Author Topic: Soyuz-2.1b - Kosmos 2554 (Lotos-S №5) - Plesetsk 43/3 - 7 April 2022 (11:20 UTC) (Read 6788 times)

B. Hendrickx · « **on:** 04/01/2022 02:07 pm »

https://komiinform.ru/news/231911/

Impact zones in the Komi republic have been announced for a Soyuz-2 launch from Plesetsk on 7 April between 13.30 and 15.30 Moscow time (10.30-12.30 UTC). The back-up date is 8 April. The same impact zones have earlier been announced for launches of Lotos-S and Pion satellites. A cryptic post by an insider on the NK forum suggests the payload will be a Lotos-S (14F145) satellite. This should be the first of four Lotos-S satellites ordered by the Ministry of Defense in September 2017 (serial numbers 806 to 809).

input~2 · « **Reply #1 on:** 04/03/2022 09:20 pm »

E3699/22 - AIRSPACE CLSD WI AREA:
673000N0684000E-672500N0720000E-665000N0700000E-
664500N0684400E-673000N0684000E. SFC - 1500M AMSL, DAILY 1030-1230, 07 APR 10:30
2022 UNTIL 08 APR 12:30 2022. CREATED: 03 APR 12:00 2022

E3688/22 - ATS RTE CLSD WI SEGMENTS:
G497 RODKA - GUDIR FL265 - FL540,
G498 LUKAT - GUDIR FL055 - FL540,
N990 REFRI - BEMOS FL265 - FL540,
T816 TOMRA - NOROT FL055 - FL540,
W255 UNOKI - GUDIR FL055 - FL405,
W257 KULAP - BAGEN FL055 - FL405,
W260 BIMSA - REFRI FL055 - FL405. FL055 - FL540, DAILY 1030-1230, 07 APR 10:30
2022 UNTIL 08 APR 12:30 2022. CREATED: 03 APR 07:11 2022

lea.bernier · « **Reply #2 on:** 04/04/2022 06:24 am »

Can I ask you where you found theses please ? I'm searching on https://notams.aim.faa.gov/notamSearch/nsapp.html#/results, and I can't find them...

lea.bernier · « **Reply #3 on:** 04/04/2022 11:54 am »

Q2254/22 - AIRSPACE CLSD AS FLW:
1. AREA: 631600N0412300E-625200N0420200E-624000N0412200E-
622900N0402500E-624000N0394200E-624800N0393200E-
625700N0401800E-631600N0412300E
2. AREA: 645700N0474000E-643300N0480000E-641600N0462600E-
643700N0461000E-645700N0474000E
3. AREA: 660000N0540500E-653900N0540500E-652300N0525000E-
654900N0522700E-660000N0540500E. SFC - UNL, 07 08 1030-1230, 07 APR
10:30 2022 UNTIL 08 APR 12:30 2022. CREATED: 03 APR 12:51 2022

B. Hendrickx · « **Reply #4 on:** 04/07/2022 10:41 am »

According to a source on the NK forum, liftoff is set for 14.20 Moscow time (11.20 UTC).

B. Hendrickx · « **Reply #5 on:** 04/07/2022 11:35 am »

NK source: liftoff took place at 11 .20.18 .321 UTC. Everything looking good so far.

Rondaz · « **Reply #6 on:** 04/07/2022 12:12 pm »

Soyuz rocket with military satellite launched from Plesetsk cosmodrome.

Launch vehicle "Soyuz-2.1b" with a military satellite launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome.

14:31 04/07/2022

MOSCOW, April 7 - RIA Novosti. The carrier rocket "Soyuz-2.1b" with a military satellite was launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, the Russian Defense Ministry told reporters.

"On Thursday, April 7, at 14.20 Moscow time, from launcher No. 3 of site No. 43 of the state test cosmodrome of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (Plesetsk Cosmodrome , Arkhangelsk Region ), the combat crew of the Space Forces of the Aerospace Forces successfully launched a Soyuz-2.1b medium-class launch vehicle "with a spacecraft in the interests of the Russian Defense Ministry," the department said.

As specified in the Ministry of Defense, all pre-launch operations and the launch of the rocket took place in the normal mode.

The previous launch from Plesetsk took place on March 22, when the Meridian-M communications satellite was put into orbit.

https://ria.ru/20220407/raketa-1782301553.html

Rondaz · « **Reply #7 on:** 04/07/2022 12:14 pm »

Military satellite launched from Plesetsk launched into orbit.

A military satellite launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome was put into orbit at the estimated time.

14:51 07.04.2022

MOSCOW, April 7 - RIA Novosti. A military satellite launched on Thursday from the Plesetsk cosmodrome was launched into orbit at the estimated time, the Russian Defense Ministry told reporters.

"The Kosmos-2554 spacecraft, launched by the combat crew of the Space Forces of the Aerospace Forces ... at the estimated time was launched into the target orbit and accepted for control of ground facilities of the Main Test Space Center named after G. S. Titov of the Space Forces of the Aerospace Forces, who will control it in the process of orbital flight," the military department noted.

