Soyuz TMA-16 atop Soyuz FG on September 30, 2009

[SiberianTiger]

Launch site:Baikonur

The launch time is:
13 : 14 : 42 Baikonur 30.09.2009
11 : 14 : 42 Moscow Summer Time 30.09.2009
07 : 14: 42 UTC September 30, 2009
3 : 14 : 42 a.m. EDT September 30, 2009

The expected docking time is:
12 : 37 ± 3 min Moscow Summer Time 02.10.2009
8 : 37 ± 3 min UTC October 2, 2009
4 : 37 a.m. ±3 min EDT October 2, 2009

Expedition 21 begins with the Soyuz TMA-14 undocking in October 2009. Two new crew members will arrive on Soyuz TMA-16 for the handover before the previous crew departs.

Crew Commander's Callsign: Цефей (Tsefay, meaning Cepheus)

Maxim V. Suraev (Commander)
Soyuz TMA-16 Commander, ISS Flight Engineer
ISS Flight Engineer,
GCTC Test Cosmonaut (Russia)
Colonel of Russian Air Force,
No space flight experience

Born May 24, 1972, in Chelyabinsk. Married. Hobbies include sports and reading.

Suraev is qualified to fly L-39 and Su-27 aircraft, and has logged around 700 hours of flight time. Suraev is a Class 3 Air Force pilot, a qualified diver and paraborne instructor.

Since April 2009 Suraev is assigned to the ISS 21/22 prime mission.

Jeffrey N. Williams (Flight Engineer)
Soyuz TMA-16 Flight Engineer,
ISS-20 Flight Engineer, ISS-21 Commander
NASA Astronaut, USAF Colonel, Ret.
192 days 18 hours 53 minutes and 8 seconds in space

Born, January 18, 1958 in Superior, Wisconsin, but considers Winter, Wisconsin to be his hometown. Married.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-101 Atlantis(May 19-29, 2000) was the third Shuttle mission devoted to International Space Station (ISS) construction. Objectives included transporting and installing over 5,000 pounds of equipment and supplies, and included Williams’ first EVA (space walk) lasting nearly 7 hours. The mission was accomplished in 155 orbits of the Earth, traveling 4.1 million miles in 236 hours and 9 minutes.

Jeff Williams was the Expedition 13 Flight Engineer and Science Officer aboard the International Space Station. The Expedition 13 crew was launched on March 29, 2006 on the Russian Soyuz TMA 8 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, docking with the station on March 31, 2006. During 6-months tour of duty aboard the ISS, in addition to station maintenance and some science activities, Williams performed two successful spacewalks logging 12 hours and 25 mins of EVA wearing both Russian and U.S. spacesuits, and also saw the arrival of two space shuttle missions, the resumption of construction of the orbiting laboratory, and the restoration of a three-person crew. The Expedition 13 mission concluded on September 28, 2006 with a safe landing in the steppes of Kazakhstan.

Jeffrey Williams keeps his own BLOG and TWITTER accounts.

Guy Laliberté
Soyuz TMA-16 Flight Engineer,
ISS-20 Flight Engineer
Space Flight Participant
No space flight experience

Guy Laliberté was born in Québec City in 1959. An accordionist, stilt-walker and fire-eater, he founded Quebec's first internationally renowned circus with the support of a small group of accomplices. A bold visionary Guy Laliberté recognized and cultivated the talents of the street performers from the Fête foraine de Baie-Saint-Paul and created Cirque du Soleil in 1984.

In October 2007, Guy Laliberté entered into a second lifetime commitment by creating the ONE DROP Foundation to fight poverty around the world by providing sustainable access to safe water. This new dream stems from the knowledge that the right to water is key to the survival of individuals and communities all over the world and from the values which have been at the heart of Cirque du Soleil since its inception: the belief that life gives back what you have given and even the smallest gesture will make a difference.

You can read about Guy's experience of space flight training at his BLOG.

