Author Topic: LAUNCHED: Soyuz ST-B Flight VS03 - Galileo IOV-M2 FM3/FM4 - October 12, 2012  (Read 76051 times)

Offline jacqmans

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Next Galileo satellites to launch after the summer

3 May 2012

The European Commission has announced the launch date of the next pair of ESA-procured Galileo satellites. These will launch together on a Soyuz from French Guiana on 28 September 2012, joining the two Galileo satellites already in orbit.

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMWOFQWJ1H_index_0.html
« Last Edit: 05/16/2013 06:50 pm by Jester »
Jacques :-)

Offline bolun

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Re: Soyuz ST-B Flight VS03 - Galileo - September 28, 2012
« Reply #1 on: 05/08/2012 07:48 pm »
A Soyuz takes shape in French Guiana for the next dual Galileo satellite launch

May 8, 2012 – Soyuz Flight VS03

The launcher for Arianespace’s next Soyuz mission from the Spaceport in French Guiana is completing its initial checkout for a flight in the second half of 2012, which will carry another two spacecraft for Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation constellation.

During activity at the Spaceport’s Soyuz Launcher Integration Building – known by its Russian “MIK” designation – the vehicle’s four first-stage strap-on boosters have been mated with the Block A core second stage, followed by integration of the Block I third stage.

With its initial build-up concluded, the Soyuz is now undergoing regular maintenance checks that are standard for the Russian-built vehicles that have been in storage prior to their mission. Such verifications include testing of the launcher’s pneumatic and electrical systems.

This Soyuz will carry Europe’s next two Galileo In-Orbit Validation (IOV) satellites, joining the first pair of spacecraft lofted on Arianespace’s historic maiden flight of the Russian-built launcher from French Guiana in October 2011.

Once the four IOV satellites are in orbit, they will provide the minimum information needed for space-based navigation: latitude, longitude and altitude data, along with ranging accuracy; enabling assessment of the Galileo system’s performance, while also allowing suppliers to realistically check their receivers and services against actual signals.

Arianespace has been chosen to deploy the entire Galileo constellation of 30 satellites. This began with the launch of the first two experimental satellites, Giove-A and Giove-B, orbited by Arianespace’s Starsem affiliate on Soyuz launchers from Baikonur Cosmodrome in 2005 and 2007. Subsequently, Arianespace lofted the initial pair of In-Orbit Validation spacecraft on Soyuz’ October 2011 inaugural mission from the Spaceport.

The remaining 24 Galileo constellation satellites will be orbited through 2015, using six additional Soyuz vehicles carrying two spacecraft each, along with three Ariane 5s configured with four per launch.

Initial phases of the Galileo program were carried out by the European Space Agency (ESA) in activity co-funded with the European Commission. Galileo’s Full Operational Capability phase is being managed and funded by the European Commission, with ESA and the Commission having signed a delegation agreement by which the space agency acts as design and procurement agent.

The upcoming Galileo mission is designated VS03 in the numbering system for Arianespace’s launcher family – which is composed of the medium-lift Soyuz, heavy-lift Ariane 5 and light-lift Vega – all operated at the Spaceport. The “V” represents the French word for “flight” (Vol), while “S” signifies the use of a Soyuz launch vehicle. Its “3” denotes the third Arianespace mission of Soyuz from French Guiana.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2012/905.asp

Offline jacqmans

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Re: Soyuz ST-B Flight VS03 - Galileo - September 28, 2012
« Reply #2 on: 06/14/2012 02:21 pm »
Trial by vacuum brings next Galileo satellites closer to launch

14 June 2012
The next two Galileo navigation satellites have now endured the harsh vacuum and temperature extremes of space on the way to their scheduled 28 September launch.
 
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMJ4C8X73H_index_0.html
Jacques :-)

Offline anik

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Re: Soyuz ST-B Flight VS03 - Galileo - September 28, 2012
« Reply #3 on: 06/14/2012 03:43 pm »
The launch will be not earlier than October.

Offline beidou

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Re: Soyuz ST-B Flight VS03 - Galileo - September 28, 2012
« Reply #4 on: 06/18/2012 08:27 pm »
The launch will be not earlier than October.

This is totally not surprising. We have seen there have been delay(s) for any Galileo(GIOVE) launches. Hope these two birds could be up this year.

Offline Nicolas PILLET

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Re: Soyuz ST-B Flight VS03 - Galileo - October 12, 2012
« Reply #5 on: 06/18/2012 08:29 pm »
12nd october is the target launch date.
Nicolas PILLET
Kosmonavtika : The French site on Russian Space

Offline baldusi

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Re: Soyuz ST-B Flight VS03 - Galileo - October 12, 2012
« Reply #6 on: 06/18/2012 08:48 pm »
12nd october is the target launch date.
Columbus Day? It's usually a holiday on this side of the Atlantic. French Guiana doesn't observe it?

