Soyuz-2.1b/Fregat - EKS n°2 - 25 May 2017 (06:34 UTC)

[Nicolas PILLET]

The launch of second EKS (Tundra) early warning satellite will occur on 25th May 2017 at 06:33 UTC from Plesetsk.

[Alter Sachse]

The launch of second EKS (Tundra) early warning satellite will occur on 25th May 2017 at 06:33 UTC from Plesetsk.

That would be the same launch time as No. 1 (06:33:41)

[BabaORileyUSA]

The launch of second EKS (Tundra) early warning satellite will occur on 25th May 2017 at 06:33 UTC from Plesetsk.

That would be the same launch time as No. 1 (06:33:41)

Coincidence.  Since it will not be launched on the same calendar date, that launch time will take the vehicle into a different orbit plane....

[Satori]

If the launch still stands for May 25, the launcher should already be at the launch complex.

[tehwkd]

First img: NOTAM under NZZO created may 15th

Second img: NOTAM under YMMM created may 18th

[Artyom.]

A photo from social media 

[Artyom.]

More... From Instagram

[Steven Pietrobon]

Should be launching right now. Trying to find some news.

[chewi]

Launch time - 9:34 MSK

http://www.interfax.ru/russia/563791

[Steven Pietrobon]

Thanks chewi! Here's a translation of the article.

"Plesetsk" launched the Soyuz-2.1 B launcher with the newest military satellite

Moscow. 25 May. INTERFAX.RU-The Soyuz-2.1 B launcher, with a new generation of spacecraft, successfully launched from the Plesetsk in Arkhangelsk Oblast in 9:34, Moscow time, on Thursday in the Russian Ministry of Defense.

"All of the preflight operations and the start of the Soyuz-2.1 B" were in the established state. "The ground-based automated management complex has supervised the launch", underlined in the Ministry of Defense.

The general direction of the launch was carried out by the commander of the Space Forces, the deputy Commander-in-Chief SCC RF Lieutenant General Alexander, who had arrived at space.

This is the first launch of the Soyuz-2 launcher, carried out in the current year from the Plesetsk. The previous launch of this type of launch vehicle from the northern Cosmodrome was carried out on May 29, 2016.

The flight tests of the Soyuz-2 launch vehicles began on the cosmodrome "Plesetsk" on 8 November 2004. In the past 13 years, 29 launches of Soyuz-2 launch vehicles of types 1a, 1b and 1b have been launched from the Arkhangelsk region. The Soyuz-2 missiles replaced the Soyuz-U missiles, which operated on "Plesetsk" from 1973 to 2012.

[Chris Bergin]

William Graham's article:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/05/soyuz-2-1b-launches-tundra-missile-detection-spacecraft/

[Artyom.]

The Fregat upper stage with the satellite separated from the launch vehicle.
http://www.interfax.ru/world/563796

[Artyom.]

And.... photos of the launch  . Again from social media.

[Alter Sachse]

My wishlist:
- precise launch time
- rocket serial number
- Fregat M serial number
 
Kosmos 2518 ??

[Artyom.]

The satellite successfully separated from the Fregat upper stage

http://www.interfax.ru/world/563843

Kosmos 2518 ??

Yes.

"После выведения на орбиту космическому аппарату присвоен порядковый номер «Космос-2518». "

[Artyom.]

Roll-out and launch. Official video.

[Lewis007]

A few more pics.
Source: http://eng.mil.ru/en/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12125717@egNews

[input~2]

2017-027A/42719    COSMOS 2518    713.88min    63.81°    38512km    1650km
2017-027B/42720    FREGAT R/B         714.10min    63.80°    38513km    1660km   

[Nicolas PILLET]

I have serial numbers for this launch.

http://www.kosmonavtika.com/lancements/2017/25052017/25052017.html

Fregat number is strange...

[Alter Sachse]

I have serial numbers for this launch.

http://www.kosmonavtika.com/lancements/2017/25052017/25052017.html

Fregat number is strange...

So far, there were 112 Series 122 Series 133 Series.
A new series (111) and other numbering ?
111-301 ;111-302 ; 111-303 .... ??

