LIVE: Soyuz-FG/Soyuz TMA-20 Launch and Docking - December 15/17, 2010

[jacqmans]

Soyuz TMA-20 Crew Exams photos:

http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=13874

[Space Pete]

Dmitry Kondatiev: "Our Crew Got Excellent Mark on the First Day of the Exam at GCTC".

Soyuz TMA-20 prime crew commanded by Dmitry Kondratiev got excellent mark today for the exam at GCTC, Kondratiev informed on Nov. 24.
Prime crew of the Soyuz - Russian Dmitry Kondratiev, US Catherine Calleman, ESA’s Paolo Nespoli - passed through their integrated training in the ISS simulator on Wednesday.
"Our exam ticket included several contingencies. These were ISS oxygen supply system failure, ISS atmosphere cleaning system failure, and even fire in the ISS RS", Kondratiev said.
The crew also had to repair the space toilet ASU and ISS RS communication system transmitter.
Soyuz TMA-20/ISS 26/27 crew examination will continue today. Dmitry Kondratiev, Catherine Calleman, Paolo Nespoli will have their integrated training in the Soyuz mockup; their backup Anatoly Ivanishin, Satoshi Furukawa, Michael Fossum will be examined in the ISS RS sim on the same day.
The examination board is to conclude about crew readiness to fly upon the results of the integrated training sessions.
Soyuz TMA-20 is slated for launch from Baikonur on Dec. 15.

www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10887&lang=en

[Space Pete]

Soyuz TMA-20 Crews Pass the Exam Successfully.

Soyuz TMA-20 prime and backup crews have successfully passed the preflight exams at GCTC.
Prime crew of the Soyuz - Russian Dmitry Kondratiev, US Catherine Calleman, ESA’s Paolo Nespoli - passed through their integrated training in the Soyuz simulator on Thursday. They had to recover several contingencies, including failures of the Soyuz central computer, depressurization of the descent compartment, GNC failure during departure, etc.
Soyuz TMA-20/ISS 26/27 backup backup Anatoly Ivanishin, Satoshi Furukawa, Michael Fossum also passed the examination successfully in the ISS RS sim.
State Board will finally approve the Soyuz prime and backup crews during the meeting at Baikonur.
Soyuz TMA-20 is slated for launch from Baikonur on Dec. 15.

www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10895&lang=en

[Space Pete]

Soyuz TMA-20 Prelaunch Processing Goes On at Baikonur.

Soyuz TMA-20 testing / processing activities are in good progress at Baikonur.
Soyuz tests in the acoustic chamber are completed. The vehicle was unloaded from the chamber and accommodated in the test bench for further verification.
Soyuz TMA-20 crew is planned for arrival at the space port on Dec. 3. Crew fit-check in the Soyuz is to take place on the next day.
The launch is scheduled for Dec. 15, at 10.06 MSK. Soyuz TMA-20 is to deliver 3 crew to the International Space Station.

www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10898&lang=en

[Space Pete]

Interagency Board Approves Soyuz TMA-20 Crews.

Interagency Board met today at GCTC to evaluate readiness of the Soyuz TMA-20 /ISS 26/27 crew to fly to the International Space Station on Dec. 15.
The Board evaluated the crews which were passing through the examination training for two days in the Soyuz and ISS simulators at GCTC, and gave its ‘go’ for further prelaunch training for Russian Dmitry Kondratiev, US Catherine Calleman, ESA’s Paolo Nespoli, and Anatoly Ivanishin, Satoshi Furukawa, Michael Fossum.
Roscosmos Board and General Designers Review will take place in the coming days to confirm readiness of the launch facilities and companies involved in the campaign, as well as to approve the today’s decision of the Interagency Board.
The crews will be finally approved by the State Board at Baikonur.

Roscosmos PAO.

www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10904&lang=en

[Space Pete]

Soyuz Spacecraft to Deliver New Year Gifts to the ISS.