Offline Nicolas PILLET

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Re: Soyuz ST-B Flight VS03 - Galileo - October 12, 2012
« Reply #7 on: 06/18/2012 09:16 pm »
12nd october is the target launch date.
Columbus Day? It's usually a holiday on this side of the Atlantic. French Guiana doesn't observe it?

No. French Guyana is in France, so it observes French holidays.
Nicolas PILLET
Kosmonavtika : The French site on Russian Space

Offline baldusi

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Re: Soyuz ST-B Flight VS03 - Galileo - October 12, 2012
« Reply #8 on: 06/18/2012 09:24 pm »
12nd october is the target launch date.
Columbus Day? It's usually a holiday on this side of the Atlantic. French Guiana doesn't observe it?

No. French Guyana is in France, so it observes French holidays.
I expected it to treat it as a local holiday. Good to know, none the less.

Offline bolun

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Re: Soyuz ST-B Flight VS03 - Galileo - October 8, 2012
« Reply #9 on: 07/27/2012 07:57 pm »
Checkout begins with the Fregat upper stage for Arianespace’s third Soyuz mission from French Guiana

July 27, 2012 – Soyuz Flight VS03

The Fregat upper stage for Arianespace’s third Soyuz mission from French Guiana is now undergoing pre-launch verifications in preparation for a flight in the second half of 2012 that will carry another two spacecraft for Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation constellation.

After being moved into the Spaceport’s Soyuz Launcher Integration Building – known by its Russian “MIK” designation – the Fregat was installed in a dedicated checkout station.

Soyuz’ Fregat upper stage is an autonomous, highly flexible orbital vehicle built by the Lavochkin Research and Production Association.  It can be restarted up to 20 times in flight – enabling the system to carry out complex mission profiles.

Fregat has an array of six welded spherical tanks, with four spheres serving as the propellant reservoirs, while the other two operate as sealed instrumentation bays containing the flight control system, along with radio and telemetry systems.

The three-stage Soyuz vehicle that ultimately will be integrated with this Fregat for Arianespace’s upcoming mission also is at the Spaceport, having undergone regular maintenance checks earlier this year that are standard for the Russian-built vehicles that have been in storage prior to their missions.

This Soyuz is to carry Europe’s next two Galileo In-Orbit Validation (IOV) satellites, joining the first pair of spacecraft lofted on Arianespace’s initial flight of the Russian-built launcher from French Guiana in 2011.

The upcoming mission is designated VS03 in the numbering system for Arianespace’s launcher family operated from the Spaceport – which is composed of the medium-lift Soyuz, heavy-lift Ariane 5 and light-lift Vega. The “V” represents the French word for “flight” (Vol), while “S” signifies the use of a Soyuz launch vehicle and its “3” denotes the third Arianespace mission of Soyuz from French Guiana.

Soyuz was first used from the Spaceport for its history-making maiden flight on October 21, 2011, which orbited the first two Gailieo IOV spacecraft, followed by a December 17, 2011 mission that lofted the French Pléiades 1 and Chilean SSOT satellites for civilian and defense image gathering, along with four French ELISA micro-satellite demonstrators for defense-related electronic intelligence gathering (ELINT).

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2012/929.asp

« Last Edit: 07/27/2012 07:59 pm by bolun »

Offline bolun

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Re: Soyuz ST-B Flight VS03 - Galileo - October 8, 2012
« Reply #10 on: 08/08/2012 09:00 am »
Next Galileo satellite reaches French Guiana launch site
 
7 August 2012

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMBUOVXF5H_index_0.html

Quote
These third and fourth Galileo ‘In-Orbit Validation’ (IOV) satellites are due to be launched aboard a Soyuz ST-B vehicle in October.

Offline bolun

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Re: Soyuz ST-B Flight VS03 - Galileo - October 8, 2012
« Reply #11 on: 08/08/2012 07:43 pm »
The Spaceport moves into action for Arianespace’s next Soyuz mission to orbit two Galileo satellites

August 8, 2012 – Soyuz Flight VS03

The first of two Galileo In-Orbit Validation (IOV) navigation satellites for Arianespace’s next Soyuz mission from the Spaceport has arrived in French Guiana, stepping up the activity involving this mission – which is scheduled in the second half of 2012.

Delivered by a chartered Antonov An-124 cargo jetliner, the Galileo FM3 (Flight Model #3) spacecraft arrived this week at Félix Eboué International Airport near the capital city of Cayenne and was transferred by road to the Spaceport’s S1B payload preparation building.

