Author Topic: ISS RS: Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module-Upgrade (MLM-U) General Updates and Discussion Thread  (Read 802802 times)

Offline russianhalo117

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Did Energia transfer MLM to Baikonur yet?

No, not to my knowledge at this time and there has been mention of even preparing it to ship. Also unofficially the launch has slipped to April 2014 at the earliest.

Offline woods170

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Also unofficially the launch has slipped to April 2014 at the earliest.

With Anik being the first to report the delay into 2014, I would hardly call it an unofficial slip. It may not have shown up in the L2 FPIP yet, and it may not have been publically confirmed by any NASA and Roscosmos officials, but the slip is there. Industry partners have already been told. That's how I got the slip confirmed thru several of my sources.

Offline woods170

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And to follow-up on my previous post: I've just been informed by one of my sources that the recent Proton failure is now 'very likely' to add additional delay to the launch of MLM.

I'll try to get this confirmed thru at least one other source.

Offline Space Pete

*Sigh*

Slippety slip once again.

Still, better safe than sorry.
« Last Edit: 07/30/2013 06:17 pm by Space Pete »
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Offline owais.usmani

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And to follow-up on my previous post: I've just been informed by one of my sources that the recent Proton failure is now 'very likely' to add additional delay to the launch of MLM.

I'll try to get this confirmed thru at least one other source.

you mean delay past April 2014?

Offline woods170

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And to follow-up on my previous post: I've just been informed by one of my sources that the recent Proton failure is now 'very likely' to add additional delay to the launch of MLM.

I'll try to get this confirmed thru at least one other source.

you mean delay past April 2014?

Yes. One of the contractors received indications, from Russia, of such an additional delay (past April 2014) this week. And since it is only Tuesday...   :(

Offline asmi

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Yes. One of the contractors received indications, from Russia, of such an additional delay (past April 2014) this week. And since it is only Tuesday...   :(
If that's true, it will definetly delay Node module. Even current schedule (MLM in April, Node in the end of June) seems too agressive to me.

Offline woods170

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Yes. One of the contractors received indications, from Russia, of such an additional delay (past April 2014) this week. And since it is only Tuesday...   :(
If that's true, it will definetly delay Node module. Even current schedule (MLM in April, Node in the end of June) seems too agressive to me.

Way too aggressive. At least one docking of a Progress to the nadir port of MLM will be needed to take the docking adapter away to clear the port for docking of the Node Module. That would be a very short Progress mission. And it can only occur after MLM has been made operational. It's not like you dock MLM to Zvezda and Progress docking to MLM nadir can occur the next week. It will take several weeks of on-orbit operations to get MLM operational.

Offline 360-180

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The latest rumor on the NK Forum, member Sashka_1959 write:
"Said that there is a problem, "flows" charging valve. It is necessary to cut out and replaced. Will "train" at KS (Complex mockup)."

Offline woods170

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The latest rumor on the NK Forum, member Sashka_1959 write:
"Said that there is a problem, "flows" charging valve. It is necessary to cut out and replaced. Will "train" at KS (Complex mockup)."

See, that's why you test the h*ll out of every component. To prevent such surprises from occuring on-orbit.
Let's hope common-sense will continue to prevail over the urge to make an impossible deadline.

Offline woods170

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OK. Delay of the launch of MLM to spring 2014 is now being confirmed by unnamed Russian officials, as reported by SFN:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/station/exp36/130816eva/#.UhIx0n-3kZY

Quote
The Russians originally planned to launch the MLM aboard a Proton rocket at the end of the year, but officials say the flight is expected to slip several months into the spring of 2014.

Offline anik

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As per Novosti kosmonavtiki forum, MLM launch is planned at the end of September 2014.

Offline Space Pete

As per Novosti kosmonavtiki forum, MLM launch is planned at the end of September 2014.

:o

What on (or off) Earth is the reason for the delay this time? This is getting ridiculous.
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Offline asmi

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:o

What on (or off) Earth is the reason for the delay this time? This is getting ridiculous.
From what was said on NK forum, testing has uncovered some serious issues with fuel transfer system. There has been a meeting with all subcontractors involved, but not sure what the decision is. I'd speculate that they will need to do a major repair, but before doing it on a flight model, they'll do a rehearsal on a static mockup.

Offline Space Pete

From what was said on NK forum, testing has uncovered some serious issues with fuel transfer system. There has been a meeting with all subcontractors involved, but not sure what the decision is. I'd speculate that they will need to do a major repair, but before doing it on a flight model, they'll do a rehearsal on a static mockup.

Which begs the question, how was MLM able to get all the way through Khrunichev without it being noticed?
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Offline Prober

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As per Novosti kosmonavtiki forum, MLM launch is planned at the end of September 2014.

you must be sad just to give us this news.  :-[
2017 - Everything Old is New Again.
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Offline woods170

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From what was said on NK forum, testing has uncovered some serious issues with fuel transfer system. There has been a meeting with all subcontractors involved, but not sure what the decision is. I'd speculate that they will need to do a major repair, but before doing it on a flight model, they'll do a rehearsal on a static mockup.

Which begs the question, how was MLM able to get all the way through Khrunichev without it being noticed?

The same way a certain Proton got thru Khrunichev without a critical flaw being noticed.
Quality control is very clearly something Khrunichev is failing at big-time currently.
Remember the contract for the Science and Energy modules (NEM) going to Energia, in stead of Khrunichev? Word within ESA is that this happened because Khrunichev has 'very serious organizational issues'.

Offline woods170

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As per Novosti kosmonavtiki forum, MLM launch is planned at the end of September 2014.

:o

What on (or off) Earth is the reason for the delay this time? This is getting ridiculous.

Something cannot get ridiculous when it already is ridiculous. Remember, MLM was originally scheduled to launch in 2006!
MLM is currently the laughing joke of the Russian space program. It's probably even worse than Phobos-Grunt failure.
Personally I fear the worst for the Dutch-built piece of hardware that is set to go up with MLM: ERA.
« Last Edit: 08/20/2013 09:26 pm by woods170 »

Offline JimO

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Better to catch it on the ground. I wish they had, on Fobos-Grunt.

Offline asmi

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Better to catch it on the ground. I wish they had, on Fobos-Grunt.
Agreed. It would've been much worse to discover anything like that on orbit. And delays - while it's sad, we're used to them :)
« Last Edit: 08/21/2013 02:28 pm by asmi »

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