The Soyuz TMA-20 spacecraft will bring New Year presents to the International Space Station (ISS), commander Dmitry Kondratyev said, quoted by news media.
The Soyuz TMA-20, carrying cosmonaut Kondratyev, the U.S. and Italian flight engineers, Catherine Coleman and Paolo Nespoli, is scheduled to blast off from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan on December 15. The three astronauts will be onboard the ISS for 152 days.
"We are taking New Year presents along, which our families have prepared for us," Kondratyev told RIA Novosti. "We don't know what's in them, it will be a surprise."
There will be no Christmas tree, however, Kondratyev said.
The three astronauts will join Expedition 26 commander Scott Kelly and flight engineers Alexander Kaleri and Oleg Skripochka, who have been aboard the station since early October.
Soyuz TMA-19, which took Expedition 25's Douglas Wheelock, Shannon Walker and Fyodor Yurchikhin back to Earth, landed in Kazakhstan earlier on Friday.

www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10909&lang=en

[TALsite]

Exams of the crew:

http://polit.ru/science/2010/11/24/exam_cpk_tma_20.html
Watching the pictures it seems the commander choose one of the five proposals of exams.

And here, a video of the second day of examinations
http://www.rian.ru/video/20101125/300827183.html

[Space Pete]

Future ISS Crew Emphasizes ISS Effectiveness for Science.

The crew of the Soyuz TMA-20 crew vehicle to be launched from Baikonur on Dec. 15, plans to conduct about 40 experiments onboard the International Space Station, Soyuz commander said quoted by Interfax-AVN.
Kondratiev also said he would do his best to accomplish the scientific goals of his mission.
Soyuz commander noted that his military experience helped him in preflight training.
"My military experience helped to recognize my functions and role”, Kondratiev said.
All crew members of the Soyuz have military heritage. Kondratiev is a Russian Air Force colonel, Catherine Coleman is a retired US Air Force colonel, Paolo Nespoli is a retired major of Italian special mission units.

www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10925&lang=en

[TALsite]

Pictures of Kondratyev "relaxing" with Karate prior to his trip to Baikonur the next friday.
He said that he will try to practice in orbit.  Let's hope he don't break one experiment 



Image Roskosmos.
Link: http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=13945

[Nicolas PILLET]

Transfer of Soyuz TMA-20 from 17T523M vacuum chamber to test stand (all in MIK-254) :



On 20th october, RKK Energuia announced the spacecraft was in 17T523M. Has he made two testing sessions in this chamber ?

[Space Pete]

Gagarin's Launch Pad Prepared for Soyuz TMA-20 Launch.

Soyuz TMA-20 testing / processing activities are in good progress at Baikonur.
Specialists of TSENKI subsidiary – Yuzhny Space Center start prelaunch processing of the infrastructure at Gagarin’s launch pad.
Experts of the industry prepare fueling equipment at site 31 for further tanking of the Soyuz TMA-20 propulsion.
The vehicle undergoes prelaunch operations at site 254. Soyuz thermal control system fueling is performed.
Soyuz TMA-20 crew is planned for arrival at the space port on Dec. 3. Crew fit-check in the Soyuz is to take place on the next day.
The launch is scheduled for Dec. 15, at 10.06 p.m. MSK. Soyuz TMA-20 is to deliver 3 crew to the International Space Station.
 
Roscosmos PAO.

www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10926&lang=en

[Space Pete]

Roscosmos Board Meeting Reviews Soyuz TMA-20 Flight Readiness.

Roscosmos Board met today to discuss flight readiness of the Soyuz TMA-20 crew vehicle, Soyuz-FG launcher, launch infrastructure, ISS, search and rescue system, prime and backup crews` launch readiness.
After several reports made by officials from space industry, Federal Aeronavigation Office, Federal Bio-Medical Agency, Space Force, the Board approved Soyuz TMA-20 launch on Dec. 15, according to RSC-Energia proposal. The final decision about launch date will be made during the State Board meeting on Human Space System Flight Tests.
The Board also noted the Soyuz TMA-20 prime and backup crew candidates:
Prime Crew:
Soyuz TMA-20 Commander, ISS Flight Engineer/ Commander – Dmitry Kondratiev (Roscosmos)
Soyuz TMA-20 Flight Engineer, ISS Flight Engineer – Paolo Nespoli (ESA)
Soyuz TMA-20 Flight Engineer, ISS Flight Engineer– Catherine Calleman (NASA)
Backup Crew:
Soyuz TMA-20 Commander, ISS Flight Engineer/ Commander – Anatoly Ivanishin (Roscosmos)
Soyuz TMA-20 Flight Engineer, ISS Flight Engineer – Satoshi Furukawa (JAXA)
Soyuz TMA-20 Flight Engineer, ISS Flight Engineer– Michael Fossum (NASA)
The crews are to be finally approved at the State Board meeting at Baikonur.
The main objectives of the ISS-26 expedition are:
- Soyuz TMA-20 launch with ISS-26/27 crew;
- Soyuz TMA-20 docking to the ISS;
- Progress M-09M launch and docking to DC1;
- unloading and accommodation of the hardware delivered to the ISS;
- refurbishment, technical maintenance, repair of the ISS RS onboard systems;
- ISS-26 scientific research program;
- 2 EVAs;
- medical measures aimed at maintaining crew health status and proper operational capabilities.
41 experiments in the following branches are planned for ISS-26:
- physical, chemical processes and materials in space - 2;
- geophysics and near-Earth space- 5;
- life science - 7;
- remote sensing- 4;
- studies of the Solar system-1;
- space biotechnology - 6;
- technical studies and experiments - 10;
- studies of the physical processes in the ISS orbit -1;
- education and promotion of space research - 4;
- contract experiments- 1.
In his closing speech at the meeting, Roscosmos Head Anatoly Perminov stated that it had been a constructive meeting, advised general designers and heads of the industry to personally control the prelaunch operations, with special attention paid to reliability and safety of these operations, ant take personal part in the prelaunch work at Baikonur.