The back-up crew of the Soyuz TMA-16 consists of Alexander Skvortsov, jr. (RSA), Shannon Walker (NASA) and Barbara Barrett (Space Flight Participant)

 

[SiberianTiger]

Spacecraft: Soyuz TMA-16

Manufacturer: Energia Rocket & Space Company

Mission: Flying the ISS Expedition 21 crew members aboard the ISS

The spacecraft's mass is 7220.0 kg (TBD)

The Launch Vehicle's Flight Profile:

Operation|Flight time, sec
Lift-off|0.00
Escape tower's jettison|113.38
1st stage separation|117.80
Ship's fairing jettison|157.48
2nd stage separation|287.30
Tail adapter's jettioson|297.05
3rd stage's MECO|524.96
Ship's separation|528.26

1. Soyuz-U's ascent chart

From here and on the times are given in Moscow Decreted Time Zone (UTC+3)

2. Initial orbit's parameters

The expected payload separation time: 11 h 23 m 30,26 s

||Soyuz TMA-16|The ISS
Orbit Parameter|Designation|Nominal value and tolerance limits|At the alignment orbit
Period|T, min|88.64 ±0.367|91.40
Inclination|i, degrees|51.67 ±0.058|51.65
Minimum altitude|h, km|200.0 +7 -22|340.6
Maximum altitude|H, km|242 ±42|366.7

Phase angle between the space ship and the ISS is about 257 degrees.
Projected duration of the space ship at the nominal orbit is no less than 20 orbits (~30 hrs)

3. Transfer manoeuvres
(two days long approach scheme applied)

3.1. Orbit Phasing by the pre-calculated ballistic information

* 1st two-burn manoeuvre

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
30.09.09|14.54.52|3|14,25|36,1|89,12|51,64|219,9|253,6
30.09.09|15.46.31|4|5,90|15,7|89,32|51,62|231,0|270,7

* 2nd one-burn 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
01.10.09|12.12.54|17|2,00|6,2|89,37|51,65|237,0|270,2

4. Far and close range rendez-vous and approach manoeuvres

4.1. The far range. Approach targeting.

TBD after arrival at the targeting point, at orbits 33 and 34.

5. Docking to the ISS

On October 2, 2009 at 12 hrs 37±3 min.


BACKUP TIMES:
Launch: 02.10.2009, 10 hrs 26 min 28 sec
Docking: 04.10.2009, 11 hrs 50±3 min

The Approach Chart:

Launch preparation picture chronicles

23-06-2009 Roscosmos Announces the Winners of Soyuz TMA-16 Patch Contest

Kid`s artwork was traditionally selected as the core of the patch. Roscosmos offers three winners of the contest to visit Baikonur during launch in September.
The Soyuz TMA-16 patch is based on artwork provided by 14-year old Nastya Mestyashova from the Orenburg region in Russia. Nastya is an overachieving student. She is keen on dancing and drawing. She plays guitar.

A few words about the design.

Central element of the emblem is a cosmonaut figure and three large stars, one for each launching crewmember: American astronaut Jeff Williams (dark blue star), Space Adventures participant Guy Laliberte (light blue star) and their Russian spacecraft commander Maxim Surayev (red star). The flags of the cosmonauts` home countries - Russia, the United States and Canada - are shown at the top of the shield.

In the upper left corner, simple shapes symbolize the building blocks of the universe and life on Earh. The `cradle of mankind`, from which the mission originates, is depicted by a growing plant, gradually transforming into a fiery rocket trail and a spacecraft, bound for the International Space Station. The ISS is drawn like a gold star, with 9 rays for each crewmember present when the Soyuz TMA-16 has arrived.

The plant and rocket trail together form a `16`, the Soyuz TMA mission number. The Earth in the background has the typical grid pattern seen in earlier Soviet and Russian space logo`s, heralding all heroes of the Vostok, Voshkod and Soyuz flights of the past. In the globe, the Roscosmos symbol is embedded for both the organization responsible for the flight and commander Surayev. The surnames of Williams and Laliberte are companied by the NASA and One Drop Foundation logo`s respectively. In the same area, a small red star and small blue star are included for the future, safe return of Surayev and Williams, who together will land in the Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft in March 2010.

It is worth mentioning that Maxim Suraev also took part in designing the patch.

The second place goes to 13-year-old Youe Duing from Beijing`s intermediate school Lukhae.

