Progress M1-01M

[Danderman]

Taken from Anik's schedule of upcoming Russian space launches:

July 30 (TBD) – Progress M1-01M (No. 501) – Soyuz – Baikonur

This indicates that a modernized Progress M1 will be launched in 2011. Progress M1 itself was a Progress M equipped with up to 4 extra propellant tanks in the refueling section, but there were other modifications that gave Progress M1 additional capabilities, compared with Progress M. This new Progress M1M would presumably use the new avionics that Progress MM carries.

Progress M1M would also be able to utilize the full Soyuz 2.1b payload capability.

[The-Hammer]

Perhaps this is slated to deorbit Pirs. A Progress M1 was used to deorbit Mir.

[anik]

Progress M1-01M is the first modernized Progress М1 cargo ship with new TsVM-101 computer, MBITS digital telemetry system and the increased quantity of fuel for maintenance of ISS orbit during a maximum of 24th cycle of solar activity (such cargo ships will be launched once a year since 2011).

[Stan Black]

What I don't understand is
Progress M1M (500 series) is product 11F615A70
whilst a Progress MM (400 series) is 11F615A60?

Is there a major difference between the two?

All previous Progress M were 11F615A55 and there has been a variety of differences:
Progress M-14 (209) and Progress M-38 (240) were modified to carry the VDU engine units - without gas, propellant or water tanks;
since 1997 two Progress to Mir featured an upgraded version of the Kurs equipment without a gyrostabilised tracking antenna *1; Progress M1 introduced the third generation Kurs-MM (was this used on later Progress M?);
7K-GKM Progress M-SO1 (301) Progress M-MIM2 (302) are just an instrument-service module.
And one mentioned difference between Progress M and M1 is that M carry 50 kilogrammes of gas inside the centre section, whilst M1 carry 40 outside; however look at Progress M-52, M-53 and M-54, they have those external blue tanks and carried 110 kilogrammes of gass *2 *3 *2, the tanks are later covered with black material*3.

*1 http://www.niitp.ru
*2 http://www.mcc.rsa.ru
*3 http://www.energia.ru

[anik]

Is there a major difference between the two?

Modernized Progress M (11F615A60) is old Progress M (11F615A55) with new TsVM-101 computer and MBITS digital telemetry system. Progress M has two water tanks, nine gas tanks, two fuel tanks and two oxidizer tanks inside Refueling compartment.

Modernized Progress M1 (11F615A70) is old Progress M1 (11F615A55M1) with new TsVM-101 computer and MBITS digital telemetry system. Progress M1 has four fuel tanks and four oxidizer tanks inside Refueling compartment. There are no water tanks and gas tanks inside Refueling compartment. Water delivers inside Cargo compartment, gas delivers inside twelve tanks on Refueling compartment.

And one mentioned difference between Progress M and M1 is that M carry 50 kilogrammes of gas inside the centre section, whilst M1 carry 40 outside; however look at Progress M-51, M-52 and M-53, they have those external blue tanks and carried 110 kilogrammes of gas

As for Progress M-52, Progress M-53, Progress M-54 and Progress M-55, they had additional gas tanks on Refueling compartment and Transfer compartment. It was due to problems with Elektron-VM oxygen generator on Russian segment. Progress M-52, Progress M-53 and Progress M-54 had six tanks on Transfer compartment and eight tanks on Refueling compartment, Progress M-55 had six tanks on Transfer compartment.

[Stan Black]

That's the point - there is just as much difference between 11F615A60 and 11F615A70, as there previously was between 11F615A55?

[anik]

That's the point - there is just as much difference between 11F615A60 and 11F615A70, as there previously was between 11F615A55?

Yes, and what? Progress M1 is the series-produced spacecraft, that is why he has another name and index. Progress M-14 and Progress M-38 are modified, but they are not the series-produced spacecrafts.

[Stan Black]

That's the point - there is just as much difference between 11F615A60 and 11F615A70, as there previously was between 11F615A55?

Yes, and what? Progress M1 is the series-produced spacecraft, that is why he has another name and index. Progress M-14 and Progress M-38 are modified, but they are not the series-produced spacecrafts.