Photos: www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10927&lang=en

[Space Pete]

NASA TV Video: Expedition 26 Meets the Media and Pays Homage at Red Square.

[Space Pete]

Traditional Tea Party in Roscosmos: Anatoly Perminov, Head of the Agency, Meets the Soyuz TMA-20 Crews to fly to Baikonur in a Couple of Days.

Traditional tea party of Roscosmos Head Anatoly Perminov and Soyuz TMA-20 / ISS-26/27 prime and backup crews - Dmitry Kondratiev, Katrin Colleman, Paolo Nespoli, and Anatoly Ivanishin, Satoshi Furukawa, Michael Fossum - took place in Roscosmos today.
The ceremony was attended by Vitaly Davyidov, Roscosmos Stats Secretary and Deputy Head, Alexey Krasnov, Head of Roscosmos Human Spaceflight Directorate, GCTC management, NASA, ESA, JAXA representatives, news media.
Roscosmos Head stated that the ISS crew will have hard time in orbit. During their missions in the ISS they are to receive a Russian, a European, a Japanese cargo vehicles, and to perform 2 Russian and 3 US EVAs.
The plan also included mission of the shuttle to the ISS, but the flight could be delayed significantly in accordance with the information provided by NASA to Roscosmos.
The ISS 26/27 mission program also includes a lot of different space experiments.
Soyuz TMA-20 crew commander Dmitry Kondratiev confirmed flight readiness of his team. "We are ready to accomplish all the mission objectives with excellent quality”, Dmitry said.
At the end of the ceremony, the crew received traditional gifts, including Fortis watches.
The prime crew presented their official photo to Roscosmos Head, which he will keep in his office during the mission.
The Soyuz is planned to fly to the International Space Station on Dec. 15. On Dec. 3, the crews will leave for Baikonur to start prelaunch training.

Roscosmos PAO.

Photos: www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10942&lang=en

[Space Pete]

Space Сrew with the Next Expedition Takes Gospels to ISS.

The crew of Soyuz TMA-20 piloted spaceship that starts from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on December 5, will take Gospels to the International Space Station, the crew commander Dmitry Kondratyev said.

"The crew attended a prayer service dedicated to our flight. Father Job conducted it. We received church gifts from Father Job and Gospels for ISS. We hope to take it with us and leave at the station," Kondratyev said in his interview posted on the Roscosmos website.

The prayer service was conducted in the Transfiguration Church in Zvezdny Gorodok. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia consecrated the newly built church last weekend. Hegumen Job (Talats) is appointed its rector.

The cosmonaut said that the Soyuz crew is ready for the flight to Baikonur planned for December 3.

Before the flight, Kondratyev and his colleagues Catherine Coleman (USA) and Paolo Nespoli (Italy) met with Roscosmos head Anatoly Perminov. Traditional tea party of the crew and leaders of the Russian space department took place on December 1, Interfax informs.

Photos: www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10944&lang=en

[Space Pete]

Roscosmos Head: Spaceship Fixed after Incident.

