[JSR] Jonathan's Space Report, No. 703
Jonathan McDowell
jcm at planet4589.org
Fri Oct 17 02:45:00 EDT 2014
Jonathan's Space Report
No. 703 2014 Oct 17 Somerville, MA
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LVDB
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The orbital/suborbital launch vehicle database http://planet4589.org/space/lvdb/ has been updated.
International Space Station
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Expedition 41 is underway with commander Max Suraev and flight engineers FE-5 Reid Wiseman and
FE-6 Alex Gerst. On Sep 25 at 2025 UTC the Soyuz TMA-14M ferry ship was launched
from Baykonur with the remaining Ex-41 crewmembers FE-1 Aleksandr Samokutyaev, FE-2 Elena Serova
and FE-3 Barry 'Butch' Wilmore. The port solar array failed to deploy after Soyuz separated
from the launch vehicle third stage, but this did not impact the rendezvous. Soyuz TMA-14M
docked with the Poisk module at 0211 UC Sep 26. Serova is the fourth Russian woman in space
and the first since 1997.
Dragon CRS-4 has arrived at ISS. The SSRMS Canadarm-2 grappled it at 1052 UTC Sep 23
and berthed it to the Harmony node at 1321 UTC.
The NanoRacks cubesat deployer package was returned to the Kibo airlock on Sep 16
following trouble with the deployments. The problems have been traced to incorrectly
tightened screws, and replacement deployers are expected to be sent to ISS.
Astronauts Wiseman and Gerst made US spacewalk EVA-27 on Oct 7. The airlock was depressurized
at about 1225 UTC and repressurized at 1843 UTC. The failed Pump Module, serial number 04, which was stowed
on the Mobile Base System's POA mount during an EVA on 2013 Dec 21, was relocated to External
Stowage Platform 2. A new unit called the Mobile Transporter Relay Assembly (MTRA) was
attached to the transporter to provide backup power. I'm not sure what flight the MTRA was launched on.
Wiseman used EMU 3010 and Gerst used EMU 3003.
On Oct 15 Wiseman and Wilmore made spacewalk EVA-28. They replaced the SSU (Sequential Shunt Unit)
on solar wing 3A, attached to the S4 truss, and worked on external cameras and electronics.
The replacement SSU has been on the ISS for some time; again, I'm not sure which launch it
went up on; I'm also not certain which EMUs were used for this EVA.
Kosmos reentry over Colorado
-----------------------------
Ted Molczan remarked on the discussion in the last JSR that his analysis shows
that a relatively small piece of debris (50-100 kg class compared to the multi tonne
Kosmos satellite) matches the visual observations from the Colorado area,
and that the timing is more consistent with an object ejected just prior to the
Sep 2 deorbit burn with drag properties similar to other Kobal't-M ejected
debris. I find his analysis convincing; it is still unclear exactly what the ejected debris
from Kobal't-M satellites is, but my best guess remains the solar panels.
X-37B
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The third X-37B mission, launched in 2012 Dec, is expected to land
shortly after almost two years in space. On May 5 it was observed to
still be in a 382 x 405 km x 43.5 deg orbit, similar to the parameters
achieved a few months after launch. However between then and early
October it made several orbit lowering burns; it was last observed on
Oct 6 in a 259 x 285 km orbit. As of Oct 17 its orbital lifetime was 674
days.
The record durations in space for vehicles that have been recovered on Earth are:
Hayabusa 7.1 years
Stardust 6.9 years
Genesis 3.1 years (crashed)
(X-37B FLT-3 674 days so far)
X-37B FLT-2 469 days
HEXAGON 1218-4 270 d
USERS 261 d
HEXAGON 1216-4 260 d
Salyut 5 KSI 249 d
X-37B FLT-1 224 d
Soyuz TMA-9 215 d
Kosmos-2290 SpK-22 ca. 210 d?
Soyuz TM-27 207 d
Luch
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The Khrunichev Proton launch vehicle returned to flight Sep 27, launching the Luch
satellite for the Russian Defense Ministry. The satellite is built by ISS Reshetnev.
Earlier-generation Luch satellites were used for data relay, analogously to the NASA
TDRS and NRO SDS systems. On Oct 16 Luch was in a 35796 x 35896 km x 0.0 deg orbit
drifting west over 54 deg E.
Luch series satellites
Cover name Russian secret name Active Status
Kosmos-1700 Al'tair 11 1985 Oct-1986 Aug Drifting in GEO
Kosmos-1897 Al'tair 12 1987 Nov-1992 Oct? Drifting in GEO
Kosmos-2054 Al'tair 14 1989 Dec-1997 Mar Drifting in GEO
Luch Al'tair 13 1994 Dec-1998 Aug Drifting in GEO
Luch-1 Gelios 11 1995 Oct-1999 Jun? Drift near 74E
Luch-5A - 2011 Dec GEO 167.1E
Luch-5B - 2012 Nov GEO 16.0W
Luch-5V - 2014 Apr GEO 95.2E
Luch Olimp-K? 2014 Sep GEO drift
SJ-11
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China launched the 7th satellite in the Shi Jian 11 constellation on Sep
28 into a 686 x 705 km x 98.1 deg orbit. 'Shi Jian Shiyihao 07 xing' was
placed in an 1130 local time sun-synchronous orbit. This is one of the
larger Chinese military satellite constellations and remains mysterious;
the speculation that it carries infrared missile warning sensors remains
unconfirmed.
