February 1, 2011 – Kosmos-2470 (Geo-IK-2) – Rokot/Briz-KM launch

[JimO]

Glad to hear it made it into orbit -- I've been worried for a long time that
the northerly sun-sync orbits that cross the center of the US during rev 0 have the seeds of a major misunderstanding in the event of launch troubles.

[zaitcev]

In theory Vostochnyi has a drop zone reserved for Sun-sync launch. But there are no actual plans to launch any small rockets from there, not even Start-1.

[kollapsderwellenfunktion]

according to interfax, a connection with the satellite has been established.

from my understanding this satellite has not enough fuel to get to an circular orbit. but if they are able to raise it somewhat - could they still do something useful with it ?

at least they can now test some of it's systems....

[kollapsderwellenfunktion]

btw. why can't russian early warning radars track satellites ?

[osiossim]

Machine translation;

http://www.ural.ru/news/techno/news-104780.html

"Russian spacecraft for military purposes "Geo-IR-2, for which was lost on February 1, was not insured.


As reported by the publication of two independent sources in the insurance market, the satellite, Geo-IR-2 "was not insured because it was the secret development of the Ministry of Defence. Separately insured were only the risk of destroying the launch complex and liability that could occur because of problems in the first stage booster "Rokot. According to the sources of Kommersant, the first risk insured to the extent the carrying value of the launch complex, and the second - several hundred million rubles. Launch facility and "Rokot" worked fine, so the damage will not be refunded.

System "Geo-IR," from 1982 was developed by "Information Satellite Systems Academician Reshetnev (originally - east branch of OKB-1 Queen, then - the Federal State Unitary Enterprise, from 2008 - JSC). After the collapse of the Soviet Union was suspended, but in 2001 it resumed. It was assumed that the system will include two satellites, which will define the parameters of the gravitational field, build a geodesic network, probing the earth, to monitor the ice conditions and carry out other military tasks (and some civilian targets).

Start of the first of two satellites, "Geo-IR-2, was appointed in December 2010. But for technical reasons it was postponed to February 1. At 17:00 Moscow time the satellite was successfully launched from Plesetsk. At 18:36 he was supposed to enter into a zone of radio visibility from the Russian Federation. However, this did not happen.

Subsequently, the satellite found American money tracking, but then, the media, he disappeared from the zone of visibility. On the night of February 2, it became known that the satellite went out on an elliptical orbit instead of circular. This means that the "Geo-IR-2" can not perform its functions. According to the sources of Kommersant in the space industry, the cause of the incident are considered to be malfunctioning booster Breeze-KM. Chance to return the satellite to a circular orbit a little - it is necessary to establish radio contact, in addition, it lacks fuel. Thus, the "Geo-IR-2" with high probability can be considered lost.

As the "Kommersant", the head of the Federal Space Agency Anatoly Perminov, due to loss of communication with the satellite in the evening on February 1 was forced to leave the reception in honor of the second anniversary of the enthronement of Patriarch of Russian Orthodox Church, Cyril.

According to the calculations of journalists, the loss of "Geo-IR-2" - 16-th biggest failure of the Russian space industry since 2005. In 2005, crashed two rocket with Russian satellites and fell into the ocean of European satellite CryoSat, launched by the Russian rocket. In 2006, the Russian rocket failed to deliver on the Arabic satellite orbit ArabSat-4A. In the same year shut down Russian satellite Express-AM11 satellite (later, in 2009 and 2010, had lost two more satellites). In 2007, the shipwrecked Russian rocket with Japanese satellite JCSat-11 in 2008 - with U.S. satellite AMC-14. In 2009, the Russian satellites were lost, "Persona", "Coronas-Photon" and "Meridian-2. In 2010, the Pacific fell three Glonass-M."[/i]

[osiossim]

Machine translation;

The military has found a lost satellite;

http://www.vedomosti.ru/newsline/news/2011/02/02/1201915

"Russian spacecraft for military purposes "Geo-IR-2, lost after launch from Plesetsk on February 1, find, and with it a connection, said on Wednesday RIA Novosti competent source. "The signal from the satellite received at 8:12 am GMT. These ballistics show that the satellite is in orbit close to the calculated "- said the source.