The Ministry of Defense stressed that a stable telemetry connection has been established and maintained with the satellite, and the onboard systems "are functioning normally."

The carrier rocket "Soyuz-2.1b" was launched on Thursday at 14.20, three minutes later the specialists of the Aerospace Forces accepted it for escort, the satellite was assigned the serial number "Cosmos-2554".

https://ria.ru/20220407/sputnik-1782307605.html

input~2 · « **Reply #8 on:** 04/07/2022 05:26 pm »

2022-036A/52202 in 239 x 900 km x 67.15° (S/C)
2022-036B/52203 in 238 x 871 km x 67.14° (Soyuz 3rd stage)

B. Hendrickx · « **Reply #9 on:** 04/07/2022 07:27 pm »

Low-key coverage of this launch in the Russian media (overshadowed by other events...). Not even mentioned so far by the Interfax-AVN military news agency and the military Zvezda TV channel. This is all the footage I've seen so far (distant view shown on a local TV station in Arkhangelsk):

There's also this distant picture published on the website of the Ministry of Defense, but hard to say if this is a file photo or not.
https://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/[email protected]

Rondaz · « **Reply #10 on:** 04/07/2022 11:31 pm »

CelesTrak has TLEs for 2 objects from the launch (2022-036) of a military satellite atop a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from Plesetsk Cosmodrome on Apr 7 at 1120 UTC:

https://twitter.com/TSKelso/status/1512146446530727937

Rondaz · « **Reply #11 on:** 04/07/2022 11:33 pm »

A Russian Soyuz-2.1b rocket launched a Lotos-S1 electronic signals intelligence satellite from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome today.

https://twitter.com/TGMetsFan98/status/1512176612799877124

Rondaz · « **Reply #12 on:** 04/07/2022 11:37 pm »

Russia launched the Lotos-S1 No. 806 electronic intelligence satellite, cover name Kosmos-2554, from Plesetsk on a Soyuz-2-1b at 1120 UTC. Space Force are tracking it in a 239 x 900 km x 67.1 deg orbit; it is expected to raise perigee and circularize orbit at 900 km .

https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1512203778421923848

sdsds · « **Reply #13 on:** 04/08/2022 08:59 am »

What is the role of 900 kilometres, 67° inclination for Russian orbital electronic intelligence?

From https://www.russianspaceweb.com/liana.html

801    2009 Nov. 20, Kosmos-2455 Soyuz-U Plesetsk, Site 16
802    2014 Dec. 25, Kosmos-2503 Soyuz-2-1b Plesetsk, Site 43
803    2017 Dec. 2, Kosmos-2524 Soyuz-2-1b Plesetsk, Site 43
804    2018 Oct. 25, Kosmos-2528 Soyuz-2-1b Plesetsk, Site 43
805    2021 Feb. 2, Kosmos-2549 Soyuz-2-1b Plesetsk, Site 43
901    2021 June 25, Kosmos (Pion-NKS) Soyuz-2-1b Plesetsk, Site 43
806    2022 April 7, Kosmos-2554 Soyuz-2 Plesetsk, Site 43

All of these are in that orbit? Do other nations use it as well?

B. Hendrickx · « **Reply #14 on:** 04/08/2022 11:38 am »

Quote from: sdsds on 04/08/2022 08:59 am

What is the role of 900 kilometres, 67° inclination for Russian orbital electronic intelligence?

From https://www.russianspaceweb.com/liana.html

801    2009 Nov. 20, Kosmos-2455 Soyuz-U Plesetsk, Site 16
802    2014 Dec. 25, Kosmos-2503 Soyuz-2-1b Plesetsk, Site 43
803    2017 Dec. 2, Kosmos-2524 Soyuz-2-1b Plesetsk, Site 43
804    2018 Oct. 25, Kosmos-2528 Soyuz-2-1b Plesetsk, Site 43
805    2021 Feb. 2, Kosmos-2549 Soyuz-2-1b Plesetsk, Site 43
901    2021 June 25, Kosmos (Pion-NKS) Soyuz-2-1b Plesetsk, Site 43
806    2022 April 7, Kosmos-2554 Soyuz-2 Plesetsk, Site 43

All of these are in that orbit? Do other nations use it as well?

These are not at all unusual orbits for ELINT satellites, which are mainly used to pick up radar transmissions. Compare, for instance, with the US naval ocean surveillance satellites (1000 km, 63,4°) and the French CERES satellites (670 km, 75°).

The Lotos satellites probably have limited, if any, COMINT capability (reception of voice communications). Better suited for COMINT are Molniya-type orbits and geostationary orbit. COMINT is probably the main purpose of the Repei-V and Repei-S satellites, which are yet to be launched. More background here:
https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4154/1

B. Hendrickx · « **Reply #15 on:** 04/08/2022 12:13 pm »

A few more clips of the launch here:
https://rutube.ru/video/56fc7835ab805f1fcef50e2bc583ce6e/

The "Z" symbol was again emblazoned on the payload shroud, as it was for the recent Meridian-M launch.

