Soyuz-2-1A launch with Meridian satellite - November 14, 2012

[anik]

According to http://www.tsskb-progress.ru/novosti/tcskb-progress-itogi-raboty-za-sentiabr.html, the launch is planned in the middle of November.

[Nicolas PILLET]

I was told that today, the launcher has been rolled out to launch pad 17P32-4 (сухой вывоз) without the Meridian satellite.

[Satori]

I was told that today, the launcher has been rolled out to launch pad 17P32-4 (сухой вывоз) without the Meridian satellite.

Any idea why they have done that?

[Danderman]

Perhaps "сухой вывоз" has something to do with a "dry run".

[Nicolas PILLET]

I was told that today, the launcher has been rolled out to launch pad 17P32-4 (сухой вывоз) without the Meridian satellite.

Any idea why they have done that?

No. Maybe to requalify the launch pad after the test with Soyuz-2.1v ?

[Nicolas PILLET]

Perhaps "сухой вывоз" has something to do with a "dry run".

Yes : сухой вывоз = dry run.

[Nicolas PILLET]

I was told that :

- The dry run's goal was to check that Soyuz-2.1a/b operations were possible after the use of 17P32-4 for a Soyuz-2.1v launch, which implies several modifications to the launch pad.

- The Soyuz-2.1a launcher has been brought back to MIK-317/14-3 on 3rd november.

- For the dry run, there was only Blocks BVGD, Block A and Block I, like in French Guiana.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

I wonder if someone could help calculating the approximate launch time by assuming that this launch is launching into the satellite plane that was to be occupied with Meridian 5....

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Can this air-space closure near New Zealand be related to this launch?

B5413/12 - TEMPO DANGER AREA NZD025, SUBANTARCTIC REGION, IS PRESCRIBED AS FLW: ALL THAT AIRSPACE BOUNDED BY S5145.0 E16300.0 S5700.0 E17600.0 S6000.0 E17234.0 S5635.0 E16300.0 S5145.0 E16300 .0 ACTIVITY: MISSILE RE-ENTRY ADMINISTERING AUTHORITY: CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY OF NEW ZEALAND. PRESCRIBED PURSUANT TO CIVIL AVIATION RULE PART 71 UNDER A DELEGATED AUTHORITY ISSUED BY THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION. SFC - FL999, 14 NOV 11:30 2012 UNTIL 14 NOV 13:00 2012. CREATED: 08 NOV 21:51 2012

[input~2]

Can this air-space closure near New Zealand be related to this launch?

B5413/12 - TEMPO DANGER AREA NZD025, SUBANTARCTIC REGION, IS PRESCRIBED AS FLW: ALL THAT AIRSPACE BOUNDED BY S5145.0 E16300.0 S5700.0 E17600.0 S6000.0 E17234.0 S5635.0 E16300.0 S5145.0 E16300 .0 ACTIVITY: MISSILE RE-ENTRY ADMINISTERING AUTHORITY: CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY OF NEW ZEALAND. PRESCRIBED PURSUANT TO CIVIL AVIATION RULE PART 71 UNDER A DELEGATED AUTHORITY ISSUED BY THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION. SFC - FL999, 14 NOV 11:30 2012 UNTIL 14 NOV 13:00 2012. CREATED: 08 NOV 21:51 2012

This is the same NOTAMed zone as published for the failed Soyuz launch on Dec 23, 2011 for a time slot of 1130-1330UTC
See: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=27489.msg839929#msg839929

corresponding then to a launch time of 1208UTC.
So that here a launch time of around 1200UTC could also be expected

[input~2]

and here is an additional NOTAM for the adjacent FIR with an explicit indication of the space agency involved

F2707/12 - RUSSIAN MISSILE LAUNCH WILL TAKE PLACE
FLW RECEIVED FROM THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF RUSSIA:
RUSSIAN MISSILE LAUNCH IS SKED TO TAKE PLACE WITH
ASSOCIATED DANGER ZONE WHICH ENCROACHES THE MELBOURNE FLIGHT
INFORMATION REGION (FIR) BETWEEN TASMANIA AND ANTARCTICA

THE DEFINITIVE LAUNCH WINDOW HAS BEEN
SCHEDULED FROM 14 NOVEMBER 2012 TO 15 NOVEMBER 2012. DANGER TIMES
ARE FROM 1130UTC TO 1300UTC DAILY.

