Author Topic: LIVE: Proton-M launch with KA-SAT - 26 December 2010 (Read 29192 times)

VR2 · « **on:** 11/16/2010 08:27 am »

Mission Overview (ILS):
http://www.ilslaunch.com/assets/pdf/KA-SAT%20Mission%20Overview%20final.pdf

Proton-M was delivered to Baikonur 27/28 October 2010
http://www.federalspace.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=13363

Briz-M was delivered to Baikonur 28 October 2010
http://www.federalspace.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=13371

Satori · « **Reply #1 on:** 11/19/2010 01:34 pm »

KA-SAT arrived at Baykonur today http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=13793

anik · « **Reply #2 on:** 12/14/2010 07:25 pm »

According to http://www.interfax.ru/news.asp?id=169143, possible launch date is December 26th.

anik · « **Reply #3 on:** 12/15/2010 07:58 pm »

Another possible launch date, according to Novosti kosmonavtiki forum, is December 27th.

charlieb · « **Reply #4 on:** 12/21/2010 03:57 am »

CNES has again reversed their decision and the new/old launch date is now December 26, 2010 at 21:51z.

SIM city · « **Reply #5 on:** 12/21/2010 01:51 pm »

Quote from: charlieb on 12/21/2010 03:57 am

CNES has again reversed their decision and the new/old launch date is now December 26, 2010 at 21:51z.

What does CNES have to do with this launch?

charlieb · « **Reply #6 on:** 12/22/2010 12:31 pm »

Quote from: SIM city on 12/21/2010 01:51 pm

Quote from: charlieb on 12/21/2010 03:57 am
CNES has again reversed their decision and the new/old launch date is now December 26, 2010 at 21:51z.

What does CNES have to do with this launch?

Spacecraft owner......

SIM city · « **Reply #7 on:** 12/22/2010 12:45 pm »

Quote from: charlieb on 12/22/2010 12:31 pm

Quote from: SIM city on 12/21/2010 01:51 pm
Quote from: charlieb on 12/21/2010 03:57 am
CNES has again reversed their decision and the new/old launch date is now December 26, 2010 at 21:51z.

What does CNES have to do with this launch?

Spacecraft owner......

That would be Eutelsat, not CNES.

Stan Black · « **Reply #8 on:** 12/22/2010 06:47 pm »

http://www.khrunichev.ru/main.php?id=1&nid=1933
http://www.khrunichev.ru/main.php?id=1&nid=1934
http://www.khrunichev.ru/main.php?id=230

Targeteer · « **Reply #9 on:** 12/23/2010 01:04 am »

???Are those thermal blankets being installed on the shroud and upper stage? Are they necessary because of the winter temperatures?

markododa · « **Reply #10 on:** 12/23/2010 04:39 am »

Quote from: Targeteer on 12/23/2010 01:04 am

???Are those thermal blankets being installed on the shroud and upper stage? Are they necessary because of the winter temperatures?

http://www.khrunichev.ru/main.php?id=1&nid=1934

yes really strange

Stan Black · « **Reply #11 on:** 12/23/2010 05:46 pm »

Quote from: Targeteer on 12/23/2010 01:04 am

???Are those thermal blankets being installed on the shroud and upper stage? Are they necessary because of the winter temperatures?

They are a standard feature and are removed prior to launch.

http://www.ilslaunch.com/assets/pdf/PMPG%20Section%207.pdf

Quote

7.6 LV INTEGRATION THROUGH LAUNCH PAD OPERATIONS
The AU is transported to Hall 111 of Building 92A-50 for integration with the Proton M LV, where it is uncoupled from the thermal conditioning car and loaded onto the integration dollies. The AU is brought horizontally to the docking plane of the assembled Proton LV third stage by the integration dollies. An end-to-end electrical check is performed on the SC/LV umbilical cables. A thermal blanket is installed over the fairing to protect the payload from temperature extremes during periods when there is no active thermal control. The Integrated Launch Vehicle (ILV) is then transferred to the transporter-erector. A typical launch flow requires three to four days of integration hall activities. Integration hall operations are based on the LV pre-launch schedule.
The ILV is transported to the Breeze M fueling station for loading of the low-pressure MMH and N2O4 Breeze M propellant tanks on its way to Pads 24 or 39 for launch.

Satori · « **Reply #12 on:** 12/24/2010 03:25 pm »

Proton-M/Briz-M with KA-SAT taken to the launch complex!!!

http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=14432

Targeteer · « **Reply #13 on:** 12/25/2010 05:52 pm »

Quote from: Stan Black on 12/23/2010 05:46 pm

Quote from: Targeteer on 12/23/2010 01:04 am
???Are those thermal blankets being installed on the shroud and upper stage? Are they necessary because of the winter temperatures?

