Author Topic: LIVE: Proton M/Breeze M - Inmarsat-4 F3 launch - Aug 18 (Read 73339 times)

anik · « **on:** 03/21/2008 07:23 pm »

http://kz-today.kz/index.php?lang=rus&uin=1138536794&chapter=1153443178

Proton-M rocket for the launch of Inmarsat 4-F3 satellite has arrived to Baikonur cosmodrome yesterday.

Jirka Dlouhy · « **Reply #1 on:** 03/21/2008 07:37 pm »

Do you have any information about waiting for this launch because of failure of Proton-M aboard with AMC-14?

Thanks

input~2 · « **Reply #2 on:** 05/06/2008 08:41 am »

50 days after the failed launch of AMC-14, Roskosmos is ready to resume launching Proton-M/Briz-M.

ITAR-TASS reports that the deputy head of Roskosmos has declared this Monday to journalists that the reasons for the failure had been eliminated and that nothing prevented the launch of Proton-M/Briz-M.

Also Monday, the Russian government has published Decision N° 618-r authorizing the Ministry of Defense to lend equipment and personnel for the launches of Astra-1M, Nimiq-4 and Inmarsat-4F3 with Proton-M/Briz-M.

input~2 · « **Reply #3 on:** 05/06/2008 09:46 am »

I bet these next three launches will use the 5-burn/9 hour Briz-M mission profile (longest burn lasting less than 18 minutes)

(Two last messages are moved from "Proton-M/Briz-M launches to resume soon" thread - anik)

input~2 · « **Reply #4 on:** 05/06/2008 04:28 pm »

Quote

(Two last messages are moved from "Proton-M/Briz-M launches to resume soon" thread - anik)

Anik, I take note that you prefer to incorporate my two messages in the already existing "Inmarsat 4F3 launch" rather than maintaining the specific thread I tried to create for Proton-M/Briz-M flight resumption.

Be aware that Astra-1M and Nimiq-4 could well be launched before Inmarsat-4F3, that's why IMHO a specific thread for Proton-M/Briz-M launch resumption might be more appropriate ....

anik · « **Reply #5 on:** 05/06/2008 05:07 pm »

Quote

input~2 - 6/5/2008 8:28 PM

Be aware that Astra-1M and Nimiq-4 could well be launched before Inmarsat-4F3, that's why IMHO a specific thread for Proton-M/Briz-M launch resumption might be more appropriate

Astra 1M launch is currently scheduled in the fourth quarter (source: SES schedule).

I know nothing about launch dates for Nimiq 4 and CMBStar satellites, but they were always planned after Inmarsat 4-F3 launch.

The rocket for Inmarsat 4-F3 is already on Baikonur cosmodrome. According to Khrunichev schedule and today's Kazakhstan Today report, the next launch of Proton-M rocket with Briz-M upper stage will be with Inmarsat 4-F3 satellite.

So it was sober decision to include your posts into this thread. I do not want to watch equal discussions in two separate threads.

input~2 · « **Reply #6 on:** 05/06/2008 07:20 pm »

"the next launch of Proton-M rocket with Briz-M upper stage will be with Inmarsat 4-F3 satellite."

Time will tell if you were right

anik · « **Reply #7 on:** 05/15/2008 02:34 pm »

FROB concludes first phase of review
http://www.ilslaunch.com/proton-return-to-flight-communication

"May 13, 2008 -- The members of the ILS Failure Review Oversight Board (FROB) have concluded two weeks of meetings in Moscow, and concurred with the Russian investigative commission on the cause of the recent Proton Breeze M failure. Both boards determined that the failure was caused by a ruptured exhaust gas duct, which led to a shutdown of the turbo pump feeding the Breeze M engine.

The next phase is for the FROB to evaluate the corrective actions to be taken before the vehicle is cleared for return to flight for ILS missions. Khrunichev will be performing additional analysis and engine tests that are scheduled for completion in mid-June, after which the FROB will reconvene in Moscow"

anik · « **Reply #8 on:** 05/30/2008 05:04 pm »

ILS Close to Return to Flight as Khrunichev Takes Control
http://www.space.com/spacenews/

"PARIS - The builder of the Proton-M launch vehicle has begun tests of a newly designed gas duct to replace the model that failed March 15 and will announce a return to flight date and an updated manifest by the end of June, according to the president of the company that sells Proton launch services worldwide"

anik · « **Reply #9 on:** 06/17/2008 08:19 am »

PROTON BREEZE M CLEARED FOR RETURN TO FLIGHT
http://www.ilslaunch.com/news-061608

"MOSCOW, June 16, 2008 – The Failure Review Oversight Board (FROB) convened by International Launch Services (ILS) has cleared the Proton Breeze M to return to flight this summer, following its examination of test results and analysis regarding a redesigned engine component.

The Russian-built launch vehicle suffered a failure during the March 15 launch of the AMC-14 satellite from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. During that mission, the Breeze M upper stage shut down two minutes before the end of the planned second burn of its engine. As a precaution, the AMC-14 satellite was released into a lower-than-planned orbit.

A Russian State Commission investigated the failure, analyzed possible scenarios and reviewed the processes, hardware and systems related to the engine and its supporting systems. Both the Proton booster and the Breeze M upper stage are built by Khrunichev Space Center, which is the primary shareholder of ILS.

On April 21 the commission announced its conclusions: that the failure was caused by a ruptured exhaust gas conduit, which led to a shutdown of the turbo pump feeding the Breeze M engine. The commission recommended a number of corrective actions, with the primary step being Khrunichev’s replacing the existing conduit with a thicker-walled conduit.

ILS assembled an independent FROB to review the Russian commission's findings in early May.

