lucky that this happened on a fast-approach mission.

Good point. Anyone know if American launches can do fast approaches to the ISS?

Bob Clark

 

[DanM]

Soyuz now docked to the ISS

 

[Eraser]

Looks like the port array is opened after the docking shock.

 

[IronRain]

Good point. Anyone know if American launches can do fast approaches to the ISS?

Bob Clark

Why couldn't they? The only thing I can image is that the Russians plan these missions 6 months ahead of launch. A scrub means that the fast approach isn't going to work and the American's tend to have more scrubs then the Russians.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

What a scary scenario! I was actually wondering why the screens at MCC-M was showing the Soyuz without its solar panel(s) deployed minutes after it should have been, without noticing that it was showing live telemetry! I wonder had it been launched on a standard 2 day rendezvous profile, would the spacecraft requires some serious power down, or even worse an abort of the mission back to Earth? :uhh:

 

[RGClark]

Why couldn't they? The only thing I can image is that the Russians plan these missions 6 months ahead of launch. A scrub means that the fast approach isn't going to work and the American's tend to have more scrubs then the Russians.

There is a difference in latitudes of the launch sites so that different amounts of delta-v are needed to reach the orbital inclination of the ISS.
Also I just don't remember an American launcher either manned shuttle or unmanned cargo flight taking such a short approach.


Bob Clark

 

[orbitingpluto]

There is a difference in latitudes of the launch sites so that different amounts of delta-v are needed to reach the orbital inclination of the ISS.
Also I just don't remember an American launcher either manned shuttle or unmanned cargo flight taking such a short approach.


Bob Clark

The difference in delta-v is so close as to be the same- a launching into a 51 degree inclination takes the same delta-v from both a launch site at 51 degrees latitude and at 28. The difference is doing a rendezvous in only a few orbits takes extra care in set up and during ascent, also requiring quick and precise maneuvers just after insertion- and taking that extra care and quick piloting isn't always warranted or needed. The Space Shuttle crews needed time to inspect the Shuttle after getting into space, and a bit of time for the crew to adapt themselves to microgravity, so getting them to the station faster was usually wasn't worth it. The robotic cargo craft are in most cases just need to deliver their cargo safely, not ASAP; it also gives controllers on the ground more time to deal with any problems that might happen, so again, a 'express' rendezvous isn't enough of a good thing to make doing it worth while.

As far as Russians being the only ones with quick rendezvous techniques, Americans did it way back in the mid '60s with Gemini, so it's not exactly a new thing. Like any technique, it's just a tool in the toolbox, and using it is more based on need and appropriateness than just doing things for the hell of it.

 

[ISProgram]

The Space Shuttle crews needed time to inspect the Shuttle after getting into space, and a bit of time for the crew to adapt themselves to microgravity, so getting them to the station faster was usually wasn't worth it.

Indeed, the entire reason fast rendezvous was considered was because being confined in the cramped quarters of Soyuz created stress, and since that was highly undesirable on a spaceflight mission, especially a long duration one at the ISS, there was a incentive/worth in getting those astro/cosmonauts to the station faster.

 

[orbitingpluto]

Indeed, the entire reason fast rendezvous was considered was because being confined in the cramped quarters of Soyuz created stress, and since that was highly undesirable on a spaceflight mission, especially a long duration one at the ISS, there was a incentive/worth in getting those astro/cosmonauts to the station faster.

Soyuz is cramped relative to the Space Shuttle, but then Space Shuttle is a space RV/yacht compared to everything else. Measured against other spacecraft, Soyuz has great accommodations. Compared to Apollo, Soyuz has similar living volume, but includes a bare bones toilet, an improvement that Americans would only get on Skylab(just in Skylab, not on the visiting Apollos), and later on the Shuttle. Soyuz is positively luxurious compared to Gemini, where Gordon Cooper and Pete Conrad a total of eight days in a space no bigger than the front seats of a compact car. Frank Borman and James Lovell topped that by going for 14 days, in what can only be termed a test of human endurance. Vostok had a few multi-day flights, and habitability wasn't too bad, but I image Voskhod was worse simply for cramming more persons and equipment into the same capsule that Vostok used. Mercury nearly failed completely on it's daylong flight, and it's difficult to imagine it being decent, though at least nobody died in a Mercury.

Put in context, Soyuz is pretty good. I like the argument that a four hour rendezvous gives Soyuz crews more time on station(for work, or to enjoy it's home-like comforts), rather than Soyuz being somehow deficient.

 

[Kyle]

Reid Wiseman ‏@astro_reid 1h
Awesome view of the Soyuz with only one array deployed. Flown by the best!

 

[RGClark]

The difference in delta-v is so close as to be the same- a launching into a 51 degree inclination takes the same delta-v from both a launch site at 51 degrees latitude and at 28. The difference is doing a rendezvous in only a few orbits takes extra care in set up and during ascent, also requiring quick and precise maneuvers just after insertion- and taking that extra care and quick piloting isn't always warranted or needed. The Space Shuttle crews needed time to inspect the Shuttle after getting into space, and a bit of time for the crew to adapt themselves to microgravity, so getting them to the station faster was usually wasn't worth it. The robotic cargo craft are in most cases just need to deliver their cargo safely, not ASAP; it also gives controllers on the ground more time to deal with any problems that might happen, so again, a 'express' rendezvous isn't enough of a good thing to make doing it worth while.

As far as Russians being the only ones with quick rendezvous techniques, Americans did it way back in the mid '60s with Gemini, so it's not exactly a new thing. Like any technique, it's just a tool in the toolbox, and using it is more based on need and appropriateness than just doing things for the hell of it.

Thanks for that.

Bob Clark

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

The crew on the ISS staying since late May, Max Suraev, Alexander Gerst and Reid Wiseman, (unfortunately?) have to end their tour of duty tonight and come back home. Undocking is at 00:30 UTC early tomorrow with landing planned at 03:58 UTC.

Safe journey guys!

 

[boogabooga]

I was under the impression from this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l7MM9yoxII#t=259

that the ISS needed to re-orient itself to un-dock a nadir-docked Soyuz. However, I noticed by watching the ISS HD Earth Viewing Experiment livestream that the ISS orientation did not seem to change from the standard flight orientation. Rather, it appears that the Soyuz conducted two rather large retro burns soon after un-docking, which I also though was a no no close to the station. Any ideas on the new undocking procedure? Is this a new feature of the Soyuz TMA-M?

 

[gwiz]

Any ideas on the new undocking procedure? Is this a new feature of the Soyuz TMA-M?

It's new for this mission, apparently possible if Soyuz has a propellant margin.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

The happy next crew of the ISS sitting in front of their ride:

Report coming soon....