Something new :http://tvzvezda.ru/news/vstrane_i_mire/content/201312281816-vwo3.htm
Quote from: Stan Black on 12/28/2013 03:56 pmQuote from: jcm on 12/28/2013 03:38 pmQuote from: Nicolas PILLET on 12/28/2013 03:28 pmQuote from: jcm on 12/28/2013 03:00 pmThis is presumably the 14S54 third stage (is that the right designation? The Blok-I, anyway).Transfer orbit apogee was at 1325 UTC over the Antarctic; presumably the Volga burn began around that time.Soyuz-2.1v is a two stages launcher :- Bloc A (14S55)- Bloc I (14S54)It carries also an upper stage :- Volga (14S46)Yes, second stage. I meant to say second stage. Hard habit to break, thinking of the Blok I as third stage all these years!I've also seen '132KS' for the first stage? (maybe from Anatoly Zak?)By the way it looks like catalog 39490 to 39494 have been reserved for 2013-78A to 78E, whichwill be Aist, two spheres, the Blok I stage, and the Volga stage with attached adapter.Two references exists for 132КС as the 1st stage.http://www.kbkha.ru/?p=8&cat=8&prod=74#http://www.samspace.ru/zakupki/plany_zakupok/Also refered to as 374БЛ04.Just re-checking this, it appears that 131КС is for the whole Soyuz-2-1V, whilst 132КС is for something called Союз-2-1ВУ?
Quote from: jcm on 12/28/2013 03:38 pmQuote from: Nicolas PILLET on 12/28/2013 03:28 pmQuote from: jcm on 12/28/2013 03:00 pmThis is presumably the 14S54 third stage (is that the right designation? The Blok-I, anyway).Transfer orbit apogee was at 1325 UTC over the Antarctic; presumably the Volga burn began around that time.Soyuz-2.1v is a two stages launcher :- Bloc A (14S55)- Bloc I (14S54)It carries also an upper stage :- Volga (14S46)Yes, second stage. I meant to say second stage. Hard habit to break, thinking of the Blok I as third stage all these years!I've also seen '132KS' for the first stage? (maybe from Anatoly Zak?)By the way it looks like catalog 39490 to 39494 have been reserved for 2013-78A to 78E, whichwill be Aist, two spheres, the Blok I stage, and the Volga stage with attached adapter.Two references exists for 132КС as the 1st stage.http://www.kbkha.ru/?p=8&cat=8&prod=74#http://www.samspace.ru/zakupki/plany_zakupok/Also refered to as 374БЛ04.
Quote from: Nicolas PILLET on 12/28/2013 03:28 pmQuote from: jcm on 12/28/2013 03:00 pmThis is presumably the 14S54 third stage (is that the right designation? The Blok-I, anyway).Transfer orbit apogee was at 1325 UTC over the Antarctic; presumably the Volga burn began around that time.Soyuz-2.1v is a two stages launcher :- Bloc A (14S55)- Bloc I (14S54)It carries also an upper stage :- Volga (14S46)Yes, second stage. I meant to say second stage. Hard habit to break, thinking of the Blok I as third stage all these years!I've also seen '132KS' for the first stage? (maybe from Anatoly Zak?)By the way it looks like catalog 39490 to 39494 have been reserved for 2013-78A to 78E, whichwill be Aist, two spheres, the Blok I stage, and the Volga stage with attached adapter.
Quote from: jcm on 12/28/2013 03:00 pmThis is presumably the 14S54 third stage (is that the right designation? The Blok-I, anyway).Transfer orbit apogee was at 1325 UTC over the Antarctic; presumably the Volga burn began around that time.Soyuz-2.1v is a two stages launcher :- Bloc A (14S55)- Bloc I (14S54)It carries also an upper stage :- Volga (14S46)
This is presumably the 14S54 third stage (is that the right designation? The Blok-I, anyway).Transfer orbit apogee was at 1325 UTC over the Antarctic; presumably the Volga burn began around that time.
Quote from: Star One on 12/28/2013 08:50 pmJust spotted this gets to be the last launch of 2013.Unless the Iranians or some other player launch one unexpectedly!
Just spotted this gets to be the last launch of 2013.
This is the first Soviet/Russian launch vehicle to have a single single-chamber liquid-propulsion main engine on the first stage (albeit with thrusters surrounding it).
Quote from: Phillip Clark on 12/29/2013 10:54 amThis is the first Soviet/Russian launch vehicle to have a single single-chamber liquid-propulsion main engine on the first stage (albeit with thrusters surrounding it).No, the Shtil had also the same configuration.
Still 5 Objects with refreshed TLEs to-day, makes me wonder if Volga was really deorbited...
Quote from: input~2 on 12/29/2013 07:01 pmStill 5 Objects with refreshed TLEs to-day, makes me wonder if Volga was really deorbited...I was just about to post the same comment! Assuming the TLEs are accurate, another possibility is thatthat big cylindrical adapter was jettisoned from Volga as a payload separation test
The fifth object may be the 188KS adapter/conical cap on top of the payload "can".
Quote from: panzmead on 12/31/2013 06:42 pmThe fifth object may be the 188KS adapter/conical cap on top of the payload "can".Is there any reason to think that the 188KS would have separated from the can?(obviously possible, but I would have thought more likely the whole can would separatefrom Volga, as a simulation of normal payload deploy...)
Quote from: jcm on 12/31/2013 07:23 pmQuote from: panzmead on 12/31/2013 06:42 pmThe fifth object may be the 188KS adapter/conical cap on top of the payload "can".Is there any reason to think that the 188KS would have separated from the can?(obviously possible, but I would have thought more likely the whole can would separatefrom Volga, as a simulation of normal payload deploy...)i understand that at one time there were plans to simulate the operations of deploying a secondary payload from within the the payload dispenser thus 188KS would have needed to be jettisoned first. ultimately no secondary payloads were launched.
I would guess that the big adapter that holds the satellite to Volga is still attached to Volga, to generate a radar cross section of 10 m3.