Proton-K launch with Kosmos satellite - June 26

[anik]

http://kz-today.kz/index.php?lang=rus&uin=1138536794&chapter=1153452242

On previous week the assembly of rocket with ascent unit has been performed.

Today the fuelling of high pressure tanks of upper stage by propellants should be finished.

The rollout of rocket to the launch pad is planned tomorrow.

The launch of Proton-K rocket with DM-2 upper stage and Kosmos satellite is scheduled at 23:59 UTC on June 26.

[William Graham]

I assume this launch will be from site 81, do you know whether it will be from 81/23 or 24? Thanks.

[Gorizont]

Later that would be interesting, to know, which type of satellite was launched.
Perhaps some news and information will appear on the kz-today-website and others.

[LeVent]

I assume this launch will be from site 81.

200

[Satori]

I assume this launch will be from site 81.

200

Source?

[Nicolas PILLET]

81/24, according to today's NK.

[Gorizont]

Photos of the preparations are available at:
http://www.federalspace.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=3611

greetings...
Soeren

[PDJennings]

81/24, according to today's NK.

Well, from the pictures posted, that rocket is on 81/23.  Complex 81 can be recognized from the triangular looking lightning towers (LC 200 has square looking towers.)  Pad 23 is the left or west side pad, and 24 can be seen off to the right.  Assuming of course the photos are current and not just file photos from past launches....

Whoops, never mind.  The bottom photo is looking west and it's pad 23 that appears on the right side!  The rocket is on 81/24 as announced!

One question for the forum: is this the last Proton K booster in inventory?

[Stan Black]

Looks like 81/24, angle train approaches, appearance of 81/23 in the background... guess 81/23 is no more these days...

But is it left or right... number of launches per pad and dates of first and last launches have always appeared back-to-front...

Stan

[William Graham]

guess 81/23 is no more these days...

Didn't they use it for one of the more recent GLONASS launches?

[edkyle99]

guess 81/23 is no more these days...

Didn't they use it for one of the more recent GLONASS launches?

Last year's GLONASS flights went from 81/24.  The last launch from 81/23 was on either December 25, 2005 or on March 27, 2004, depending on the reference.

81/23 is the Left, or westernmost, pad.  http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=46.074+N,+62.978+E&ie=UTF8&t=k&om=0&ll=46.074258,62.979019&spn=0.00655,0.013304&z=16&iwloc=addr

81/24 is the Right (east) pad. 
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=46.071+N,+62.985+E&ie=UTF8&t=k&om=0&ll=46.071385,62.985005&spn=0.00655,0.013304&z=16&iwloc=addr

 - Ed Kyle

[input~2]

Could this "Kosmos" be Prognoz#11 (geo early warning mission)?

[Gorizont]

"Could this "Kosmos" be Prognoz#11 (geo early warning mission)?"

Possible payloads:
- Prognoz (Oko-1)
- Geizer (Potok)
- Luch (Gelios) picture of it can be found on some newer photos, which also shows the Glonass-M-sat.

and Raduga.
But I think, its one of the 3 above.

Some days later, perhaps we will know more about it. ;-)

[Stan Black]

guess 81/23 is no more these days...

Didn't they use it for one of the more recent GLONASS launches?

Last year's GLONASS flights went from 81/24.  The last launch from 81/23 was on either December 25, 2005 or on March 27, 2004, depending on the reference.

81/23 is the Left, or westernmost, pad.  http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=46.074+N,+62.978+E&ie=UTF8&t=k&om=0&ll=46.074258,62.979019&spn=0.00655,0.013304&z=16&iwloc=addr

81/24 is the Right (east) pad. 
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=46.071+N,+62.985+E&ie=UTF8&t=k&om=0&ll=46.071385,62.985005&spn=0.00655,0.013304&z=16&iwloc=addr

 - Ed Kyle

Sorry if I am being over stupid...