A Russian spacecraft that suffered rough handling during transportation to the launch pad has been repaired and is safe to carry the next crew to the International Space Station, the nation's space chief said Tuesday.
Roscosmos Head Anatoly Perminov said the Soyuz TMA-20 was sent back to the manufacturer after the October incident. He said a thorough check revealed no damage to the ship's systems but that some components were replaced to make it absolutely safe.
"They replaced all equipment that might have suffered some damage, even though they performed fine during checks," Perminov told reporters. "After that, they checked it again and then sent the ship to the Baikonur cosmodrome."
Soyuz spacecraft are assembled by the state-controlled RSC-Energia company at its factory in Korolyov just outside Moscow, then transported by rail to Baikonur 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) southeast.
The Soyuz TMA-20 is set to blast off on Dec. 15 to ferry a crew of Russian Dmitry Kondratyev, U.S. astronaut Catherine Coleman and the European Space Agency's Paolo Nespoli to the orbiting outpost.
Perminov on Tuesday met with the crew members over tea.
Coleman, a veteran of two U.S. space shuttle missions, said after the meeting that she was fully confident that the Russian engineers had made the ship safe to fly.
"It's absolutely safe enough," she told The Associated Press. "I have worked here in Russia for a long time and I trust them."
The International Space Station marked its 10th human-habitable-anniversary on Nov. 2. The mammoth space lab consists of 10 modules built by the United States, Russia, Canada, Japan and the 18-nation European Space Agency.
Soyuz spacecraft will be the only link to the station after planned retirement of the U.S. shuttle fleet next year. Coleman said that that shouldn't create any problems.
"When I look around at Roscosmos, at Energia, at all the different organizations here in Russia, the people who actually build hardware, put it together and the same thing in Europe, in Japan, in the United States ... the people are the same," she said. "And they all have the same dream, and they all care about the crew who goes to space, and they want them to come home, and I trust that."
Coleman said her 10-year-old son, Jamey, has closely followed her training and feels excited about her mission.
"He has a small toy tiger, and I take this tiger with me all over the world," she said. "And I take pictures of what I'm working on with the tiger, and I think it makes him think: `What's the tiger doing today? I wonder if that was difficult, I wonder what the tiger needed to know.'"
During the meeting with Perminov, Coleman said that the difference in weight between her and Nespoli, who is very tall, made her son ask whether he might squeeze in.
"He might follow you later," Perminov said.

www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10947&lang=en

[Space Pete]

Soyuz TMA-20 Prelaunch Processing Goes On at Baikonur.

Prelaunch operations with Soyuz TMA-20 crew vehicle are in good progress at Baikonur.
RSC-Energia and Yuzhny Space Center today prepared the vehicle for the crew fit check scheduled for Dec. 4.
Soyuz-FG launcher undergoes testing in parallel.
The launch is to occur on Dec. 15.
 
Roscosmos PAO.

www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10948&lang=en

[Space Pete]

Soyuz TMA-20 Crews will Leave for Baikonur Today.

On Dec. 3, Soyuz TMA-20 crews will depart for Baikonur.
The plane with the prime - Dmitry Kondratiev, Katrin Colleman, Paolo Nespoli  - is scheduled for departure from Chkalovsky at 9 a.m. Traditionally, their backup will leave on the next plane.
At the space port, the crews will continue their preflight training, which includes simulations, medical tests, operations with experimental hardware.
On Dec. 4, the crew will have their first fit-check on the Soyuz to fix minor issues with the real vehicle. The second fit-check is scheduled for Dec. 11.
Soyuz TMA-20 with the crew of ISS 26/27 is slated for launch on Dec. 15.
 
Roscosmos PAO.

www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10952&lang=en

[jacqmans]

December 3, 2010. Baikonur launch site,
branch office of S.P. Korolev RSC Energia

http://www.energia.ru/en/iss/iss26/photo_12-03.html

Primary (Dmitriy Kondratiev (Roscosmos, Russia), Paolo Nespoli (ESA, Italy) and Catherine Coleman (NASA, USA)) and backup (Anatoliy Ivanishin (Roscosmos, Russia), Satoshi Furukawa (JAXA, Japan) and Michael Fossum (NASA, USA)) crews of the Soyuz TMA-20 transportation spacecraft arrived to the Baikonur launch site. At the airport they were met by members of the State Commission and Technical Management.

Commanders of the crews reported on their readiness for pre-flight training and Soyuz TMA-20 spacecraft acceptance.

[TALsite]

December 3, 2010. Baikonur launch site,

More images here:

http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=14035