They are a standard feature and are removed prior to launch.

http://www.ilslaunch.com/assets/pdf/PMPG%20Section%207.pdf
Quote
7.6 LV INTEGRATION THROUGH LAUNCH PAD OPERATIONS
The AU is transported to Hall 111 of Building 92A-50 for integration with the Proton M LV, where it is uncoupled from the thermal conditioning car and loaded onto the integration dollies. The AU is brought horizontally to the docking plane of the assembled Proton LV third stage by the integration dollies. An end-to-end electrical check is performed on the SC/LV umbilical cables. A thermal blanket is installed over the fairing to protect the payload from temperature extremes during periods when there is no active thermal control. The Integrated Launch Vehicle (ILV) is then transferred to the transporter-erector. A typical launch flow requires three to four days of integration hall activities. Integration hall operations are based on the LV pre-launch schedule.
The ILV is transported to the Breeze M fueling station for loading of the low-pressure MMH and N2O4 Breeze M propellant tanks on its way to Pads 24 or 39 for launch.

Thanks, that's why I love this site. Someone always seems to have the answer.

anik · « **Reply #14 on:** 12/26/2010 03:16 pm »

http://www.federalspace.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=14451

"Go" for the fueling of Proton-M is given by state commission.

Mission events (in UTC):
Proton-M liftoff - 21:51:00
Proton-M first stage separation - 21:53:00
Proton-M second stage separation - 21:56:27
Proton-M third stage separation - 22:00:42
Briz-M first burn - 22:02:16-22:06:43
Briz-M second burn - 22:58:33-23:16:19
Briz-M third burn - 01:19:12-01:30:19
Briz-M additional propellant tank separation - 01:31:09
Briz-M fourth burn - 01:32:36-01:38:51
Briz-M fifth burn - 06:44:08-06:50:00
KA-SAT separation - 07:03:00

It will be 12th Proton-M launch and 31st Russian space launch in 2010.

anik · « **Reply #15 on:** 12/26/2010 04:43 pm »

Information about launch from Khrunichev website: http://coopi.khrunichev.ru/main.php?id=523 (in Russian), http://coopi.khrunichev.ru/main.php?id=515 (in English)

Targeteer · « **Reply #16 on:** 12/26/2010 06:14 pm »

Promotional video and slightly annoying music on the ILS Launch web feed...

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #17 on:** 12/26/2010 07:06 pm »

Preview:

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2010/12/live-proton-m-return-flight-ka-sat-launch/

Satori · « **Reply #18 on:** 12/26/2010 08:07 pm »

Satori · « **Reply #19 on:** 12/26/2010 08:11 pm »

Satori · « **Reply #20 on:** 12/26/2010 08:18 pm »

Satori · « **Reply #21 on:** 12/26/2010 08:23 pm »

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #22 on:** 12/26/2010 08:32 pm »

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #23 on:** 12/26/2010 08:35 pm »

ILS showing video on reliability of Proton, maybe in reaction to last flight?

Satori · « **Reply #24 on:** 12/26/2010 08:36 pm »

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #25 on:** 12/26/2010 08:38 pm »

Satori · « **Reply #26 on:** 12/26/2010 08:41 pm »

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #27 on:** 12/26/2010 08:43 pm »

Coverage will go until end of first Breeze-M burn

Satori · « **Reply #28 on:** 12/26/2010 08:44 pm »

Satori · « **Reply #29 on:** 12/26/2010 08:47 pm »

Satori · « **Reply #30 on:** 12/26/2010 08:48 pm »

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #31 on:** 12/26/2010 08:48 pm »

Satori · « **Reply #32 on:** 12/26/2010 08:49 pm »

Satori · « **Reply #33 on:** 12/26/2010 08:50 pm »

Satori · « **Reply #34 on:** 12/26/2010 08:50 pm »

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #35 on:** 12/26/2010 08:54 pm »

Launch.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #36 on:** 12/26/2010 08:54 pm »

1-2 Sep.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #37 on:** 12/26/2010 08:55 pm »

All four engines on the second stage are firing.

Satori · « **Reply #38 on:** 12/26/2010 08:55 pm »

Satori · « **Reply #39 on:** 12/26/2010 08:56 pm »

Satori · « **Reply #40 on:** 12/26/2010 08:58 pm »

Satori · « **Reply #41 on:** 12/26/2010 08:58 pm »

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #42 on:** 12/26/2010 09:00 pm »

2-3 Sep. Fairing jettison.