It's so much clearer: Progress M for Mir were 11F615A55 whilst Progress M1 for MKS/ISS and used Kurs-MM were 11F615A55!

Anyway, thanks for explaing how Progress M-55 carried 83 kg of gas.

[anik]

It's so much clearer: Progress M for Mir were 11F615A55 whilst Progress M1 for MKS/ISS and used Kurs-MM were 11F615A55!

You have not noticed in one of my previous messages that old Progress M1 had index 11F615A55M1.

[Stan Black]

It's so much clearer: Progress M for Mir were 11F615A55 whilst Progress M1 for MKS/ISS and used Kurs-MM were 11F615A55!

You have not noticed in one of my previous messages that old Progress M1 had index 11F615A55M1.

So why is not the new one 11F615A60M1?

[Danderman]

It's so much clearer: Progress M for Mir were 11F615A55 whilst Progress M1 for MKS/ISS and used Kurs-MM were 11F615A55!

To date, no Progress vehicle has flown with Kurs-M or MM.

[Stan Black]

It's so much clearer: Progress M for Mir were 11F615A55 whilst Progress M1 for MKS/ISS and used Kurs-MM were 11F615A55!

To date, no Progress vehicle has flown with Kurs-M or MM.

http://www.niitp.ru suggests otherwise

[Danderman]

http://www.niitp.ru suggests otherwise

I could find nothing on the site to indicate that Kurs-M development progressed beyond development of initial prototypes. Note that I have been to NIITP a couple of times, and have held the Kurs-M equipment in my hands.

[Stan Black]

http://www.niitp.ru suggests otherwise

I could find nothing on the site to indicate that Kurs-M development progressed beyond development of initial prototypes. Note that I have been to NIITP a couple of times, and have held the Kurs-M equipment in my hands.

I didn't realise how many variations there were
http://www.niitp.ru/en/directions/02/history/
http://www.cosmoworld.ru/spaceencyclopedia/publications/mir.pdf
http://www.astronaut.ru/bookcase/books/stan_mir/text/07.htm

It might not have been Kurs-M; but they were not all the same.

[Danderman]

The main variants of Kurs are listed above, with the principle difference that one of the short range antennas was modified from using hardware to software to determine range.  Kurs as used today operates in the Centimeter wavelength, and thus is called "Kurs-C" or "Kurs-"Cm". The millimeter version is "Kurs-M" or "Kurs-MM" which never has flown.

There is talk of a modernized version of Kurs-Cm, which is required because there is increased difficulty in obtaining spare parts for Kurs-Cm, plus its a really complex system. I can't recall the designation for this modernized version, but its not Kurs-M.

[Stan Black]

It's also a surpise to me that Progress and Soyuz to
Salyut-7 (6th DOS, links above a bit confused?) and Mir
used «Меrа»

Docking systems used with Mir
«Iglа 1G» (11L929G), «Iglа 1R», «Iglа 2-R », «Iglа 2-R2»
«Меrа» (17R62A, 17R62P)
«Kurs» (17R64, 17R64-01, 17R64-03, 17R65, 17R66), optical «Kurs» (17R616E)*

Optical «Kurs» for Buran tested on Progress M-7, 11F615A55 208*

«Kurs-1» (17R64) active on Kvant-2, Kristall, Priroda & Spektr
«Iglа-1G» (11L929) and «Kurs-P» (17R66) on Kvant*

17R65 is the passive system

[Nicolas PILLET]

Those who can read French may be interested by this file on the Kurs rendez-vous system I wrote some months ago :

http://www.kosmonavtika.com/vaisseaux/kours/kours.html

[Stan Black]

Those who can read French may be interested by this file on the Kurs rendez-vous system I wrote some months ago :

http://www.kosmonavtika.com/vaisseaux/kours/kours.html

Nicolas,

Another good article!

Stan

[Stan Black]

Perhaps this is slated to deorbit Pirs. A Progress M1 was used to deorbit Mir.

I suppose to get back on topic: is this why it has a different index?