Sputnik - geodetic spacecraft for military purposes "Geo-IR 2 cataloged under number 37363 was launched on Tuesday from Plesetsk launch vehicle light class "Rokot", but the estimated time is not on the phone again. Sources in the Defense Ministry did not rule out that he had lost forever. However, it turned out later that the machine was put into a higher orbit than intended.

Yesterday, after the machine is not available on the phone, he found the US-Canadian command of the aerospace defense of North America. "Americans see the device. This indicates that the first inclusion of the Russian booster Breeze-KM was nominally ", - stated in Roskosmos . Then, sources in the space industry have reported that the orbit, on which the satellite was not circular, as it should be, but elliptical. This means that enjoyed early: the satellite can not perform its functions. And to restore the target orbit is impossible: this satellite is not enough fuel, the sources said "Interfax".

The reasons for failure are not called, but Roskosmos believe that worked nonstandard upper stage."

[SiberianTiger]

btw. why can't russian early warning radars track satellites ?

There was a message (I'm not saying where, really!) that Missile Defence assets just weren't used to look for this Geo-IK-2. G.S.Titov Main Test and Space Systems Control Centre (the primary spacecraft control centre of Russian Space Force) used their own means to locate and establish comms with the spacecraft.

[osiossim]

Seems like the contact with the satellite is restored and the satellite will be used for test purposes, or at least announced to do so...;

http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.aspx?DocsID=1578235

Machine translation;

Satellite, Geo-IR-2 "still can not be used for the purpose

"Yesterday afternoon at the headquarters of the Space Forces, held a meeting of the State Commission for the launch of the spacecraft for military purposes, "Geo-IR-2. As reported by Kommersant, the day before, the unit is out on the unplanned orbit and control over them was lost. However, as the commander of space forces, Oleg Ostapenko, with the spacecraft was established a stable relationship. The meeting formed an interdepartmental committee (with representatives from the Ministry of Defense and the Russian Space Agency, as well as companies that are manufacturers booster Rockot, Briz-KM "and, indeed, of the satellite), which will determine the causes of launching into orbit of the unplanned Spacecraft "Geo-IR-2.

At the meeting, Lieutenant-General Oleg Ostapenko said that "during the session management ground control experts spend refinement of orbit parameters and testing of the onboard equipment of the spacecraft." He also added that, according to the results of telemetry data, solar spacecraft opened normally. However, the decision about the use of spacecraft for its intended purpose will be made based on the results of the interdepartmental committee.

In Roskosmos and ASC Name Reshetnev (Information Satellite Systems Reshetnev name - the developer of the satellite) has once again stated that they have no rights as a comment on the situation around the satellite for military purposes, "Geo-IR-2, because under existing rules is the exclusive prerogative of space Forces and the Defense Ministry. In turn, the Kommersant source in the space industry said that the biggest problem of the interdepartmental commission - to find ways to deliver the satellite into orbit.

However, according to Kommersant, the satellites in orbit nonisobaric, still can not be used for its intended purpose - it is too far from the calculated orbit and to return to her unit is not enough fuel. Nonetheless, Kommersant source in the space industry confirmed that the satellite is in working condition and will be used for test purposes. First of all, it will be working out the maneuvers by the satellite ground control specialists."

[Stan Black]

http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.aspx?DocsID=1581264

 Am I reading this correctly; the launch was delayed because of issues with the Briz-KM, so they swapped it for another?

[Danderman]

In the article above, the faulty navigation system is described as "КИ45-7", produced by the Moscow Research Institute of Applied Mechanics, also known as "НИИ ПМ". According to the TSENKI site: "Manufacture of instruments KI45-7 began in 1987 and has continued intermittently to the present."

Apparently, this unit was originally developed for a cruise missile.

[Stan Black]

In the article above, the faulty navigation system is described as "КИ45-7", produced by the Moscow Research Institute of Applied Mechanics, also known as "НИИ ПМ". According to the TSENKI site: "Manufacture of instruments KI45-7 began in 1987 and has continued intermittently to the present."

Apparently, this unit was originally developed for a cruise missile.