The third winner is Oleg Golovin, 10 years, Electrostal, Moscow region.

06-07-2009 Roscosmos Head Anatoly Perminov Congratulates Chinese Winner of the Soyuz TMA-16 Patch Contest

Roscosmos Head Anatoly Perminov and his colleague Adminostrator of Chinese National Space Adminostration Sun Layian met 13-year-old Yue Dun, a student in Beijin`s school Lukhea. Anatoly Perminov warmly congratulated the girls on her winning in the patch contest. Yue received presents from Russian and Chinese space agencies.

10-08-2009 Soyuz TMA-16 Prelaunch Operations Commence at Baikonur

Prelaunch processing of the Soyuz TMA-16 crew vehicle begis at Baikonur. The Soyuz is to head for the ISS on Sept 30.
The Soyus was unloaded from the transport unit on Aug.9 and accomodated in the electrical test atand. RSC-Energia experts began verifications.

10-09-2009 Interagency Board Approves Soyuz TMA-16 Crew

Interagency Board met today at GCTC to evaluate readiness of the Soyuz TMA-16 crew to fly to the International Space Station on Sept. 30.

The Boarg was chaired by Sergey Krikalev, new head of the Cosmoanut Training Center, Hero of the USSR and Hero of Russia. The Board evaluated the crew which was passing through the examination training for two days in the Soyuz and ISS simulators at GCTC.

The Board approved prime and backup crews of the Soyuz TMA-16 crew vehicle.

11-09-2009 Teddy Lion will Become the Talisman of the Soyuz TMA-16 Crew

Soyuz commander Roscosmos cosmonaut Maxim Suraev told the journalists during the press-conference on Thursday that the crew takes the toy lion with them into the vehicle to see 0-g after separation of the thirs stage of the rocket.

"This lion is a valuable thing for me. I asked my two small daughters to sleep with the toy, so a could smell my home during me 6-month expedition in the ISS", Maxim said.

His daughters Arina and Ksenia are coming to Baikonur to see off their father for the flight.

Suraev was a back-up for several crews, but this space mission is the first for him.

"It`s like with good cognac. I spent 12 years training, and I should have become mature", Maxim jokes.

17-09-2009 Soyuz TMA-16 Crew Arrives at Baikonur

This morning, after the traditional breakfast, and the seeing-off ceremony at the Star City, prime and backup crews of the Soyuz TMA-16 crew vehicle flew to the Baikonur space port to continue their prelaunch training.

The prime crew arrived at the space port at 14:50.

19-09-2009 First Prelaunch Training Session of the Soyuz TMA-16 Crews

22-09-2009 Prelaunch Operations with the Soyuz Crew Vehicle Continue at Baikonur

Soyuz TMA-16 prelaunch processing oges on at Baikonur.

On Sept. 21, the Soyuz loaded with propellant and pressurized gases was delivered the integration and test facility for final prelaunch processing.

 

[SiberianTiger]

24-09-2009 News Media Follow Soyuz TMA-16 Crews at Baikonur

Today the crews of the Soyuz TMA-16 vehicle invited press to witness the tree-planting ceremony. The tradition to plant trees in the Cosmonaut Alley (Baikonur site 17) takes its origin at the time of Gagarin who planted the first tree here prior to his space flight. Each cosmonaut to fly plants his tree in the Alley.

The crews also let mass media watching their training process, including 0-g training, physical exercises, etc.

26-09-2009 The Second Training Session of the Soyuz TMA-16 Crews at Baikonur

Prelaunch operations in support of the upcoming launch of the Soyuz TMA-16 crew vehicle scheduled on Sept. 30 continue at Baikonur.
Maxim Suraev, Jeffrey Williams, Guy Laliberte (Soyuz TMA-16 prime) and Alexander Skvortsov, Shannon Walker, Barbara Barret (Soyuz TMA-16 backup) had the second training session in the vehicle today. The main objective of the fit-checks performed today was to remove minor problems detected a week ago during the first training.

26-09-2009 Soyuz TMA-16 Crews Check MRM-2

Soyuz TMA-16 crews today inspected MRM-2 module.

