Author Topic: Genesis II launch - June 28, 2007 (Read 48061 times)

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #80 on:** 06/28/2007 10:46 pm »

Keep an eye on www.bigelowaerospace.com everyone, in case they come up with pictures over the coming days.

Here's the latest presser from Bigelow:

Genesis II Calls Home, Says It’s Doing Fine

Bigelow Aerospace Confirms Space Module has Successfully Expanded and Functioning Well

Las Vegas, NV 06/28/07 – Bigelow Aerospace has established contact with its second pathfinder spacecraft, Genesis II. Launched earlier Thursday from Yasny, Russia, Mission Control in North Las Vegas, Nev., made first contact at 2:20 p.m. PDT.

Initial data suggests sufficient voltage powering up Genesis II’s batteries as well as expected air pressure. While the actual confirmation of solar panel deployment and spacecraft expansion are expected later, the data suggests that deployment and expansion have been successful.

Before contact, successful communication was considered a long shot on Genesis II’s first pass over the ground station in Fairfax, Va. Elevation for the pass was considered low for a successful contact.

“We don’t even talk to Genesis I that low,” Program Manager Eric Haakonstad said.

To the surprise of those gathered in Mission Control and shouts of “We got it” echoing through the room, contact was established and Genesis II immediately began sending data back to Earth on its condition.

After a quick celebration of cheers and hugs, the Bigelow Aerospace Mission Control staff immediately began the work of processing the data being returned from Genesis II.

Genesis II is the second experimental pathfinder spacecraft designed to test and confirm systems for future manned commercial space modules planned by Las Vegas-based Bigelow Aerospace The privately-funded space station module was launched atop a Dnepr rocket at 8:02 a.m. PDT from the ISC Kosmotras Yasny Cosmodrome, located in the Orenburg region of Russia, and was inserted into orbit at 8:16 a.m. PDT at an inclination of 64 degrees.

In addition to the initial communications pass, there will be further passes over the Virginia ground station on Thursday, as well as communication windows with Bigelow Aerospace ground stations in Las Vegas, Hawaii and Alaska. Communications for much of the first day will be devoted to the determination of spacecraft status and health, with the first images from Genesis II’s 22 interior and exterior cameras to arrive in the coming days.

Among those images will be items and pictures sent up by paying participants in the Bigelow Aerospace “Fly your Stuff” program. The general public got a chance last fall to purchase slots to fly their pictures and memorabilia into space. Bigelow Aerospace hopes to photograph the photos and items in orbit and display them on the Bigelow Aerospace Website at www.bigelowaerospace.com.

In the coming weeks, BA also hopes to activate the first-ever Space Bingo game aboard Genesis II as a fun activity for the public.

The new spacecraft follows Genesis I, which was launched from Yasny on July 12, 2006, and continues to successfully return data and images from Earth orbit. Genesis II is identical in size and appearance to Genesis I – approximately 15 feet (4.4 meters) in length and 6.2 feet (1.9 meters) in diameter at launch, expanding to 2.54 meters (eight feet) in diameter after expansion in orbit.

Inside is where the differences can be seen, as Genesis II includes include a suite of additional sensors and avionics that didn’t fly on Genesis I. Moreover, while Genesis I contained 13 video cameras, Genesis II will nearly double that figure to 22 cameras located on both the inside and outside of the spacecraft.

Like other BA spacecraft, Genesis II employs a unique architecture with an expandable outer surface that was wrapped around a central core at launch and expanded through air inflation in orbit. The skin is made of several layers that include proprietary impact-resistant materials. Testing on the ground has shown that the expandable shells of a Bigelow module are much more resistant to space debris than the modules on the International Space Station.

Bigelow Aerospace founder Robert T. Bigelow was on site in Yasny to witness the launch with other BA employees, while other BA personnel were gathered at Mission Control in North Las Vegas.

Bigelow Aerospace Program Manager Eric Haakonstad says with the experience of Genesis I, they were better primed for the launch of Genesis II. “With Genesis I, it was our first rodeo. We didn’t know exactly what to expect,” Haakonstad says. “This time, we were able to perform rehearsals and were more prepared for the launch phase.”

That said, a brief communications difficulty in Russia increased nerves in Mission Control, as there was a delay in confirming Genesis II’s separation from the Dnepr rocket. “Any deviation from nominal magnifies the anxiety. When it came in four minutes later, it was a big relief,” Haakonstad says.

Bigelow Aerospace has received just the initial data from Genesis II, and expects more extensive data and imagery in the coming days. BA will provide updates and images from Genesis II on its Website at www.bigelowaerospace.com.

About Bigelow Aerospace:
The mission of Bigelow Aerospace is to open the frontier of space to all of humanity by dramatically reducing the cost of conducting human spaceflight activities. To this end, Bigelow Aerospace is developing orbital complexes utilizing innovative expandable space habitat technology. The Las Vegas-based firm’s affordable and flexible space complex architecture can be adapted for virtually any crewed or autonomous mission requiring a large pressurized volume. For more information, go to www.bigelowaerospace.com or call (702) 688-6600.

STS Tony · « **Reply #81 on:** 06/28/2007 11:18 pm »

Well done Bigelow. Not the biggest area of interest for an all guns blazing NASA/Shuttle site, but deserves credit for what may be a really interesting future.

Peter NASA · « **Reply #82 on:** 06/28/2007 11:19 pm »

Agreed. Congratulations.

Is Bigelow not making a statement now?

Norm Hartnett · « **Reply #83 on:** 06/28/2007 11:34 pm »

Quote

spacehog - 28/6/2007 3:20 PM

It's a Good thing.