Picture of 8K82 on pad 24 (page 1); note approach of rail track
http://www.khrunichev.ru/khrunichev/upload/images/autoref/fotoalboum/sec02.pdf

http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/content/numbers/213/38.shtml
http://www.roscosmos.ru/video/Intelsat_10_www.pdf
Pad 23 used 1967-1979
Pad 24 used 1965–1978
 
http://epizodsspace.testpilot.ru/bibl/nk/1998/10/10-1998-2.html
81Л 1965-1978 (left)
81П 1967-1979 (right)

Am I getting confused?

Stan

[edkyle99]

guess 81/23 is no more these days...

Didn't they use it for one of the more recent GLONASS launches?

Last year's GLONASS flights went from 81/24.  The last launch from 81/23 was on either December 25, 2005 or on March 27, 2004, depending on the reference.

81/23 is the Left, or westernmost, pad.  http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=46.074+N,+62.978+E&ie=UTF8&t=k&om=0&ll=46.074258,62.979019&spn=0.00655,0.013304&z=16&iwloc=addr

81/24 is the Right (east) pad. 
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=46.071+N,+62.985+E&ie=UTF8&t=k&om=0&ll=46.071385,62.985005&spn=0.00655,0.013304&z=16&iwloc=addr

 - Ed Kyle

Sorry if I am being over stupid...

Picture of 8K82 on pad 24 (page 1); note approach of rail track
http://www.khrunichev.ru/khrunichev/upload/images/autoref/fotoalboum/sec02.pdf

http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/content/numbers/213/38.shtml
http://www.roscosmos.ru/video/Intelsat_10_www.pdf
Pad 23 used 1967-1979
Pad 24 used 1965–1978
 
http://epizodsspace.testpilot.ru/bibl/nk/1998/10/10-1998-2.html
81Л 1965-1978 (left)
81П 1967-1979 (right)

Am I getting confused?

Stan

Anatoly Zak says 23 is "Left" and 24 "Right".

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/baikonur_facilities.html

Site 81:  "Two-pad (PU-23 (left) and 24 (right)) launch complex for Proton launch vehicle"

The standard description, as I understand it, was for dual pads to be informally designated "Left/Right" based on the point of view from the entry of the launch site. 

- Ed Kyle

[Satori]

If everything went according to plan, launch should have occurred. Standing by for news about the launch...

[Satori]

Launch confirmed by RIA-Novosti: http://www.rian.ru/technology/20080627/112320843.html (in Russian) and also by ITAR-TASS http://www.itar-tass.com/level2.html?NewsID=12816814&PageNum=0 (probably a temporary link to be updated) (in Russian).

The separation of the satellite should take place at 0737UTC.

[Gorizont]

According to
http://www.rian.ru/technology/20080627/112324806.html
this payload is an Prognoz-satellite for the SPRN-early-warning-system.

Soeren

[WHAP]

So is there any news on the completion of this flight?

[edkyle99]

So is there any news on the completion of this flight?

If this translation link works, it should show a report of success, complete with launch video.

http://66.196.80.202/babelfish/translate_url_content?.intl=us&lp=ru_en&trurl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.rian.ru%2ftechnology%2f20080627%2f112348152.html

- Ed Kyle

[Gorizont]

WOW, thanks for the link!

Soeren

[jcm]

Launch was at 2359 UTC Jun 26, and separation was at 0637 UTC Jun 27 (NOT 0737 UTC as spaceflightnow and Satori have said. Note that MSK = UTC+4 not UTC+3). SpaceTrack data are consistent with a 2359 UTC launch.
Apogee burn was over 90 deg E.

Jonathan

[edkyle99]

Launch was at 2359 UTC Jun 26, and separation was at 0637 UTC Jun 27 (NOT 0737 UTC as spaceflightnow and Satori have said. Note that MSK = UTC+4 not UTC+3). SpaceTrack data are consistent with a 2359 UTC launch.
Apogee burn was over 90 deg E.

Jonathan

My understanding is that current Moscow time is MSD (Moscow Daylight Time), which is UTC+4.  Moscow Standard Time (winter time) is MSK, which is UTC+3.  This appears to have been the source of the time confusion, since initial Russian media reports gave the time as 03:59 MSK, not MSD as they should have.

