04.02.2008 two "progress", without considering "atlantisa"/ joint project "to conduct" and Roskosmosa.
http://www.roscosmos.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=2851 Two "progress", without considering "atlantisa"
Joint project RIK "to conduct" and Roskosmosa. Correspondent - Natalie burtseva
On 5 February from the spaceport Baikonur starts carrier rocket to "Soyuz". It will put into orbit transport ship "Progress-63M".
Thirty years ago for space left the first automatic transport ship "Progress-1". Then it delivered to crew of orbital station "Salyut-6" to Yuri Romanenko and to Georgiy Grechko the first party of load from the Earth.
"within this period as a whole were neglected 117 ships, including to S of 28 ships. Within this period of time not there it was not one launching failure ", with the pride said Vyacheslav tsvetkov, chief of design department along the space transport systems RKK" energy ".
In space, of course, it is not tight. However, in order to govern spacecraft on the approach to S, place for the maneuver is necessary. Russian specialists hurry, in orbit there will for the first time simultaneously be three transport ships. the "progress M-63", which flies to S, which worked out its of "62-1", which already two weeks will conduct scientific experiments. And on 7 February to them it must be joined shuttle "Atlantis".
"progress" will be joined to the Russian segment, shuttle to the American segment, in this plan they are untied. But simultaneously to work with the attached shuttle is not extremely desirable ", noted Yuri Grigoryev, deputy design project leader OF RKK" energy ".
Cargo ship "progress M-63" according to graph had to start two days later in order to make possible "62- mu" quietly to be unjointed from the station. But, on the request OF NASA - NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION, starting was postponed on 5 February because of the terrestrial problems of shuttle "Atlantis". The launch of shuttle was transferred for the different reasons from December of past year. And is here finally declared the day of its start - on 7 February.
"Russian specialists examined difficulties, counted ballistics. And was made the decision to transfer start on 5 February so that the shuttle would have its window, in order to ensure start ", described Yuri Grigoryev.
Guesses and idle conjectures grow as snowball. Two transport workers cannot be governed simultaneously. Communication channel with TsUPom is designed only for the passage of commands only to one ship. Information appeared, that was possible the refusal of automation.
"are begun to operate the same control posts. But this problem is solved. There are methods of breeding the ships. Here there are no problems, although the additional work appears ", reported Yuri skurskiy, first deputy chief by flights TSUP.
"equipment is disposed for the different frequencies, thus, the commands, which go aboard one ship, they do not go aboard the other spacecraft", explained Vyacheslav tsvetkov, chief of design department along the space transport systems RKK "energy".
There is information, that the American side again plans to transfer the start of shuttle. But precise date and time of the launch of "progress M-63" are determined.
Last winter month promises to become for S rich to the guests. Following "atlantisom", from the spaceport of Kourou in orbit will leave the first European truck "Jules vern". It is symbolic, that will occur this during February, when will be noted the 180- anniversary of great French science fiction writer, that anticipated in its works that which now appears completely ordinary.