 Kommersant previously carried this picture of a Briz under construction. Is this the secret of the Briz-KM control system?

http://www.kommersant.ru/Issues.photo/DAILY/2006/036/KP_37893_001_16_l.jpg

[osiossim]

Russia says foreign power may have caused spy satellite loss (!?)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110214/sc_afp/russiaspacemilitary

[patchfree]

Message to the Media
:: 02/21/2011

Interministerial Commission for the analysis of the causes of non-standard starting 01.02.2011. RN "Rokot" with the spacecraft, "Geo-IR-2" finished. Federal Space Agency has received the materials from which it follows that the probable cause of the unplanned orbit to launch from the cosmodrome "Plesetsk" space rocket "Rokot" spacecraft "Geo-IR-2" was a one-time fault management system booster Breeze - KM.
Currently, the spacecraft is taken under control, remarks to the on-board systems do not. Analysis of the possibilities of using the system showed that the flight-design tests may be performed using the SC Geo-IR-2 (26 of 29 flight test program objectives can be met in full, 3 - in part). Application of the SC for its intended purpose may, with the volume and timing of the decision of the targets should be refined on the results of flight tests.
Rocket suspended pending implementation of a series of recommended measures to ensure the necessary level of quality and reliability of ILV Rokot "with the conduct of examination of Federal State Unitary Enterprise" TsNIIMash and 4 Central Research Institute of the Russian Defense Ministry with the issuance of the relevant conclusions.

Press Service of the Russian Space Agency

http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=15404

[osiossim]

Rokot rocket launches suspended following failed satellite launch - Roskosmos (Part 2)

http://www.interfax.com/newsinf.asp?pg=6&id=223812

MOSCOW. Feb 21 (Interfax-AVN) - Space launches using Rokot delivery vehicles, based on the RS-18 (Stiletto) intercontinental ballistic missile, and which were suspended following a failed Geo-IK-2 satellite launch on February 1, have still not been resumed," Roskosmos told Interfax-AVN.

"Rokot launches have been suspended to fulfill recommended measures to ensure the necessary level of quality and reliability of Rokot conversion delivery vehicles, which will involve evaluations conducted by the federal state unitary enterprise TsNIImash and four Defense Ministry central research institutes, which will issue appropriate decisions," the source said.

In the meantime, a source in the space industry told Interfax-AVN that the launch of military and dual-purpose spacecraft using Rokot conversion delivery vehicles, which was scheduled for late March, has been postponed until the embargo on the launch of rockets of this type is lifted.

"A decision to postpone the launch, which is scheduled for march 2011, will be made in the nearest future to increase the reliability of Rokot launches," the source said.

The source said not to rule out that it will cause progress in other space launches in the interests of the Defense Ministry.

av dp

(Our editorial staff can be reached at [email protected])

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Well, it looks like that the outcome of the launch does not matter now: the spacecraft had stopped working due to a faulty coarse Sun sensor, and is now deemed lost.
Link

[Danderman]

The attribution of the failure of a sun sensor is the rumor du jour on the NK forum. Certainly, its known that the 14Ф31 spacecraft (Geo-IK-2) used a 334К Sun Sensor made by ОАО «НПП «ГЕОФИЗИКА-КОСМОС»; whether that was truly at fault is not yet public information.

[Danderman]

According to Interfax, Roskosmos is saying that communications with the spacecraft will be restored Real Soon Now. This has invoked some humor on the NK Forum.

[Danderman]

A story from Kommersant.ru:

http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.aspx?DocsID=1594092&print=true

From translate.google:

"Kommersant's own sources within the space industry have fully confirmed this information: The unit lost orientation to the sun, resulting in lost power supply, derived from solar panels. "The object went into an uncontrolled spin, - said the source of Kommersant .- Theoretically, you can still try to restore contact with it, but the probability is very small". "

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Phobos-Grunt isn't the only spacecraft that went alive again lately... 

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Phobos-Grunt isn't the only spacecraft that went alive again lately... 

This has been confirmed officially by ISS Reshetnev. Looks like it might be useful for flight tests, despite now stuck in an unusable orbit. Anatoly Zak has more details here: http://www.russianspaceweb.com/geo_ik2.html#restore