B. Hendrickx · « **Reply #16 on:** 04/13/2022 06:55 pm »

Kosmos-2554 is now in a nearly circular 901x910 km orbit according to data from Space.Track-org. According to a source on the NK forum, it took the satellite five burns to circularize its orbit.

Rondaz · « **Reply #17 on:** 04/13/2022 11:17 pm »

As expected, the new Lotos-S1 electronic intel satellite, Kosmos-2554, raised its orbit on Apr 9 from 245 x 899 km to 901 x 910 km, which is its final operational orbit.

https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1514376449419091975

Rondaz · « **Reply #18 on:** 11/26/2022 10:31 am »

Obj. 52203 COSMOS 2554 SL-4 R/B decay prediction: November 30, 2022 UTC 08h28mn ± 31h

https://twitter.com/jremis/status/1596074241564499968

Rondaz · « **Reply #19 on:** 11/26/2022 10:31 am »

Update: obj. 52203 COSMOS 2554 SL-4 R/B decay prediction: November 29, 2022 UTC 23h17mn ± 23h

https://twitter.com/jremis/status/1596441787941457920

B. Hendrickx · « **Reply #20 on:** 11/26/2022 10:36 pm »

A small suggestion to the moderators: wouldn't it be better to create a separate thread with updates on re-entries of Russian rocket bodies rather than place those updates in specific mission threads? These dead rocket stages no longer play any role in these missions. It might also not be a bad idea to limit re-entry posts to the actual re-entry instead of giving regular updates on the predicted re-entry times. After all, these rocket stages are not massive enough to pose a threat to people on the ground.

Just an idea.

gongora · « **Reply #21 on:** 11/27/2022 02:12 pm »

I have no problem with putting updates on rocket bodies/debris/payloads in the mission thread. I agree that we don't need an excessive number of posts for each event. If someone wants to also create a rocket body/space object reentry thread that would be fine too, but I'd make it for all countries, not just Russian.

ZachS09 · « **Reply #22 on:** 11/27/2022 02:15 pm »

Quote from: gongora on 11/27/2022 02:12 pm

I have no problem with putting updates on rocket bodies/debris/payloads in the mission thread. I agree that we don't need an excessive number of posts for each event. If someone wants to also create a rocket body/space object reentry thread that would be fine too, but I'd make it for all countries, not just Russian.

That's something that's also annoying to me. Especially when it's those dead mission threads dating back to the early or mid-2010s that's suddenly revived. Rondaz just had to make that choice.

eeergo · « **Reply #23 on:** 11/27/2022 07:38 pm »

Personally, I really dislike when lots of tweets are posted, sometimes with subpar information, when they're redundant or uninteresting, or just take up more space than the value they have. Long-winded reentry predictions for a small object are such a case.

However, I'd like to break a spear in favor of the deorbit notices. I find it nice that somebody is taking care to track all pieces of the mission. Just as showing debris from the lower stages that crash down to Earth is interesting, and should be shown since they don't magically disappear once they're discarded, I find it satisfying that space-faring pieces are also tracked until their EOL. It's also a pleasant way to bump and remind oneself of an old mission you may or may not have been aware of.

Rondaz · « **Reply #24 on:** 11/28/2022 09:50 am »

Update: obj. 52203 COSMOS 2554 SL-4 R/B decay prediction: November 30, 2022 UTC 02h12mn ± 12h

https://twitter.com/jremis/status/1597153488634785792

Rondaz · « **Reply #25 on:** 11/29/2022 12:10 pm »

Update: obj. 52203 COSMOS 2554 SL-4 R/B decay prediction: November 29, 2022 UTC 23h56mn ± 4h

https://twitter.com/jremis/status/1597564100753907712

owais.usmani · « **Reply #26 on:** 11/29/2022 01:34 pm »

Can anybody update if the Lotus satellite is going to deorbit or is it the Soyuz 3rd stage?

Alter Sachse · « **Reply #27 on:** 11/29/2022 02:43 pm »

Quote from: owais.usmani on 11/29/2022 01:34 pm

Can anybody update if the Lotus satellite is going to deorbit or is it the Soyuz 3rd stage?

The stage

Rondaz · « **Reply #28 on:** 11/29/2022 09:32 pm »

Update: obj. 52203 COSMOS 2554 SL-4 R/B decay prediction: November 30, 2022 UTC 01h42mn ± 1h

https://twitter.com/jremis/status/1597707317377904640

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #29 on:** 11/30/2022 06:21 am »

Quote from: owais.usmani on 11/29/2022 01:34 pm

Can anybody update if the Lotus satellite is going to deorbit or is it the Soyuz 3rd stage?

The update indicates that the object is a rocket stage.

"Update: obj. 52203 COSMOS 2554 SL-4 R/B decay prediction: November 29, 2022 UTC 23h56mn ± 4h"

R/B stands for Rocket Body.