Khrunichev subsequently performed additional modeling as well as component and certification engine testing to determine root cause and validate the recommended corrective actions. The FROB reconvened in Moscow last week to review the analysis and test results. The FROB agreed that the root cause of the failure was that the conduit walls were thinner than the minimum specification, which when combined with other factors led to the rupture.

Khrunichev has successfully completed certification testing of a flight engine with the new conduit. The new conduit is being incorporated in all future engines.

The FROB was led by ILS Chief Technical Officer Jim Bonner. Membership included propulsion experts, members of the insurance community, and representatives of the customer for upcoming launches.

Bonner said: “The Khrunichev team, including Khimmash, manufacturer of the Breeze M main engine, demonstrated its commitment to mission success at every level. We are confident that the root cause has been determined and that the corrective actions provide more than enough margin to prevent this from happening again.”

Bonner continued, “In addition to making this change in the engine, Khrunichev has moved forward with its overall quality initiative by completing a detailed quality assurance review, including an independent audit, in support of near-term Proton Breeze M missions.”

“I appreciate all the energy shown throughout this intensive and thorough process,” ILS President Frank McKenna said. “We thank our customer participants and the insurance community for their contributions to the FROB. ILS is committed to continued improvement and visibility, as part of the steps we and Khrunichev are taking to enhance the overall reliability of Proton.”

McKenna added: “We anticipate that Inmarsat, which is the next scheduled commercial customer, will announce its selection of a launch date soon. So now the ILS-Khrunichev team must turn our focus toward making that and all other Proton launches successful.”

ILS is scheduled to begin briefings in July for the underwriting and customer communities"

satlaunch · « **Reply #10 on:** 07/01/2008 08:27 am »

INMARSAT AND ILS SET AUGUST 14 FOR PROTON FLIGHT WITH INMARSAT SATELLITE

http://www.ilslaunch.com/news-070108

International Launch Services (ILS) has scheduled its next Proton Breeze M commercial mission for August 14 (August 13 GMT) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, with the launch of the Inmarsat-4 F3 satellite.

The satellite is scheduled to be shipped to Baikonur in early July for a six-week launch programme. The satellite, an EADS Astrium Eurostar 3000 model, will weigh approximately 6 metric tons at liftoff, perfectly suited for the Proton Breeze M’s lift capability. Khrunichev Space Center of Moscow, the majority shareholder in ILS, manufactures the Proton system.

The Inmarsat-4 F3 satellite will complete Inmarsat’s next-generation global satellite network, providing broadband MSS services to users everywhere.

This is the first ILS mission since a Breeze M upper stage suffered a failure during the AMC-14 mission in March. The Proton Breeze M is ready to return to flight now that a Russian State Commission and an ILS-led independent review panel have concluded their inquiries into that incident and corrective actions have been completed.

“Having participated in the failure review process in its entirety, I am satisfied that the appropriate actions have been taken to deal with recent failures and to reassess the quality of the Proton vehicle. Inmarsat now expects to transport the satellite to the launch site and complete certain other formalities in sufficient time to target the launch date announced today,” said Gene Jilg, Chief Technology Officer for Inmarsat.

“We thank Inmarsat for its support and patience,” said ILS President Frank McKenna. “We know how important this satellite is for the continued success of Inmarsat’s growing broadband services, and we look forward to the start of the campaign in the coming days.”

anik · « **Reply #11 on:** 07/01/2008 06:47 pm »

http://kz-today.kz/index.php?lang=rus&uin=1138536794&chapter=1153452839

Briz-M upper stage for this launch has been delivered to Baikonur cosmodrome by aircraft on June 27th.

anik · « **Reply #12 on:** 07/07/2008 02:05 pm »

http://www.federalspace.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=3674

Inmarsat 4-F3 satellite was delivered to Baikonur cosmodrome by An-124-100 "Ruslan" aircraft yesterday.

anik · « **Reply #13 on:** 07/08/2008 03:25 am »

Inmarsat-4 F3 Blog
http://www.ilslaunch.com/inmarsat-4-f3

anik · « **Reply #14 on:** 07/09/2008 04:14 am »

Inmarsat-4 F3 Mission Overview
http://www.ilslaunch.com/assets/pdf/INMARSAT-4-F3-Mission-Overview.pdf

roy · « **Reply #15 on:** 07/27/2008 05:49 am »

what the location orbit position will be Inmarsat 4-F3 ?

input~2 · « **Reply #16 on:** 07/28/2008 01:45 pm »

Quote from: roy on 07/27/2008 05:49 am

what the location orbit position will be Inmarsat 4-F3 ?

~~POR 178°E~~
98°W

input~2 · « **Reply #17 on:** 08/04/2008 02:30 pm »

The orbital slot will be 98°W, not the 178°E announced previously.
See this news release from Inmarsat announcing a launch delay of a "matter of days" due to the launcher.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #18 on:** 08/04/2008 04:37 pm »

ILS presser too:

PROTON LAUNCH WITH INMARSAT SATELLITE DELAYED

BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan, Aug. 4, 2008 – The launch of a Proton M Breeze M vehicle with the Inmarsat-4 F3 satellite has been delayed to allow time to replace and retest a launcher electrical component.

During prelaunch testing in Baikonur, a problem was discovered with the flight computer on the Breeze M upper stage. The vendor-supplied flight computer was replaced over the weekend.

To ensure mission success, Khrunichev specialists will thoroughly check out the new component. The launch will be delayed by a matter of days and a new target launch date will be announced later this week after testing is complete.

Nicolas PILLET · « **Reply #19 on:** 08/05/2008 11:49 am »

The launch could be rescheduled to 19th august, according to "Los Garba".

http://www.forum-conquete-spatiale.fr/russie-f9/lancement-proton-m-inmarsat-4-f3-13-08-2008-t6147.htm