The two Galileo satellites to be orbited on the next Soyuz mission will join another pair lofted by Arianespace on this medium-lift launcher’s maiden flight from French Guiana in October 2011.  Together, the four spacecraft are to form the minimum coverage required for satellite-based navigation – providing latitude, longitude and altitude data, while also checking ranging accuracy. 

As a result, these In-Orbit Validation Galileo satellites will enable European industry to validate prototype Galileo-based receivers and services against actual satellite signals, while also allowing performance assessments of Galileo’s ground system that serves to maintain the Galileo system’s precision.  The IOV spacecraft are produced in a European industry consortium led by the Astrium division of EADS and Thales Alenia Space.

In addition to the Galileo FM3 spacecraft’s arrival this week, team members from Astrium, Thales Alenia Space and the European Space Agency also have converged on the Spaceport, moving into the offices they will use during the pre-launch preparations of this satellite, along with its “sister” passenger – Galileo FM4, scheduled to arrive in French Guiana during the next few days.  The team’s initial activities included attending safety and operational briefings, along with the kickoff of regular planning and progress meetings.

Long-lead preparations also are underway at the Spaceport’s ELS launch site for the upcoming Soyuz mission, which is designated VS03 in Arianespace’s numbering system.  The “V” represents “flight” (Vol) in French, while “S” signifies the use of a Soyuz launch vehicle, and its “3” denotes the third Arianespace mission of Soyuz from French Guiana.

Galileo is a program initiative of the European Commission and European Space Agency (ESA) for an independent global satellite navigation system.  The complete Galileo system will consist of 30 satellites in orbit.  Each platform combines an optimized atomic clock for navigation – accurate to one second in three million years – with a powerful transmitter to broadcast precise navigation data worldwide. 

Arianespace has been chosen by the European Commission and ESA to deploy the entire Galileo constellation.   This activity began in 2005 and 2008 with the launch of the first two experimental satellites, Giove-A and Giove-B, orbited from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan by Arianespace’s Starsem affiliate; and then continued last October with the maiden Soyuz launch from French Guiana that carried the constellation’s first two operational satellites.   

Arianespace’s deployment of the remaining spacecraft will continue through 2015, using a mix of both Soyuz and Ariane 5 launch vehicles – underscoring the company’s flexibility in orbiting satellite constellations.

The medium-lift Soyuz and heavy-lift Ariane 5 are part of Arianespace’s launcher family that operates side-by-side from the Spaceport, which also includes the light-lift Vega vehicle.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2012/937.asp


Offline bobthemonkey

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Re: Soyuz ST-B Flight VS03 - Galileo - October 8, 2012
« Reply #12 on: 08/08/2012 10:31 pm »
Next Galileo satellite reaches French Guiana launch site
 
7 August 2012

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMBUOVXF5H_index_0.html

Quote
These third and fourth Galileo ‘In-Orbit Validation’ (IOV) satellites are due to be launched aboard a Soyuz ST-B vehicle in October.

Nice; a rare shot of the intergrated overhead crane in the AN124 cargo bay.


Offline Jester

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Re: Soyuz ST-B Flight VS03 - Galileo - October 8, 2012
« Reply #13 on: 08/09/2012 04:53 pm »
Next Galileo satellite reaches French Guiana launch site
 
7 August 2012

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMBUOVXF5H_index_0.html

Quote
These third and fourth Galileo ‘In-Orbit Validation’ (IOV) satellites are due to be launched aboard a Soyuz ST-B vehicle in October.

Nice; a rare shot of the intergrated overhead crane in the AN124 cargo bay.



;)

Offline jacqmans

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Re: Soyuz ST-B Flight VS03 - Galileo - October 8, 2012
« Reply #14 on: 08/13/2012 07:38 pm »
Pre-launch verifications are underway with the initial Galileo satellite for Arianespace’s next Soyuz mission
 

August 13, 2012 – Soyuz Flight VS03
 
Europe’s Galileo Flight Model #3 (FM3) satellite is undergoing checkout at the Spaceport in preparation for launch along with its “sister” FM4 co-passenger on Arianespace’s next Soyuz mission from French Guiana, which is targeted for the second half of 2012.

Initial activity with FM3 in the Spaceport’s S1B clean room facility includes propulsion sub-system testing and a fit check with hardware for the dual-satellite payload arrangement on Soyuz. It was delivered last week, arriving aboard a chartered cargo jetliner from Europe.
 
Galileo FM3 will soon be accompanied in French Guiana by the FM4 spacecraft, which together are to join another pair lofted by Arianespace on the medium-lift Soyuz launcher’s maiden Spaceport flight in October 2011. 