Russian mini-research module MRM-2 undergoes prelaunch processing at Baikonur. It is to be flown to the International Space Station in November this year. MRM-2 will become the 4th module of the Russian segment.

Soyuz TMA-16 crew members will receive MRM-2 at the station.

27-09-2009 Soyuz-FG Launch Vehicle's assembly and mating with the Soyuz TMA-16

28-09-2009 Soyuz-FG rolling out and erection at the launch complex

---------- Post added at 14:15 ---------- Previous post was at 13:59 ----------

Soyuz TMA-16 mission videos

Solar arrays light exposure on the TMA-16

TMA-16 fueling operations

Soyuz rocket assembly and TMA-16's mating to the rocket

Rolling out and erection of the Soyuz-FG with Soyuz TMA-16 on September 28, 2009

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_W-Pw5cdGs&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube - Вывоз Ð*КÐ� "Союз-ФГ" Ñ� ТПК "Союз ТМÐ�-16"[/ame]

Weather forecast for Baikonur, Kazakhstan for September 30, 2009

Hi: 25°
Lo: 10°
There is a 0% chance of precipitation. Sunny. Mild. Temperature of 25°C. Winds SE 15km. Humidity will be 43% with a dewpoint of 11° and feels-like temperature of 25°C.

Watching the launch live

NASA TV - Windows Media
http://www.nasa.gov/55644main_NASATV_Windows.asx
NASA TV - Real Player
http://www.nasa.gov/ram/35037main_portal.ram
NASA TV - QuickTime
http://www.nasa.gov/qtl/151335main_NASA_TV_QT.qtl

NASA TV Schedule for September 29/30 night (the times are in EDT):

September 29, Tuesday
12 p.m. - Video File B-Roll Feed of ISS Expedition 21/Spaceflight Participant Crew News Conference and Russian State Commission Meeting in Baikonur, Kazakhstan - JSC (Public and Media Channels)

September 30, Wednesday
1:45 a.m. - Video B-Roll Feed of ISS Expedition 21/Spaceflight Participant Pre-Launch Activities and Arrival at Launch Pad in Baikonur, Kazakhstan - JSC (Public and Media Channels)
2:30 a.m. - ISS Expedition 21/Spaceflight Participant Launch Coverage and Replays - JSC via Baikonur, Kazakhstan (Public and Media Channels)
6 a.m. - Video File B-Roll Feed of ISS Expedition 21/Spaceflight Participant Pre-Launch Activities, Launch and Post-Launch Interviews from Baikonur, Kazakhstan (Public and Media Channels)

TSENKI video streams
http://www.tv-tsenki.com/live.php
http://www.tv-tsenki.com/live3.php

Also, Vesti on-line coverage will be available in Russian (a short video report with narration):

Vesti - High Quality
http://www.vesti.ru/video1.asx?vid=onair
Vesti - Low Quality
http://www.vesti.ru/video1.asx?vid=onair_low

 

[SiberianTiger]

And in addition to everything, here's the "half-official" poster of the mission, depicting the Cosmonauts and characters of "The White Sun of Desert" "eastern western" movie.

(the words mean "Roscosmos gives their clearance!")

 

[Star Voyager]

Very nice gallery is here on SFN:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/station/exp21/soyuzrollout/

By the way, that's a pretty funny poster !

 

[tblaxland]

ST, nice coverage! Good to have you back in full swing.

Very nice gallery is here on SFN:

Lol, looks like the proverbial brick dunny: :lol:

 

[SiberianTiger]

ST, nice coverage! Good to have you back in full swing.

Cheers!

Lol, looks like the proverbial brick dunny: :lol:

Where is the heart-shaped hole in the door, then? In reality it is, most probably, a bunker's entrance.

 

[Suzy]

"Circus tycoon: I'll tickle sleeping astronauts" - that's just begging for a punch on the nose! :dry: Maybe I'm just a grouch, but I'm finding him really annoying.

 

[SiberianTiger]

"Circus tycoon: I'll tickle sleeping astronauts" - that's just begging for a punch on the nose! :dry: Maybe I'm just a grouch, but I'm finding him really annoying.