DANGER ZONE IS BOUNDED BY THE FOLLOWING COORDINATES:
S46 30 E155 00
S51 45 E163 00
S56 35 E163 00
S49 15 E151 00
S46 30 E155 00. SFC - UNL, 14 NOV 11:30 2012 UNTIL 15 NOV 13:00 2012. CREATED:
06 NOV 07:24 2012

add: those NOTAMs are for Soyuz 3rd stage debris

[Galactic Penguin SST]

The launch time is 11:42:46 UTC.

Source: http://www.astronomy.ru/forum/index.php/topic,18118.msg2170964.html

And according to this Interfax news report, the rocket is now fully assembled and ready to go to the pad on Sunday: http://www.interfax.ru/news.asp?id=275201

[anik]

Soyuz-2-1A rocket with Fregat upper stage and Meridian satellite was transported to the launch pad 43/4 today.

http://www.interfax.ru/news.asp?id=275275

[Chris Bergin]

Any hope for a webcast of this launch?

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Any hope for a webcast of this launch?

Don't think there's ever a webcast of a Plesetsk Soyuz launch, and I don't think this one will either. Those Russian reporters that visit the launch site usually do a video-taped report that goes out in the prime time news coverage. 

[anik]

As per NK forum, Soyuz-2-1A launch is planned at 11:42 UTC, Fregat-M separation - at 11:51, Meridian separation - at 14:00.

[Satori]

I suppose this is satellite 14F112 n. 16L?

[input~2]

NOTAM presumably for 1st stage

V8736/12 [...] - ATS RTE SEGMENTS CLSD:
A491 SOTER-UKHTA VORDME (UHT),
A575 KUNAT-ABLAR,
R822 SUPEG-TITKO. SFC - UNL, DAILY 1130-1300, 14 NOV 11:30 2012 UNTIL 15 NOV
13:00 2012. CREATED: 10 NOV 06:07 2012

and 2nd stage

P4537/12 - ATS RTE SEGMENTS CLSD:
G356 TOBOLSK NDB (NH)-VOREG,
P865 LERPI-INKOR,
R200 TOBOLSK NDB (NH)-RISIR,
R211 TOBOLSK NDB (NH)-NIKUL. SFC - UNL, DAILY 1130-1300, 14 NOV 11:30 2012 UNTIL
15 NOV 13:00 2012. CREATED: 10 NOV 06:08 2012

[Chris Bergin]

So is this the fifth Meridian? (Four launched, then the previous was the failure)?

[Galactic Penguin SST]

So is this the fifth Meridian? (Four launched, then the previous was the failure)?

Yup.

Link to NSF launch threads:

#1 (2006-12-24): http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=5223.0

#2 (2009-05-21): http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=14658.0

#3 (2010-11-02): http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=23142.0

#4 (2011-05-04): http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=24174.0

#5 (2011-12-23, failure): http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=27489.0

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Per Andrey, liftoff confirmed. (http://novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/forum/messages/forum12/topic13215/message1005945/#message1005945)

I guess with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visiting the launch site for the launch, this launch would probably not fail, given the consequence of doing so...... 

Edit: article from RIA Novosti: http://ria.ru/defense_safety/20121114/910731807.html

[Chris Bergin]

Cool. Just want to hear of successful S/C Sep now. (1400 UTC)

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Cool. Just want to hear of successful S/C Sep.

That won't happen until a couple of hours after launch:

As per NK forum, Soyuz-2-1A launch is planned at 11:42 UTC, Fregat-M separation - at 11:51, Meridian separation - at 14:00.