All four satellites are In-Orbit Validation platforms that will enable European industry to validate prototype Galileo-based receivers and services against actual satellite signals, while also allowing performance assessments of Galileo’s ground system that serves to maintain the Galileo system’s precision.  A European industry consortium led by the Astrium division of EADS and Thales Alenia Space have built the IOV spacecraft.
 
The complete Galileo system will be composed of a 30-satellite constellation in orbit, creating an independent global satellite navigation system for Europe.  Galileo is a program initiative of the European Commission and European Space Agency (ESA), with each spacecraft carrying an optimized atomic clock for navigation and a powerful transmitter to broadcast precise navigation data worldwide.

Arianespace is responsible for deploying the entire Galileo constellation, beginning with the 2005 and 2008 launches of two experimental satellites – Giove-A and Giove-B – from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan by its Starsem affiliate.  This was followed last October by Arianespace’s maiden Soyuz launch from French Guiana that carried the constellation’s first two operational satellites.  A mix of both Soyuz and Ariane 5 launchers will be used by Arianespace for the Galileo spacecraft, demonstrating the company’s flexibility in orbiting satellite constellations.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2012/941.asp
Jacques :-)

Offline bolun

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Re: Soyuz ST-B Flight VS03 - Galileo - October 10, 2012
« Reply #15 on: 08/18/2012 02:10 pm »
Satellite preparations move into full swing for the next Arianespace Soyuz mission from French Guiana

August 17, 2012 – Soyuz Flight VS03
 
Both Galileo navigation satellites for Arianespace’s third Soyuz flight from the Spaceport are now in French Guiana, marking a new milestone for this mission scheduled in the second half of 2012.
 
The Flight Model #4 (FM4) satellite arrived today at Félix Eboué International Airport near the capital city of Cayenne, delivered by a chartered Ilyushin Il-76TD cargo jetliner. 

Its FM3 co-passenger remains busy in the Spaceport’s S1B payload preparation building – completing its fit check with the dispenser for the dual-satellite payload arrangement on Soyuz.  The dispenser was developed for Arianespace by RUAG Space, and carries the satellites in a parallel arrangement.   

These two spacecraft will join another pair of Galileo satellites launched by Arianespace in October 2011 on Soyuz’ maiden flight from French Guiana.   All four are In-Orbit Validation platforms that will enable European industry to validate prototype Galileo-based receivers and services using actual satellite signals, while also allowing performance assessments of the ground system that will maintain the Galileo system’s precision. 

Arianespace is responsible for deploying the entire Galileo constellation, to be composed of 30 satellites in orbit as an independent global satellite navigation system for Europe.   

Galileo launches began with the 2005 and 2008 orbiting of two experimental satellites – Giove-A and Giove-B – carried on Soyuz vehicles operated from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan by Arianespace’s Starsem affiliate.  It was followed by last October’s maiden Soyuz launch from French Guiana with the constellation’s first two operational satellites. 
 
Arianespace is able to use a mix of both its medium-lift Soyuz and heavy-lift Ariane 5 launchers in deploying the full Galileo system, demonstrating the company’s flexibility in orbiting satellite constellations.
 
Galileo is an initiative of the European Commission and European Space Agency.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2012/943.asp

Offline jacqmans

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Re: Soyuz ST-B Flight VS03 - Galileo - October 10, 2012
« Reply #16 on: 08/21/2012 03:07 pm »
Fourth Galileo satellite reaches French Guiana launch site

21 August 2012
The next two Galileo satellites are now in place at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, being prepared for their shared launch this autumn.

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMPSG1YZ5H_index_0.html
 
Jacques :-)

Offline Jester

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Re: Soyuz ST-B Flight VS03 - Galileo - October 10, 2012
« Reply #17 on: 08/22/2012 02:49 pm »
for the serial number people

Soyuz #9
Fregat-MT #1031

Spasiba Pavel ;-)
« Last Edit: 08/22/2012 02:50 pm by Jester »

Offline Satori

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Re: Soyuz ST-B Flight VS03 - Galileo - October 10, 2012
« Reply #18 on: 08/22/2012 05:56 pm »
for the serial number people

Soyuz #9
Fregat-MT #1031

Spasiba Pavel ;-)


The information I have is Soyuz-STB (002) / Fregat-MT (1031).

Offline Stan Black

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Re: Soyuz ST-B Flight VS03 - Galileo - October 10, 2012
« Reply #19 on: 08/22/2012 06:02 pm »
for the serial number people

Soyuz #9
Fregat-MT #1031

Spasiba Pavel ;-)


The information I have is Soyuz-STB (002) / Fregat-MT (1031).

I've just learned that Guyanese launchers have another serial number.
The launcher for the first flight (GALILEO) was SZ08. The launcher for the second flight (Pléiades) will be SZ02.

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