Maybe it's a good input for a new scientific experiment in physics and medicine, with possible application for the national defence: what happens to a man punched on his nose in zero-g? :rofl:

BTW, if he was really serious about it, this does not plays him up as a good clown. A one that knows tricks of his trade, should know more delicate ways to squeeze laughter out of his audience. If this is what they do to spectators in their circus, Guy would have better paid for a trip to the Circus at Tsvetnoy Boulevard, rather than to the Star City...

If this is not true (and I believe so), it's just some sloppy P.R. joke one can attribute to the stress he is experiencing.

 

[Notebook]

T -4 minutes

http://www.nasa.gov/55644main_NASATV_Windows.asx

N.

 

[Star Voyager]

Perfect ride to orbit :speakcool:! Godspeed 21!

 

[Notebook]

Soyuz in orbit, very smooth.

N.

---------- Post added at 08:37 ---------- Previous post was at 08:25 ----------

ST, nice coverage! Good to have you back in full swing.


Lol, looks like the proverbial brick dunny: :lol:

Woomera 6B has two!
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/09093008-35-33GL-01.jpg

N.

 

[SiberianTiger]

NASA TV's Coverage replay

---------- Post added at 17:12 ---------- Previous post was at 11:46 ----------

Some very good quality launch pics are available by the link:
http://drugoi.livejournal.com/3050784.html?page=2&view=242650912

(not sure if hotlinking is allowed from there)

 

[SiberianTiger]

Soyuz TMA-16's launch animation by Roscosmos. They are steadily improving the visual appearance of their animations. I wish we had such exhaust flame in Orbiter:

 

[Urwumpe]

The flames could be done like that in real time, that would be possible by having a list of possible particle textures for a stream to randomly select or rotate through. At higher altitudes, the exhaust can already be done to appear like that.

But the booster separation sequence looks wrong, shouldn't the aft connection be blown first? Also the ignition of the Block I should already happen before the Block A cuts of, since the Block I has no ullage thrusters and needs hot staging for ignition...

 

[SiberianTiger]

But the booster separation sequence looks wrong, shouldn't the aft connection be blown first? Also the ignition of the Block I should already happen before the Block A cuts of, since the Block I has no ullage thrusters and needs hot staging for ignition...

I believe you are right in both cases. The [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=2844"]astronaut's addon[/ame] seem to have it right.

 

[Urwumpe]

I believe you are right in both cases. The astronaut's addon seem to have it right.

Yeah, I didn't believe him as well but he has science on his side... The ESA reports on the Foton launcher crash had the booster stage and the separation system described in all details and how it contributed all to the failure.

Too bad I can't find the reports again, but the stuff about the Foton capsule is also nice for some add-on making...

http://www.spaceflight.esa.int/users/downloads/userguides/chapter_6_foton.pdf

 

[SiberianTiger]

Docking is expected at:

12 : 37 ± 3 min Moscow Summer Time 02.10.2009
8 : 37 a.m. ± 3 min UTC October 2, 2009
4 : 37 a.m. ±3 min EDT October 2, 2009

Watching the docking live

NASA TV - Windows Media
http://www.nasa.gov/55644main_NASATV_Windows.asx
NASA TV - Real Player
http://www.nasa.gov/ram/35037main_portal.ram
NASA TV - QuickTime
http://www.nasa.gov/qtl/151335main_NASA_TV_QT.qtl


NASA TV Schedule for October 2 morning night (the times are in EDT):

October 2, Friday
4 a.m. - ISS Expedition 21/Spaceflight Participant Docking to the ISS Coverage (Docking scheduled at 4:36 a.m., post-docking news conference follows) - JSC via Korolev, Russia(Public and Media Channels)
7:15 a.m. - ISS Expedition 21/Spaceflight Participant Hatch Opening and Welcoming Ceremony by Expedition 20 Crew (Hatch opening scheduled at 7:40 a.m - JSC via Korolev, Russia (Public and Media Channels)
10 a.m. - Video File Feed of ISS Expedition 21/Spaceflight Participant Docking to ISS and Hatch Opening - JSC (Public and Media Channels)

TSUP M's stream - Windows Media
mms://193.233.61.171/live

Everything is on air already.

 

[Notebook]

Nice pics!

N.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Lining up with the nadir port of the SM.