Progress M-08M

Progress M-08M

Progress M-08M approaches the ISS on October 30, 2010
Type Progress-M 11F615A60
Organisation Roskosmos
Space station ISS
Station crew Expedition 25
Expedition 26
Contractors RKK Energia
Carrier Rocket Soyuz-U
Launch site Baikonur Site 1/5
Launch date 27 October 2010
15:11:50 UTC
Decay Date 24 January 2011
06:07 GMT
COSPAR ID 2010-055A
Docked time 88 days, 9 hours, 31 minutes
Docking
Docking port Pirs Docking Compartment
Docking date 30 October 2010
16:36 UTC
Undocking date 24 January 2011
00:42 UTC
Orbit
Regime Low Earth
Inclination 51.64°
Mass
Cargo 1,272 kg (2,800 lb)
Fuel 872 kg (1,920 lb)
Gaseous cargo 500 kg (1,100 lb)
Water 226 kg (500 lb)

Progress M-08M (Russian: Прогресс М-08М), identified by NASA as Progress 40 or 40P, is a Progress spacecraft which was used to resupply the International Space Station. It was the eighth Progress-M 11F615A60 spacecraft to be launched, the fifth for the year 2010. The spacecraft was manufactured by RKK Energia, and was operated by the Russian Federal Space Agency. It arrived at the space station on 30 October 2010 whilst the Expedition 25 crew was aboard, and departed during Expedition 26 on 24 January 2011.

Contents

Prelaunch operations

Prior to the expected launch, preparations had been going for months. A train with the Soyuz-U rocket that will be used for the Progress launch arrived at Baikonur Cosmodrome on 24 July 2010.[1] The rocket was transported to Site 112. The Progress M-08M spacecraft was delivered to the Baikonur on 3 September where it was hosted at site 254.[2] Prelaunch processing gathered pace afterwords with tests of the Progress' RF systems in the acoustic chamber completed in late September[3] and leak checks in the vacuum chamber in early October. On 3 October, Progress spacecraft was transported to hall 104 of the integration facility from the vacuum chamber.[4] Further tests continued and potable water was loaded into Rodnik tanks of the M-08M spacecraft.[5]

On 15 October, Russian Space Agency began prelaunch processing of Baikonur's pad 1, preparing it for the Progress launch.[6] On 18 October Progress M-08M cargo vehicle was loaded with propellant components and compressed gases, and returned to the integration and test facility for further processing.[7] With Designers' inspection of Progress M-08M completed, the spacecraft was transported to the launch vehicle integration facility for further assembly with the Soyuz-U rocket.[8]

The combined Soyuz-U rocket and the Progress M-08M spacecraft stack was rolled out and installed in vertical at Baikonur's pad 1 during the morning of 25 October.[9] Soon afterwards, Launch minus three day (L-3) prelaunch operations commenced at the pad.

Cargo

Progress M-08M hauled about 2.5 tons of cargo supplies including water, air, fuel and hardware for Molniya-Gamma and Coulomb Crystal [10] experiments to the space station. The Molniya-Gamma experiment measures gamma splashes and optical radiation during terrestrial lightning and thunder conditions. The spacecraft also carried high-speed data transmission equipment to be installed on the outer surface of the space station during a spacewalk by cosmonauts Oleg Skripochka and Dmitri Kondratyev in January 2011. In addition to the standard rations, the food boxes contain fresh fruits and vegetables – lemons, apples, onions, tomatoes, and 1 kg of garlic.[11]

Inventory

Total cargo mass delivered: 2572 kg

Item description [12] Mass (kg)
Propellant in the propulsion system tanks 880
Propellant in the refueling system tanks 870
Oxygen 50
Water in the Rodnik system tanks 272
Items in the cargo compartment 1130
Gas supply system 1
Water supply system 22
On-board hardware control system 13
On-board measurement system 47
Electrical power supply system 77
Telemetry data system (BITS2-12) 1
Thermal control system 19
Lightening items 4
Power supply systems 77
Guidance, Navigation and Control system 48
Maintenance and repair equipment 21
Sanitary and hygienic items 102
Food containers, fresh products 278
Medical equipment, linen, personal hygienic and prophylactics items 91
Personal protective items 79
Anti-fire protection items 4
PCE-pointed power sensor 1
On-board documentation files, crew provisions, video- and photo-equipment 22
Zvezda Service Module hardware 2
MRM-2 hardware 5
Zarya FGB-hardware 65
US Orbital Segment hardware 324

Included 250 kg of propellent for the space station needs.

