Author Topic: Soyuz launch with Foton-M3 and YES2 - 14 Sept 2007  (Read 44200 times)

Offline eeergo

I thought I would start a thread about this launch, which looks promising :) This mission will be launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard a Soyuz-U rocket, and is intended to do microgravity experiments during the 12 days the mission will last. Lots of new science (I hope) to be done here:

There's an article at ESA's website talking about the Foton-M3 mission and its preparations: http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMUGCN0LYE_index_0.html

And NasaWatch has posted a heads-up concerning the -very active- group of students participating in the YES2-Fotino mission, which is quite original: a small reentry capsule linked to the main craft (Foton M3) by a 32km-long tether, the largest structure ever deployed in space, which apparently will test techniques for changes of orbit without fuel (by means of interactions between the charged tether and the magnetosphere, not unlike what www.tethers.com are planning to do, launching their MAST satellite in the Dnepr soon)

I found the YES2 official website, a nice blog (they had another with more info about the spacecraft, but apparently they lost it because of a virus attack) http://www.yes2.info/?q=frontpage

The ESA site about YES2: http://www.esa.int/esaED/SEMVJ1AATME_index_0.html

 

-DaviD-

Offline Tobi

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Re: Soyuz launch with Foton-M3 and YES2 - 14 Sept 2007
« Reply #1 on: 04/02/2007 07:53 am »
Can anyone explain why the Foton launches have been switched from Plesetsk to Baikonur after the Foton M-1 mission?

Offline anik

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Re: Soyuz launch with Foton-M3 and YES2 - 14 Sept 2007
« Reply #2 on: 05/10/2007 03:57 pm »
Students test 'space postal service' during Foton mission
10 May 2007

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMG3ZU681F_index_0.html

Offline Satori

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Re: Soyuz launch with Foton-M3 and YES2 - 14 Sept 2007
« Reply #3 on: 05/14/2007 11:13 pm »
According to information provided in this report http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn11836-experimental-space-tether-fails-to-deploy.html from News Scientist, the Young Engineers Satellite 2 (YES-2) was shipped to Baykonur on May 10.

Online William Graham

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Re: Soyuz launch with Foton-M3 and YES2 - 14 Sept 2007
« Reply #4 on: 05/25/2007 07:27 pm »
Which pad will they be using? LC-1 or 31.

Offline anik

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Re: Soyuz launch with Foton-M3 and YES2 - 14 Sept 2007
« Reply #5 on: 06/25/2007 02:22 pm »
YES2 given green light for launch
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMYZR8OY2F_index_0.html

Offline oscar71

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Re: Soyuz launch with Foton-M3 and YES2 - 14 Sept 2007
« Reply #6 on: 06/25/2007 09:19 pm »
Foton looks a lot like Vostok.

Offline edkyle99

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Re: Soyuz launch with Foton-M3 and YES2 - 14 Sept 2007
« Reply #7 on: 06/25/2007 09:47 pm »
Quote
oscar71 - 25/6/2007  4:19 PM

Foton looks a lot like Vostok.

That's because it basically *is* a Vostok!

http://www.spaceflight.esa.int/users/index.cfm?act=default.page&level=11&page=facfoton

Before seeing use as civil "Foton" spacecraft, these things were flying spysat missions under the "Zenit" name.  This may be the most oft-flown spaceship type to date.

Imagine that NASA had continued to fly Mercury capsules on unmanned missions until the present day.

 - Ed Kyle

Offline sammie

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Re: Soyuz launch with Foton-M3 and YES2 - 14 Sept 2007
« Reply #8 on: 06/25/2007 09:47 pm »
That figures, considering it is the latest version of the Vostok :)
"The dreams ain't broken downhere, they're just walking with a limp"

Offline anik

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Re: Soyuz launch with Foton-M3 and YES2 - 14 Sept 2007
« Reply #9 on: 07/05/2007 05:22 pm »
According to http://www.space.com.ua/gateway/news.nsf/hronolR/7B8F0D1000B15257C225730F00273B3A!open (in Russian), Foton-M No. 3 satellite will depart TsSKB-Progress enterprise (Samara) on July 14th...

The arrival of satellite to Baikonur cosmodrome is scheduled on July 19th...

Offline anik

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Re: Soyuz launch with Foton-M3 and YES2 - 14 Sept 2007
« Reply #10 on: 07/14/2007 07:48 am »
Quote
GW_Simulations - 25/5/2007  11:27 PM

Which pad will they be using? LC-1 or 31

We will use the launch pad 1/5, according to http://www.federalspace.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=2328

Offline otisbow

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Re: Soyuz launch with Foton-M3 and YES2 - 14 Sept 2007
« Reply #11 on: 07/14/2007 06:23 pm »
Unlike the US, the Russians do not throw away a spacecraft.  That is why the Vostok and Soyuz are still flying!