A very good thing!

"The basic magnetic torque rods, magnetometer, GPS and sun sensors from Genesis I are augmented on Genesis II with new reaction-wheel assemblies and a precision measurement system. The reaction-wheel system allows for the significantly faster body rate settling time and provides a technology demonstration capability needed for the larger future vehicles planned for BA."

I am guessing that the magnetic torque rods will allow desaturation of the reaction-wheel assemblies similar to the HST.

While not counting chickens... Two sucessful deployments in two launches is a massive achievement. Congratulations to the entire team!

Now for Galaxy :cool:

Norm Hartnett · « **Reply #84 on:** 06/28/2007 11:35 pm »

Quote

Peter NASA - 28/6/2007 4:19 PM

Agreed. Congratulations.

Is Bigelow not making a statement now?

It was scheduled for after the second pass which should be coming up very shortly.

Edit: He is in Russia so there may be some hard partying going on. :laugh:

Norm Hartnett · « **Reply #85 on:** 06/28/2007 11:52 pm »

First Genesis II pictures are posted http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/out_there/genesis_II_first_pics.php

Flightstar · « **Reply #86 on:** 06/29/2007 12:23 am »

Have to say that I hate their website with a passion. "Getting you all excited about space again"?

Norm Hartnett · « **Reply #87 on:** 06/29/2007 12:52 am »

Quote

Flightstar - 28/6/2007 5:23 PM

Have to say that I hate their website with a passion. "Getting you all excited about space again"?

We can't all live in KSC and in all fairness wasn't the web page started before RTF?

Not to mention that NASA PAO somehow manages to make the most exciting things, like the last shuttle mission, as interesting as drying paint.

MKremer · « **Reply #88 on:** 06/29/2007 04:19 am »

Nah, what you say is true, but their website is more bells and whistles with auto-dropdown menus and gross subject/unknown-destination links than being logical for directing a user to main pages to the modules themselves... or otherwise directly to the latest news/updates about the current launch and module status.
(By 'directly' I mean with a single click, rather than having to go back to the main menu or otherwise searching around for easy-to-find news updates.)

halkey · « **Reply #89 on:** 06/29/2007 07:45 am »

Bigelow's website could use work, but at least they've got actual working hardware in space unlike a lot of companies with pretty websites but nothing to show outside of cyberspace.

Satori · « **Reply #90 on:** 06/29/2007 12:24 pm »

Hi! Does anyone has the launch time in the format 1502:XX.XXXUTC?

Thanks!

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #91 on:** 06/29/2007 06:37 pm »

Quote

Satori - 29/6/2007 1:24 PM

Hi! Does anyone has the launch time in the format 1502:XX.XXXUTC?

Thanks!

Bigelow Aerospace PAO Chris Reed is your friend :cool:

"Launch time was 15:02:20.741 UTC……. Separation from Dnepr was 15:16:57.051 UTC."

ApolloLee · « **Reply #92 on:** 06/29/2007 07:28 pm »

The n2yo tracking site now has the position of Genesis II on its page....
http://www.n2yo.com/?s=31789

Interesting how near the two spacecraft are to each other in orbit (relatively)... Wonder if we'll ever get an image of Genesis II looking back at I?

8900 · « **Reply #93 on:** 06/30/2007 09:36 am »

2 High resolution images received from Genesis I
1 showing the interior and 1 showing the exterior
released by bigelow website

http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/xfer/2007-29-06_Ext01.jpg" width="502" height="377">

http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/xfer/2007-29-06_Blair01.jpg" width="503" height="448">

see bigelowaerospace.com

jabe · « **Reply #94 on:** 06/30/2007 11:27 am »

Is it me or does it look like the "business cards" are clinging to the walls? I wonder if Genesis is in a slow (hopefully not fast) spin?
http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/xfer/2007-29-06_Ext01.jpg
jb

ApolloLee · « **Reply #95 on:** 06/30/2007 03:38 pm »

Quote

jabe - 30/6/2007 4:27 AM

Is it me or does it look like the "business cards" are clinging to the walls? I wonder if Genesis is in a slow (hopefully not fast) spin?
http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/xfer/2007-29-06_Ext01.jpg
jb

They always said there would be an initial and expected tumble rate....... Though lo and behold, it appears they have inadvertently proved rotational artificial gravity is feasible.

jabe · « **Reply #96 on:** 06/30/2007 05:44 pm »

Hope they can stop the spin..I want to play space bingo

Satori · « **Reply #97 on:** 07/02/2007 12:38 pm »

Quote

Chris Bergin - 29/6/2007 1:37 PM

Quote
Satori - 29/6/2007 1:24 PM

Hi! Does anyone has the launch time in the format 1502:XX.XXXUTC?

Thanks!

Bigelow Aerospace PAO Chris Reed is your friend :cool:

"Launch time was 15:02:20.741 UTC……. Separation from Dnepr was 15:16:57.051 UTC."

Thank you very much to Chris and Chris for this info!

jabe · « **Reply #98 on:** 07/02/2007 07:21 pm »

new pic.. http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/out_there/images/genesis_II/2007-02-07_interior.jpg
and looks like it is still spinning but lights are on..so far so good on start up of G-II
http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/out_there/genesis_II_first_pics.php

publiusr · « **Reply #99 on:** 07/02/2007 07:23 pm »

How much bigger a rocket would you need to have that fitted out with ARCTUS?

I am trying to imagine Excalibur Almaz as a return capsule up top, as was intended for DOS core block--the hatch thru its heat-shield (as in MOL), Genesis below, and Arctus below that as a service module. Would Falcon 9 be enough for your own private space station?