Author Topic: Genesis II launch - June 28, 2007  (Read 47122 times)

Offline Chris Bergin

Genesis II launch - June 28, 2007
« on: 01/15/2007 11:11 pm »
A number of threads merged for background...


E-mailed Press Release:

** Important Notice **

Statement from Bigelow Aerospace founder Robert T. Bigelow

Las Vegas, NV 01/15/07 –

Unfortunately, we have recently received notification from our launch provider, ISC Kosmotras, that the launch of Genesis II will be delayed by at least 60 days. I know, we are disappointed too.

 

During a launch that occurred directly after the successful deployment of Genesis I, Kosmotras experienced its first failure in late July of last year. Since that time, Kosmotras engineers, as well as their Ukrainian partners at SDO Yuzhnoye, have conducted a thorough analysis of the Dnepr launch vehicle. The Kosmotras/Yuzhnoye team have successfully identified, evaluated and resolved the problem that caused the failure. Kosmotras has assured Bigelow Aerospace that the Dnepr will soon be prepared to safely and successfully return to flight.

 

Naturally, we are all disappointed because the spacecraft was and is ready to ship out to meet the original Jan. 30 launch date. Currently, our spacecraft is awaiting shipment to Russia with all your photos and personal items, etc. onboard. We now expect to ship the spacecraft for flight sometime in the early part of March for a launch on or about April 1.

 

Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, Genesis II stands ready for its mission and we are putting this additional time to good use by testing and retesting its systems. If Kosmotras can deliver on its current schedule, we expect to ship Genesis II to Russia as we said above at some point in early March for a launch on or about April 1st.

 

If this situation changes or we receive new or different information from Kosmotras, we will post additional announcements on the Bigelow Aerospace Website at www.bigelowaerospace.com.

 

We’re looking forward to doubling our footprint in space with the launch of Genesis II later this year, and, with all of you, taking another step forward in this bold adventure.

 

 —  Robert T. Bigelow

About Bigelow Aerospace:
The mission of Bigelow Aerospace is to validate expandable structures as a certified spaceflight technology and provide a low-cost, low earth orbit (LEO) human-rated space complex that is accessible to the commercial sector. The Las Vegas-based company is developing an affordable and flexible space complex architecture that can be adapted for any manned or unmanned mission requiring a large pressurized volume. For more information, go to www.bigelowaerospace.com
« Last Edit: 09/18/2019 05:24 pm by gongora »
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Offline Rocket Ronnie

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Re: Genesis II launch delayed 60 days
« Reply #1 on: 01/16/2007 05:39 am »
Shame, but compared to SpaceX, this is only a small delay.

Offline sammie

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Re: Genesis II launch delayed 60 days
« Reply #2 on: 01/16/2007 08:57 am »
I think that Kosmotras has passed the biggest hurdle already, on 21 December a R-36M2 succesfully lifted of and completed its testflight mission from Yasny. So the Rocket has flown again, my guess is that they just need approval from the Russian authorities to start Commercial flights again.


Kosmotras is looking forward to a busy year, 5 launches scheduled for 2007, I hope all goes well.
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Offline refsmmat

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Re: Genesis II launch delayed 60 days
« Reply #3 on: 01/16/2007 12:23 pm »
How dependent is Russia on Ukrainian ICBMs?  I could guess the Dnepr launch vehicles Kosmotras is using are surplus, and not something new that Yuzhnoye is selling.  I guess they're still under warranty?

Offline sammie

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Re: Genesis II launch delayed 60 days
« Reply #4 on: 01/16/2007 12:34 pm »
Russia is no longer dependent on the Ukraine for new ICBMs, all new ones (Topol, Bulava) are procured from Russian suppliers. As far as I understood the sitution the sitution for older ICBMs is different.  Older generations of ICBMs are no longer produced, maintenance of "on duty" ICBMs is the responsibility of the Russian Strategic Forces. However once withdrawn from active service and used for commerical ends the original supplier plays a role again. For the R-36M this is Yuzhnoye (formely known as Yangel), they are involved in the validation, testing and operation of Commericial R-36M (Dnepr), the Russian Strategic Forces still play a role, but as contractor for infrastructure and launch operations.

It was one of the top priorities of the Russian armed forces to retrieve all Strategic weapons and connected infrastructure after the break-up of the Soviet Union, I believe they have achieved a great deal, if not total, of indepence in their operations. The sitution is somewhat different with commerical launch vehicles.
"The dreams ain't broken downhere, they're just walking with a limp"

Offline halkey

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RE: Genesis II launch delayed 60 days
« Reply #5 on: 01/16/2007 04:21 pm »
The Dnepr has to have the worse launch record of any booster in existence.  I'd be more willing to place the payload on SpaceX's second attempt than to trust a Dnepr.