Offline Eraser

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Re: Soyuz launch with Foton-M3 and YES2 - 14 Sept 2007
« Reply #12 on: 07/15/2007 05:56 am »

Quote
otisbow - 14/7/2007  12:23 AM  Unlike the US, the Russians do not throw away a spacecraft.  That is why the Vostok and Soyuz are still flying!

We did so. For example Energia-Buran.


Offline anik

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RE: Soyuz launch with Foton-M3 and YES2 - 14 Sept 2007
« Reply #13 on: 07/17/2007 03:00 pm »
According to http://kz-today.kz/index.php?lang=rus&uin=1138536794&chapter=1153420775 (in Russian), Foton-M No. 3 satellite and Soyuz-U rocket for its launch were delivered to Baikonur cosmodrome by train today...

Offline anik

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RE: Soyuz launch with Foton-M3 and YES2 - 14 Sept 2007
« Reply #14 on: 07/19/2007 05:59 pm »
According to http://kz-today.kz/index.php?lang=rus&uin=1138536794&chapter=1153420962 (in Russian), Foton-M No. 3 satellite was unloaded from carriage and installed into special test stand in the Assembly-Testing Building (MIK) No. 112...

Offline anik

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RE: Soyuz launch with Foton-M3 and YES2 - 14 Sept 2007
« Reply #15 on: 08/21/2007 06:11 am »
According to http://kz-today.kz/index.php?lang=rus&uin=1138536794&chapter=1153422349 (in Russian), complex tests of Foton-M No. 3 satellite were carried out in the Assembly-Testing Building (MIK) No. 112 on August 15th...

Offline jacqmans

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RE: Soyuz launch with Foton-M3 and YES2 - 14 Sept 2007
« Reply #16 on: 08/23/2007 07:58 am »
In Baikonur is prepared for the starting scientific satellite "Photon- M -3", which will deliver in orbit of the experimental mice

http://kz-today.kz/index.php?uin=1138536794&chapter=1153423306
 
"KAZAKHSTAN TODAY". 22 August. BAIKONUR. At the spaceport Baikonur is prepared for the starting scientific satellite "Photon- M -3", which will deliver in orbit of experimental mice. On this to agency they reported in the press- service of federal space center "Baikonur".

According to the information of press- service, today in the assembly and testing housing of the area of ?yy2 the calculations of main enterprise and baykonurskogo branch of samarskogo TSSKB "progress" and FKTS "Baikonur" conducted load into the automatic spacecraft of the special biological containers, in which will live experimental mouse- sand eels. , according to the data of press- service, they will bring mice themselves to the spaceport on the eve of the start. "after the completion of experiments the mouse- cosmonauts, on whom will test the medicines, it is returned to the earth in the descent vehicle", they explained in the space center.

Furthermore, today specialists conducted the planned works with the scientific gear on automatic spacecraft.

The scientific satellite "Photon- M -3", which bears the third ordinal number (first "Photon- M" it was destroyed with the emergency in 2003, and by the second it successfully carried out its mission during May - June 2005), is the unique development of Russian and European designers and is prepared at the samarskom plant OF TSSKB "progress".

Automatic spacecraft "Photon- M" is intended for conducting the experiments in the field of space technologies, production of materials and biological preparations in the interests of different branches of industry and science. The mass of automatic spacecraft comprises more than six and one-half of tons. Scientific equipment is located both inside the descent vehicle and on its external surface. In all on "Photon- M -3" of 16 sets of scientific equipment with overall mass about 640 kg. during the almost two week flight on board the satellite it is established planned to conduct 45 scientific experiments.

After the completion of flight the descent vehicle "Photon- M -3" will return to the earth scientific equipment and results of experiments. Starting KA "Photon- M" with the aid of RN to "Soyuz" is preliminarily outlined on 14 September.

http://www.roscosmos.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=2387

(translated)

   22 of August in the assembly and testing housing pl. ?yy2 are planned work with the scientific gear on automatic spacecraft "Photon- M".
Jacques :-)

Offline anik

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RE: Soyuz launch with Foton-M3 and YES2 - 14 Sept 2007
« Reply #17 on: 08/29/2007 03:28 pm »
According to http://www.federalspace.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=2401 (in Russian), the preparation of Soyuz-U rocket for this launch has begun...

Offline anik

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RE: Soyuz launch with Foton-M3 and YES2 - 14 Sept 2007
« Reply #18 on: 09/07/2007 01:22 pm »
According to http://kz-today.kz/index.php?lang=rus&uin=1138536794&chapter=1153424459 (in Russian), the checking of control system of Foton-M No. 3 satellite and tests of blocks and stages of Soyuz-U rocket are performing now...

Offline Kyra's kosmos

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RE: Soyuz launch with Foton-M3 and YES2 - 14 Sept 2007
« Reply #19 on: 09/08/2007 04:20 am »
Is that final picture the KRL (transliterated) Command Radio Link station ? I wouldn't be surprised if they are using the same numbered commands as in the 60's. (ie command #6 separates PO from SA, #4 starts the descent cycle, etc.  Maybe Anik will comment :)

I figured I could advance my knowledge of Vostok by learning the details of Foton :)

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