[YzeStudent]

111-YXX   Soyuz, Plesetsk, MO, Program   
112-XX   Soyuz, Plesetsk, Roskosmos (Glonass)   
122-XX   Soyuz, Baikonur, Roskosmos   
123-XX   Soyuz, Baikonur, AE   
133-XX   Soyuz, CSG, AE   
142-XX   Soyuz, Vostochniy, Roskosmos   
222-XX   Zenit, Baikonur, Roskosmos   

[Alter Sachse]

111-YXX   Soyuz, Plesetsk, MO, Program   
112-XX   Soyuz, Plesetsk, Roskosmos (Glonass)   
122-XX   Soyuz, Baikonur, Roskosmos   
123-XX   Soyuz, Baikonur, AE   
133-XX   Soyuz, CSG, AE   
142-XX   Soyuz, Vostochniy, Roskosmos   
222-XX   Zenit, Baikonur, Roskosmos

Interesting facts for "Fregat Master Thread" !

[Nicolas PILLET]

I now have launch sequence :

http://www.kosmonavtika.com/lancements/2017/25052017/25052017.html

[Alter Sachse]

I now have launch sequence :

http://www.kosmonavtika.com/lancements/2017/25052017/25052017.html

An idea for the exact launch time?

[B. Hendrickx]

Is this a crude drawing of a Tundra/EKS early warning satellite? It's on the history page of the website of OAO Kometa, the prime contractor.

http://www.corpkometa.ru/index2.php?url=history_spravka.htm&id_menu=9

The caption says "satellite of the ballistic missile early warning system". Its definitely not one of the earlier generation early warning satellites built by NPO Lavochkin (US-K, US-KMO). The Tundra bus is built by RKK Energiya and similar to that of the Yamal satellites.

[russianhalo117]

Is this a crude drawing of a Tundra/EKS early warning satellite? It's on the history page of the website of OAO Kometa, the prime contractor.

http://www.corpkometa.ru/index2.php?url=history_spravka.htm&id_menu=9

The caption says "satellite of the ballistic missile early warning system". Its definitely not one of the earlier generation early warning satellites built by NPO Lavochkin (US-K, US-KMO). The Tundra bus is built by RKK Energiya and similar to that of the Yamal satellites.

very similar.

http://russianspaceweb.com/eks-tundra.html

[B. Hendrickx]

Is this a crude drawing of a Tundra/EKS early warning satellite? It's on the history page of the website of OAO Kometa, the prime contractor.

http://www.corpkometa.ru/index2.php?url=history_spravka.htm&id_menu=9

The caption says "satellite of the ballistic missile early warning system". Its definitely not one of the earlier generation early warning satellites built by NPO Lavochkin (US-K, US-KMO). The Tundra bus is built by RKK Energiya and similar to that of the Yamal satellites.

very similar.

http://russianspaceweb.com/eks-tundra.html

Do bear in mind that Anatoly Zak's drawing is probably conceptual.

[russianhalo117]

Is this a crude drawing of a Tundra/EKS early warning satellite? It's on the history page of the website of OAO Kometa, the prime contractor.

http://www.corpkometa.ru/index2.php?url=history_spravka.htm&id_menu=9

The caption says "satellite of the ballistic missile early warning system". Its definitely not one of the earlier generation early warning satellites built by NPO Lavochkin (US-K, US-KMO). The Tundra bus is built by RKK Energiya and similar to that of the Yamal satellites.

very similar.

http://russianspaceweb.com/eks-tundra.html

Do bear in mind that Anatoly Zak's drawing is probably conceptual.

several of the graphics say Credit: RKK Energia in the captions.

[B. Hendrickx]

I'm wondering if this is a picture of an EKS/Tundra satellite undergoing assembly.  It's from an article written by Kometa Corporation's general director Vladimir Misnik called "Deployment of the EKS system is going according to plan". Actually, the article gives an overview of all the satellite projects that Kometa and its predecessor OKB-41 has worked on (not only early warning satellites, but also ASAT and ocean reconnaissance projects) and the EKS satellites are only briefly mentioned. The article appeared last year in the first issue of a new magazine called "Vozdushno-kosmicheskiy rubezh" ("Aerospace Frontier"). None of the pictures in the article are captioned.

http://bvpa.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/VKR-01_2017.pdf
(see p. 39-43)