Offline sammie

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Re: Genesis II launch delayed 60 days
« Reply #6 on: 01/16/2007 05:09 pm »
Quote
The Dnepr has to have the worse launch record of any booster in existence

Out of 7 Commercial Missions the R-36M (a.k.a. Dnepr) 6 were a complete succes, one failed. Kosmotras claims that in 2005 the R-36 had flown 160 times with 97% succes rate, since 2005 the R-36 has flown at least 3 times with a single failure. Most of these flights were of course test flights on sub-orbital trajectories for the Russian Strategic forces. Astronautix however claims a somewhat higher failure rate, but stopped counting in 1997, the last failure according to astronautix was in 1987.

So to claim that the Dnepr has the worst record of any booster is just plain silly...
"The dreams ain't broken downhere, they're just walking with a limp"

Offline anik

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Genesis-2 launch - June 28
« Reply #7 on: 02/01/2007 07:21 pm »
According to http://www.federalspace.ru/PlanQuart.asp (in Russian), the launch of Dnepr rocket with Genesis-2 satellite from 13th (Dombarovskiy) rocket division is planned on April 19...

The satellite should arrive to Dombarovskiy on March 15...

Offline anik

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Re: Genesis-2 launch - April 26
« Reply #8 on: 03/01/2007 04:11 pm »
The delivery date of Genesis-2 satellite is March 25 now... His launch is planned on April 26...

Offline anik

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Re: Genesis 2 launch - April 26
« Reply #9 on: 03/27/2007 03:57 pm »
ITAR-TASS agency informs, that Genesis 2 satellite has arrived to Yasniy cosmodrome (13th Dombarovskiy rocket division) today... :)

Offline Danderman

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Re: Genesis 2 launch - April 26
« Reply #10 on: 03/27/2007 06:23 pm »

Quote
anik - 27/3/2007  8:57 AM  ITAR-TASS agency informs, that Genesis 2 satellite has arrived to Yasniy cosmodrome (13th Dombarovskiy rocket division) today... :)

Is this object from the ITAR-TASS report supposed to be Genesis-2?

 


Offline Jim

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Re: Genesis 2 launch - April 26
« Reply #11 on: 03/27/2007 06:45 pm »
Quote
Danderman - 27/3/2007  2:23 PM

Quote
anik - 27/3/2007  8:57 AM  ITAR-TASS agency informs, that Genesis 2 satellite has arrived to Yasniy cosmodrome (13th Dombarovskiy rocket division) today... :)

Is this object from the ITAR-TASS report supposed to be Genesis-2?


That is the NASA Genesis spacecraft that flew on a Delta II and returned solar wind samples

Offline Chris Bergin

Genesis II launch - June 28
« Reply #12 on: 03/27/2007 07:41 pm »
Genesis II Shipped Off to Russia to Await Launch

Second Pathfinder Space Complex Module Set to Launch in April

Las Vegas, NV 03/27/07 – Bigelow Aerospace announces its second pathfinder space complex module Genesis II has been shipped to a launch site in Russia and is expected to be lofted into orbit in mid-April.

Genesis II will be enclosed in a payload shroud and put atop a Dnepr rocket at the ISC Kosmotras Space and Missile Complex near Yasny, Russia for a launch window that begins on April 19.

If it successfully reaches orbit, Genesis II will mark the second test flight for a Bigelow Aerospace module following the successful start to the Genesis I mission last July. It is not meant for habitation and will launch into an orbit separate from Genesis I.

The outside appearance and size of the new module will be identical to Genesis I — approximately 15 feet (4.4 meters) in length and 6.2 feet (1.9 meters) in diameter, expanding to 2.54 meters (eight feet) in diameter once in orbit. It is a one-third scale version of the manned commercial space modules Bigelow Aerospace hopes to launch in the future.

Unlike the company’s previous spacecraft, Genesis II will feature several systems and materials not flown on Genesis I. This includes upgrades to vehicle control and sensors, a multi-tank inflation system for the module’s expansion and additional layers to the module’s outer shielding. There will also be a total of 22 combined interior and exterior cameras on Genesis II that include articulated and wireless cameras, as well as an exterior projection system to allow the display of images on the main body of the vehicle.