 - Ed Kyle

[jcm]

The Novosti article reports that the upper stage was a "DM-3". This could be a leftover item of the commercial DM3 variant of the 11S861-01 DM-2M, or maybe a designation for the 11S861-03
which had been planned for the Proton-M. Would any of our Russian friends care to comment?

[pm1823]

On my mind, it's same "DM-3" as Kazsat had in 2006.
Proton-K/DM-2M/mod.DM3(based on 11S861-01) = Proton-K/DM-3

11S861-03 = DM-03 still not flying yet, and nobody knows when will be first flight-test, because of postponed "Yamal-300"
   

[sts9]

A great Proton Video from the Launch (wmv-file)- Sound very good!
http://www.tsenki.com/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=581

[eeergo]

A great Proton Video from the Launch (wmv-file)- Sound very good!
http://www.tsenki.com/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=581

That's an awesome launch video, thanks very much for the link! I think I never saw a Kosmos launch with such detail (well, perhaps a Soyuz Meridian launch a few years ago, it's here in the forum somewhere), you could see the Proton actually punching through the cloud cover!

[pm1823]

I was told, that for this launch was used old 11S861 (without -01) from military storage. So "DM-3" still same PR fiction as for Kazsat launch was.

[Danderman]

If this is an "Oko" payload, is this the same spacecraft type as launched by Molniya-M?

[pm1823]

Nope. For "Molniya type orbit" was used 73D6 or US-K, this one was for GSO - 71Kh6 or US-KMO.

[Skyrocket]

Nope. For "Molniya type orbit" was used 73D6 or US-K, this one was for GSO - 71Kh6 or US-KMO.

To make it more complex, some early geostationary EW sats were of the 73D6 (US-K, "Oko") type.

The 71Kh6 or US-KMO type is called "Prognoz", not "Oko"

[pm1823]

Nope. For "Molniya type orbit" was used 73D6 or US-K, this one was for GSO - 71Kh6 or US-KMO.

To make it more complex, some early geostationary EW sats were of the 73D6 (US-K, "Oko") type.

The 71Kh6 or US-KMO type is called "Prognoz", not "Oko"

Wrong. You make mess with system names and sat names. Old geostationary segment of "Oko" system was called  "Oko-S" (Око-С), sats in it were named as US-KS (УС-КС) or 74Kh6 (74Х6), and based on the same old prototype with 73D6(73Д6) -> 5V95 (5В95).

                    |->OТM 73D6
"Oko" 5V95 ->|
                    |->GSO 74Kh6     

                 | ->OTM 73D6
"Oko-1" ->  |
                 |->GSO 71Kh6

And we can be sure, that it's only name of a fly-craft, so sats with same name can have difference with payload. 

"Prognoz 1-7" is just a fake name for international registration of the stationary points 24°W, 159°W, 12°E, 35°E, 80°E, 130°E, 166°E.

[Skyrocket]

Wrong. You make mess with system names and sat names. Old geostationary segment of "Oko" system was called  "Oko-S" (Око-С), sats in it were named as US-KS (УС-КС) or 74Kh6 (74Х6), and based on the same old prototype with 73D6(73Д6) -> 5V95 (5В95).

                    |->OТM 73D6
"Oko" 5V95 ->|
                    |->GSO 74Kh6     

                 | ->OTM 73D6
"Oko-1" ->  |
                 |->GSO 71Kh6

And we can be sure, that it's only name of a fly-craft, so sats with same name can have difference with payload. 

"Prognoz 1-7" is just a fake name for international registration of the stationary points 24°W, 159°W, 12°E, 35°E, 80°E, 130°E, 166°E.

Ah, this makes sense. Thanks for the clarification.

[Stan Black]

On my mind, it's same "DM-3" as Kazsat had in 2006.
Proton-K/DM-2M/mod.DM3(based on 11S861-01) = Proton-K/DM-3

11S861-03 = DM-03 still not flying yet, and nobody knows when will be first flight-test, because of postponed "Yamal-300"
   

I think it is DM-2 as serial number appears to be 111L
and SOZ were discarded
Proton was 410-14

[Stan Black]

List of the 71Х6 missions

http://www.arkos.kharkov.ua/sutkm.php
http://www.arkos.kharkov.ua/sutkm_e.php