Author Topic: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011 (Read 663075 times)

e of pi · « **Reply #360 on:** 11/08/2011 10:10 pm »

Quote from: pippin on 11/08/2011 10:08 pm

Quote from: Liss on 11/08/2011 07:55 pm
Schedule (UTC):
22:56 First ignition of ADU (for 570 sec)
23:07 Tank jettison
01:03 Second ignition of ADU (for 1061 sec)

Tank jettison? I thought this ADU is essentially a Fregat? Since when does Fregat have jettisonable tanks? Any details on this? I mean: I don't see how this could even work with Fregat's overlapping tanks spheres.
Or is this the additional ring shown in one of the videos?

The ADU is modified with the addition of a jetisonable external tank as can be seen here.

pippin · « **Reply #361 on:** 11/08/2011 10:12 pm »

Ah. Cool. Thanks.
My nonexistent Russian didn't help with the description in the video.

pippin · « **Reply #362 on:** 11/08/2011 10:13 pm »

Next question: Is this the Block DM tank?

Lerm · « **Reply #363 on:** 11/08/2011 10:15 pm »

Quote from: pippin on 11/08/2011 10:08 pm

Tank jettison? I thought this ADU is essentially a Fregat? Since when does Fregat have jettisonable tanks? Any details on this?

Since 'Fregat-SB' design, which was first used to launch Elektro-L.
http://www.laspace.ru/rus/fregat_blocksb.php

yaroslav · « **Reply #364 on:** 11/08/2011 10:20 pm »

Quote from: pippin on 11/08/2011 10:13 pm

Next question: Is this the Block DM tank?

btw fregat is wider

pippin · « **Reply #365 on:** 11/08/2011 10:27 pm »

Ah. So it was more or less designed for it from the start?
You've simply got to love that vehicle. These upper stages (Fregat, Block DM) really are almost like tugs...

Lerm · « **Reply #366 on:** 11/08/2011 10:28 pm »

Quote from: pippin on 11/08/2011 10:13 pm

Next question: Is this the Block DM tank?

No. It was specially designed by Lavochkin for Fregat. Part of construction elements were derived from tank of Block L (upper stage of Molniya rockets), which was previously in production on Lavochkin.

yaroslav · « **Reply #367 on:** 11/08/2011 10:32 pm »

Quote from: pippin on 11/08/2011 10:27 pm

Ah. So it was more or less designed for it from the start?
You've simply got to love that vehicle. These upper stages (Fregat, Block DM) really are almost like tugs...

have to on both accounts )))

http://www.laspace.ru/rus/fregat_blocksb.php

http://tihiy.fromru.com/Rn/Image_Proton/DMinFarning.gif

BrunoQuiocca · « **Reply #368 on:** 11/08/2011 10:36 pm »

Guys, I know it is silly, but i've registered only to say that I have seen it with naked eyes.
Im at south of Brazil, city of cascavel, parana state (24 57 S, 53 17 W). And it passed exactly above us! I've seen the rocket, as a little star, and right behind it another little star, witch I believe are the discarted stuff. Really, really fast!
Too bad that there were clouds and the full moon in the sky, but it was possible to see.
I know it doesn't add anything to the topic, but i' amazed with it.

Liss · « **Reply #369 on:** 11/08/2011 10:47 pm »

Quote from: BrunoQuiocca on 11/08/2011 10:36 pm

Guys, I know it is silly, but i've registered only to say that I have seen it with naked eyes.
Im at south of Brazil, city of cascavel, parana state (24 57 S, 53 17 W). And it passed exactly above us! I've seen the rocket, as a little star, and right behind it another little star, witch I believe are the discarted stuff. Really, really fast!
Too bad that there were clouds and the full moon in the sky, but it was possible to see.
I know it doesn't add anything to the topic, but i' amazed with it.