Genesis II features items and pictures sent up by paying customers are part of the “Fly Your Stuff” program. The photos and items will be photographed and displayed on the Bigelow Aerospace Website at www.bigelowaerospace.com.Public participation will also include the first-ever “Space Bingo” game, as well as the Biobox life sciences experiment featuring colonies of ants, scorpions and cockroaches.

The public is invited to follow the preparations for the start of the Genesis II mission through an ongoing blog by company counsel Mike Gold on the Bigelow Aerospace Website at www.bigelowaerospace.com.  

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Offline Norm Hartnett

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RE: Genesis II Shipped Off to Russia to Await Launch
« Reply #13 on: 03/27/2007 09:21 pm »
From this thread: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=5752&start=31&posts=38

Quote
Olaf - 27/3/2007  8:13 AM

Quote
anik - 27/3/2007  10:04 AM

No, this launch was originally planned at 06:46:34 UTC on March 27... Yesterday it was postponed to March 28-29 (the same time - 06:46:34 UTC)... Now the launch is delayed till April 17...

Will there be an influence on the other Dnepr launches(Genesis 2 and TerraSAR-X) ?

Since the Genesis launch was scheduled for April 17 there seems to be a serious schedule conflict.
“You can’t take a traditional approach and expect anything but the traditional results, which has been broken budgets and not fielding any flight hardware.” Mike Gold - Apollo, STS, CxP; those that don't learn from history are condemned to repeat it: SLS.

Offline William Graham

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Re: Genesis II Shipped Off to Russia to Await Launch
« Reply #14 on: 03/27/2007 09:52 pm »
Different launch sites, but I'd still say "no".

Offline anik

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RE: Genesis II Shipped Off to Russia to Await Launch
« Reply #15 on: 03/28/2007 02:30 pm »
Quote
Norm Hartnett - 28/3/2007  1:21 AM

Since the Genesis launch was scheduled for April 17 there seems to be a serious schedule conflict

Genesis 2 launch does not depend on EgyptSat-1 or TerraSAR-X launches, because it will be from Yasniy, not Baikonur, cosmodrome...

And Genesis 2 launch was never scheduled on April 17... In February it was planned on April 19, but now the launch date is April 26...

Offline JimO

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RE: Genesis II Shipped Off to Russia to Await Launch
« Reply #16 on: 03/28/2007 05:41 pm »
Why, wouldn't it be cool to actually attend a space launch from that military missile base? What sort of things would you be looking to see, hypothetically, if you had a chance to go there? Just speculating...

Offline sammie

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Re: Genesis II Shipped Off to Russia to Await Launch
« Reply #17 on: 03/28/2007 05:48 pm »
My guess, lots of forest and a couple of grumpy looking conscripts that are instructed to keep you away from the sensative infrastructure like launch silos and other infrastructure for guidance and defence.  Thats all you are allowed to see, and of course the sight of a 211 tonnes bullet being popped out of a silo from safe distance.
"The dreams ain't broken downhere, they're just walking with a limp"

Offline Chris Bergin

Genesis II launch - June 28
« Reply #18 on: 04/16/2007 08:32 pm »
Genesis II Launch Campaign Update

Statement from Robert T. Bigelow on the Second Bigelow Aerospace Pathfinder Mission

Las Vegas, NV 04/16/07 – Bigelow Aerospace has been informed by its launch services provider, ISC Kosmotras (“ISCK”), that the launch of the Genesis II spacecraft will be delayed by as much as four weeks.

During the final testing of the Dnepr launch vehicle in Baikonur, Kosmotras discovered improvements and upgrades that should be made to enhance the system’s efficacy and reliability. These upgrades are being made to all Dnepr launch vehicles and will increase the chances of achieving our primary goal of mission success.

However, making these improvements will take time. Bigelow Aerospace now expects that the Genesis II launch will take place in late May.

Testing and preparatory work on the Genesis II spacecraft itself will be completed this week at the Yasny Launch Base. We’re proud to report that the spacecraft is in excellent condition and ready for integration with the Dnepr’s Space Head Module as soon as Kosmotras is able to proceed.

No one ever wishes for a delay, but discovering problems and making the relevant fixes are a normal part of every launch campaign. Bigelow Aerospace supports ISCK’s prudent decision to take the necessary time to enhance the Dnepr’s systems.
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Offline anik

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Re: Genesis-2 launch - May 23
« Reply #19 on: 04/17/2007 02:21 pm »
According to Bigelow Aerospace website, Genesis 2 launch is delayed to the end of May...

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