SJ-11 (Shi Jian Shiyihao) series satellites
Satellite Launch Current orbit Local time of desc.node
01 xing 2009 Nov 12 683 x 701 km x 98.0 deg 0837
02 xing 2011 Jul 29 684 x 700 x 98.2 1356
03 xing 2011 Jul 6 687 x 699 x 98.1 1045
04 xing 2011 Aug 18 Failed to orbit
05 xing 2013 Jul 15 687 x 701 x 98.2 1534
06 xing 2014 Mar 31 686 x 704 x 98.2 0908
07 xing 2014 Sep 28 685 x 699 x 98.1 1130
Himawari-8
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A Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIA rocket placed the Japan Meteorological Agency's
Himawari-8 weather satellite in geostationary transfer orbit Oct 7. On Oct 15
the satellite was in a 35756 x 35813 km x 0.1 deg orbit over 140.8E.
IRNSS
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India's PSLV-XL rocket launched the country's third dedicated navigation
satellite on Oct 16. The 1425 kg IRNSS-1C was launched to a
subsynchronous transfer orbit of 271 x 20600 km x 17.9 deg.
Ariane 5
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Ariane mission VA220, vehicle 574, launched two communications satellites to GTO on Oct 16.
Payloads were the Intelsat/DirectTV joint venture, IS-30/ISDLA-1; and Argentina's first domestic GEO
comsat, ARSAT-1. IS-30's Ku-band payload is leased to DirectTV as DLA-1 for broadcast to
Latin America.
Chinese UN registration
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China recently submitted satellite registration information to the UN
for satellites launched between Jan 2012 and Mar 2014. They registered
33 satellites, but failed to register 11: the two spaceflights Shenzhou
9 and 10, the secret military satellite Kuaizhou-1, the Hong Kong based
ABS-2, and several secondary payloads: Tiantuo-1, Fengniao-1, XY-1,
Yaogan 16 subsats 1 and 2, and Yaogan 17 subsats 1 and 2. This low level
of compliance is disappointing, since earlier Chinese registrations
were much more complete.
Galileo/Soyuz and Proton failures
---------------------------------
Russian officials report that the failure of the Fregat stage during
the Aug 22 Galileo launch was caused when a cryogenic helium line
installed too close to a hydrazine propellant supply
line caused the hydrazine to freeze. The root cause, according to Arianespace,
was a design error that failed to require thermal separation of the lines
(and so, specifically, not a quality control error as previously suggested).
The failure of a Proton third stage in May is reported to have occurred when a turbopump
attachment bracket suffered structural failure - the statement is less clear
this time whether or not the this was due to poor workmanship.
Table of Recent (orbital) Launches
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Date UT Name Launch Vehicle Site Mission INTL.
Sep 4 0015 Chuangxin 1-04 ) Jiuquan Comms 51B
Ling Qiao ) Comms 51A
Sep 5 0929 Flock 1b-17 ) ISS, LEO Imaging 98-67FF
Flock 1b-18 ) Imaging 98-67FE
Sep 7 0500 Asiasat 6 Falcon 9 v1.1 Canaveral SLC40 Comms 52A
Sep 8 0322 Yaogan 21 ) Chang Zheng 4B Taiyuan Imaging 53A
Tiantuo 2 ) Imaging 53B
Sep 11 2205 Measat 3b ) Ariane 5ECA Kourou ELA3 Comms 54A
Optus 10 ) Comms 54B
Sep 17 0010 CLIO Atlas V 401 Canaveral SLC41 Sigint? 55A
Sep 21 0552 Dragon CRS-4 Falcon 9 v1.1 Canaveral SLC40 Cargo 56A
Sep 25 2025 Soyuz TMA-14M Soyuz-FG Baykonur LC1 Spaceship 57A
Sep 27 2028 Luch Proton-M/Briz-M Baykonur LC81/24 Data relay 58A
Sep 28 0513 SJ-11 07 Chang Zheng 2C Jiuquan Surveillance? 59A
Oct 7 0516 Himawari-8 H-IIA Tanegashima Weather 60A
Oct 15 2002 IRNSS-1C PSLV-XL Sriharikota FLP Navigation 61A
Oct 16 2144 Intelsat IS-30 ) Ariane 5ECA Kourou ELA3 Comms 62
ARSAT-1 ) Comms 62
Suborbital missions
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Flight NASA 36.288DS was launched from White Sands Sep 30 with the Naval
Research Lab's VAULT 2.0 solar telescope.
Table of Recent (suborbital) Launches
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Date UT Payload/Flt Name Launch Vehicle Site Mission Apogee/km
Sep 2 0202 EPL-ME VS-30/EPL Alcantara Test 130?
Sep 9 Sparrow Target Blue Sparrow? F-15D, Med.Sea Target 100?
Sep 10 RV Bulava K-551,White Sea Test 1000?
Sep 11 0541 Agni RV Agni I Chandipur Op. Test 500?
Sep 12 1300 USN RV Trident D-5 Sub, Pacific O. Test 1000?
Sep 12 1300 USN RV Trident D-5 Sub, Pacific O. Test 1000?
Sep 12 1300 USN RV Trident D-5 Sub, Pacific O. Test 1000?
Sep 23 1445 Mk 12/21 RV? Minuteman III Vandenberg LF09 Op. Test 1300?
Sep 30 VAULT 2.0 Black Brant IX White Sands Solar UV 290?
Oct 12 0427 MDA Target? Terrier Lynx Wallops I Target? 150?
.-------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| Jonathan McDowell | |
| Somerville MA 02143 | inter : planet4589 at gmail |
| USA | twitter: @planet4589 |
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