Satori · « **Reply #43 on:** 12/26/2010 09:01 pm »

Satori · « **Reply #44 on:** 12/26/2010 09:02 pm »

Satori · « **Reply #45 on:** 12/26/2010 09:03 pm »

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #46 on:** 12/26/2010 09:03 pm »

3-4 Sep. Now on the Breeze-M.

Satori · « **Reply #47 on:** 12/26/2010 09:03 pm »

Satori · « **Reply #48 on:** 12/26/2010 09:05 pm »

Remember that this is a 9 hour plus mission, so we still have a long way to go!!!

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #49 on:** 12/26/2010 09:13 pm »

Breeze-M now into a coast phase.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #50 on:** 12/26/2010 09:18 pm »

Webcast coverage over. Thanks Rui!

Targeteer · « **Reply #51 on:** 12/27/2010 02:31 am »

Update from the ILS blog

Posted by ILS Communications Team, 8:55 p.m. EST on 26 December 2010

We have confirmed that the Breeze M Upper Stage has successfully completed its 3rd and 4th burns, as well as jettisoning its additional propellant tank. The vehicle is now in a 5-hour coast period, during which we will have nothing to report. The 5th burn is scheduled to start around 1:44 a.m. EST, or 06:44 GMT and burn approximately 6 minutes. Separation of the KA-SAT spacecraft is scheduled to follow the 5th burn completion by about 13 minutes.

charlieb · « **Reply #52 on:** 12/27/2010 05:26 am »

We at USN had initial acquisition of the spacecraft through our Australia station approx 1/2 hr ago.

jan_carlo_bascu · « **Reply #53 on:** 12/27/2010 06:29 am »

Launch Pictures

http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=14467

anik · « **Reply #54 on:** 12/27/2010 08:09 am »

ILS PROTON SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES THE KA-SAT SATELLITE FOR EUTELSAT

Marks a Record of 8 Commercial Missions in 2010 for ILS

http://www.ilslaunch.com/news-122710

BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan, December 27, 2010 – International Launch Services (ILS), a world leader in providing launch services to the commercial space industry, successfully carried the KA-SAT satellite to orbit for Eutelsat Communications of France on an ILS Proton. The ILS Proton vehicle lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 3:51 a.m. local time (4:51 p.m. EST, 10:51 p.m. in Paris on December 26). After a 9 hour 12 minute mission, the Breeze M successfully released the KA-SAT satellite into geostationary transfer orbit.

The launch of the KA-SAT satellite marks the 8th ILS Proton launch of the year; a record number of commercial launches for ILS. This was also the 64th commercial launch to date for ILS and the 12th Proton launch for the year. The Proton Breeze M vehicle is built by Khrunichev Space Center of Moscow, one of the pillars of the Russian aerospace industry and majority owner of ILS. Proton has a heritage of 363 missions since its maiden flight in 1965.

The 6150 kg KA-SAT satellite was built on the Eurostar E3000 platform by Astrium and has a 15 year life expectancy. With its total capacity of 70 Gbps, KA-SAT is ranked as the world’s most powerful satellite and will be situated at Eutelsat’s 9 degrees East location. Through a configuration of 82 spot beams and a ground infrastructure of ten gateways connected to the Internet, KA-SAT will provide service across Europe and the Mediterranean Basin.

Frank McKenna, president of ILS said, “We worked very closely with Eutelsat and Astrium to ensure the successful launch of the KA-SAT satellite on ILS Proton. We are honored to play an important role in the deployment of innovative programs and technologies such as KA-SAT, the first European satellite that will operate exclusively in high capacity Ka-band frequencies. We thank Eutelsat for relying on ILS Proton once again to deliver their spacecraft securely into orbit.”

“We are pleased to continue our long term relationship with ILS with the launch of KA-SAT on the powerful Proton Breeze M rocket. The launch of this High Throughput Satellite marks the opening of a new era for satellite-delivered broadband and data services across Europe and the Mediterranean Basin. It is also new evidence of Eutelsat’s commitment to innovation that broadens the scope of satellite-based services in a rapidly-expanding digital economy. Our sincere thanks and appreciation go out to the entire team of ILS, Khrunichev and Astrium, for their tireless work on this mission,” said Michel de Rosen, CEO of Eutelsat.

Satori · « **Reply #55 on:** 12/27/2010 01:30 pm »

Exact launch time: 2150:59.972UTC, on December 26th.
KA-SAT separation at 0703:00.453UTC on December 27th.