[Chris Bergin]

William Graham's overview for this launch:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2012/11/soyuz-2-1a-launches-meridian-satellite-russian-military/

[Galactic Penguin SST]

And here comes spacecraft separation!

(http://novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/forum/messages/forum12/topic13215/message1005976/#message1005976)

[Artyom.]

My congratulations!

And  ....

[Chris Bergin]

Cool. Glad that one worked!

[Stan Black]

William Graham's overview for this launch:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2012/11/soyuz-2-1a-launches-meridian-satellite-russian-military/

Good article… but minor, minor issue…
launch site photograph not relevant to launch?

[Nicolas PILLET]

I have serial numbers, and a picture of the dry run, here :

http://www.kosmonavtika.com/lancements/2012/14112012/14112012.html

[Satori]

I have serial numbers, and a picture of the dry run, here :

http://www.kosmonavtika.com/lancements/2012/14112012/14112012.html

Thank you!

[Galactic Penguin SST]

TV news reports:

-at the launch site: http://www.tvzvezda.ru/news/forces/content/201211141827-6yla.htm

-at the Russian Armed Space Forces control center: http://www.vesti.ru/videos?vid=462289&cid=1

[jacqmans]

TV image 

[Nicolas PILLET]

Pictures from Ministry of Defense :

http://structure.mil.ru/structure/forces/cosmic/news/more.htm?id=11463172@egNews

[Stan Black]

I have serial numbers, and a picture of the dry run, here :

http://www.kosmonavtika.com/lancements/2012/14112012/14112012.html

Thank you!

And I thank you!

 The long serial numbers gives us a clue about the year of release. The fifth digit of the rocket’s serial number 77046267 is new so I suppose that it was released in 2012.

 However for the Meridian long serial number 80029116, by the way suggesting a short serial number of 16Л, starts the same as last years GLONASS Kosmos-2478. So this Meridian was available last year?

[input~2]

USSTRATCOM has catalogued 2 objects (first elset data)

38995/2012-063A in 978.4 x 39724.9 km x 62.84° (presumably Meridian-6)

38996/2012-063B in 869.1 x 39558.8 km x 62.80° (presumably Fregat)

[anik]

Photos of preparation to launch: http://stat.multimedia.mil.ru/multimedia/photo/gallery.htm?id=8082@cmsPhotoGallery

[jcm]

Any idea why the Soyuz-2-1A was used rather than the -1B used on the previous (failed) launch? The Galileo launch last month used the -1B in its Soyuz ST-B version, yes?

[anik]

Any idea why the Soyuz-2-1A was used rather than the -1B used on the previous (failed) launch?

Obviously, after Meridian failure, Ministry of Defence does not want to risk by launching a serial spacecraft on the rocket which had not finished flight tests for now.

The Galileo launch last month used the -1B in its Soyuz ST-B version, yes?

Yes.

[Stan Black]

Any idea why the Soyuz-2-1A was used rather than the -1B used on the previous (failed) launch?

Obviously, after Meridian failure, Ministry of Defence does not want to risk by launching a serial spacecraft on the rocket which had not finished flight tests for now.

The Galileo launch last month used the -1B in its Soyuz ST-B version, yes?

Yes.

I wonder if it is because they had ordered a 1B for Luch-5A? The 1B rocket used for Meridian was at least four years old.

http://www.rosspending.ru/fk/contract/0025908000043/

[jcm]

Any idea why the Soyuz-2-1A was used rather than the -1B used on the previous (failed) launch?

Obviously, after Meridian failure, Ministry of Defence does not want to risk by launching a serial spacecraft on the rocket which had not finished flight tests for now.

The Galileo launch last month used the -1B in its Soyuz ST-B version, yes?

Yes.

So what you're saying is the Ministry of Defense is more conservative that the Europeans - fair enough

[Lewis007]

A few more pix of the launch can be found here:
http://novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/foto/279/707/