Bruno, what time it was? First engine burn was to begin just above you at 22:56 UTC/Grinwich Time. And you could see two objects, the spacecraft and the second stage rocket body.

pm1823 · « **Reply #370 on:** 11/08/2011 10:52 pm »

just quoting
http://phobos.cosmos.ru/index.php?id=388&L=0&view=single_thread&cat_uid=1&conf_uid=1&thread_uid=65

Quote

Anton Ledkov
Published: November 9, 2011 - 01:16
Spacecraft is practically on the nominal orbit after separation from Zenit launcher!

http://phobos.cosmos.ru/index.php?id=388&L=0&view=single_thread&cat_uid=1&conf_uid=1&thread_uid=21

Quote

Anton Ledkov
Published: November 9, 2011 - 01:17

we getting TMI
AB(storage batteries) went to charge mode
we have PSO(constant solar orientation)
We have Sun

JimO · « **Reply #371 on:** 11/08/2011 11:01 pm »

Quote from: BrunoQuiocca on 11/08/2011 10:36 pm

....I know it doesn't add anything to the topic, but i' amazed with it.

Bruno, this adds IMMENSELY to this discussion, multo obrigado, and thank you. We are watching this launching with special anxieties and you have helped give us better feelings.

If you hear of any other news media coverage -- radio, TV -- about other sightings, please, PLEASE relay them to us here as quickly as you can.

The timing and direction of your sighting is important, to make sure it really was the probe and not a coincidence with aircraft.

Email me separately if you want some of my research reports about OTHER rockets that were seen in the skies over Brazil, in years past. Mostly, people thought they were OVNIs.

Jim O -- very grateful to you!

[email protected]

Moe Grills · « **Reply #372 on:** 11/08/2011 11:09 pm »

Less than two hours until the start of the second in-orbit burn.

BTW, what this Brazilian poster saw was NOT the separation of the second-stage from the Fregat-FG combo,; that separation took place around
688 seconds after launch, only a fraction of the way around the world from Baikonur.
It had to be the jettisoned tanks that he saw.

ugordan · « **Reply #373 on:** 11/08/2011 11:11 pm »

Quote from: Moe Grills on 11/08/2011 11:09 pm

BTW, what this Brazilian poster saw was NOT the separation of the second-stage from the Fregat-FG combo,; that separation took place around
688 seconds after launch, only a fraction of the way around the world from Baikonur.

So what? The two will be in virtually identical orbits until one of them performs an additional maneuver.

BrunoQuiocca · « **Reply #374 on:** 11/08/2011 11:13 pm »

Quote from: Liss on 11/08/2011 10:47 pm

Quote from: BrunoQuiocca on 11/08/2011 10:36 pm
Guys, I know it is silly, but i've registered only to say that I have seen it with naked eyes.
Im at south of Brazil, city of cascavel, parana state (24 57 S, 53 17 W). And it passed exactly above us! I've seen the rocket, as a little star, and right behind it another little star, witch I believe are the discarted stuff. Really, really fast!
Too bad that there were clouds and the full moon in the sky, but it was possible to see.
I know it doesn't add anything to the topic, but i' amazed with it.
Bruno, what time it was? First engine burn was to begin just above you at 22:56 UTC/Grinwich Time. And you could see two objects, the spacecraft and the second stage rocket body.

It was 20:55h local summer time on my phone. It took me a lot to register an post cause i'm at class now.

I almost missed it. Started to ook at a satellite when my friend called my attention to the actual spacecraft, heading NE.

Rocket Guy · « **Reply #375 on:** 11/08/2011 11:15 pm »

According to the See Sat L satellite mailing list, the spacecraft have been found in the same orbit as before the burn, after the planned burn time.

http://www.satobs.org/seesat/Nov-2011/0069.html

Lars_J · « **Reply #376 on:** 11/08/2011 11:18 pm »

Hoping for the best...

Svetoslav · « **Reply #377 on:** 11/08/2011 11:19 pm »

Roscosmos is still silent

robertross · « **Reply #378 on:** 11/08/2011 11:21 pm »

Quote from: Chris Bergin on 11/08/2011 07:43 pm

And William Graham's excellent article for this launch/mission - updated to post launch:

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/11/live-zenit-2launch-fobos-grunt-sample-return-mission-to-phobos/

Great article William!

(never knew about the alien spacecraft conspiracy theory, but we don't need to get into that)

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #379 on:** 11/08/2011 11:28 pm »

Welcome to the site's forum Bruno! Same goes for some other more active members on this thread - it's appreciated!

Fingers crossed for good news on the mission.