Mission timeline

Launch

On 26 October, the space station performed a Debris Avoidance Maneuver (DAM) in order to get out of the way of a piece of debris from the defunct Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). As such, at 10:25 UTC, the engines of the Progress M-07M spacecraft, were fired for three minutes in a posigrade direction. This resulted in an increase in velocity of the space station by 0.4 meters per second. As such, the launch of Progress M-08M launch was brought forward by three seconds from 3:11:53 UTC.[13]

The Soyuz-U carrier rocket with Progress M-08M was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome's Pad 1 (Gagarin's launch pad) at 15:11:50 on 27 October 2010.[14] Ascent was nominal, and all systems functioned without issues. The launch mass of the spacecraft was 7289 kg. Progress M-08M successfully achieved the preliminary orbit of (192.46 by 242.99 kilometres, inclination—51.4 deg, revolution—88.57 min) after a nine-minute ascent provided by the three-stage Soyuz-U rocket. In space, onboard commands were issued to unfurl the spacecraft's communications and navigation antennas and extend the two solar arrays.[15]

Docking

On 30 October 2010 after three days of autonomous flight following the launch, Progress M-08M docked with the Pirs Docking Compartment Module nadir port of the space station.[16] The successful linkup came at 16:36 UTC while flying 220 miles over western Kazakhstan. In preparation for the docking on 20 October, the engines of the Progress M-07M spacecraft were fired for 228.7 seconds.[17] This reboost placed the space station at the proper altitude to receive Progress M-08M. A late DAM performed on 26 October sightly changed the station's orientation in space and the planned docking had to be brought forward by a couple of minutes.

The Progress M-08M spacecraft, flying on autopilot, performed a flawless rendezvous with the space station. After arriving in the vicinity of the space station, Progress M-08M began a flyaround maneuver to get lined up with the docking port and then executed a roll maneuver to properly orient its solar wings with surrounding structures around the Pirs module. A brief stationkeeping hold with about 650 feet between the spacecraft and space station allowed Russian flight controllers to assess systems before giving approval to commence the final approach.

During stationkeeping, flight controllers in Moscow instructed cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri to activate the TORU manual docking equipment and take over the piloting tasks from the Progress' autonomous KURS system.[18] The switch to manual mode was decided at range of 194 m.[19] Kaleri worked inside the space station's Zvezda module to fly Progress M-08M remotely using television views and a pair of joysticks and guided it to the successful docking. The range rate at the time of contact, based on Mission Control Center-Moscow calculations was 0.067 m/s.

Hooks and latches were engaged a few minutes later to firmly secure Progress M-08M to the space station. The Expedition 25 crew opened hatches and entered the Progress later on the next day.[20]

Undocking and decay

Progress M-08M spacecraft undocked nominally from the International Space Station on 23 January 2011. The undocking command was issued by Russian Mission Control at 00:40 GMT.[21] The spacecraft was not used for further scientific experiments. The deorbit burn took place at 05:16 GMT on 24 January.[22] It re-entered and fell into a remote area of the southern Pacific Ocean at 06:07 GMT.[23]

See also

References

  1. ^ Russian Federal Space Agency (2010-07-26). "Soyuz-U Delivered to Baikonur". http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=9950&hl=progress+m-08m. Retrieved 2010-10-23. 
  2. ^ Russian Federal Space Agency (2010-09-23). "Intensive Launch Campaigns under Human Spaceflight Program at Baikonur". http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10280&hl=progress+m-08m. Retrieved 2010-10-23. 
  3. ^ Russian Federal Space Agency (2010-09-29). "Soyuz TMA-M Tanked. Progress M-08M Acoustic Tests Completed". http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10455&hl=progress+m-08m. Retrieved 2010-10-23. 
  4. ^ Russian Federal Space Agency (2010-10-03). "Progress M-08M Vacuum Tests Completed". http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10487&hl=progress+m-08m. Retrieved 2010-10-23. 
  5. ^ Russian Federal Space Agency (2010-10-14). "Progress M-08M Loaded with Water, Prepared for Tanking". http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10572&hl=progress+m-08m. Retrieved 2010-10-23. 
  6. ^ Russian Federal Space Agency (2010-10-15). "Baikonur's Pad 1 Prepared for Progress M-08M Launch". http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10584&hl=progress+m-08m. Retrieved 2010-10-23. 
  7. ^ Russian Federal Space Agency (2010-10-19). "Progress M-08M Launch Campaign Continues at Baikonur". http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10609&hl=progress+m-08m. Retrieved 2010-10-23. 
  8. ^ Russian Federal Space Agency (2010-10-22). "Baikonur: Progress M-08M to be Assebled with the Launch Vehicle". http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10635&hl=progress+m-08m. Retrieved 2010-10-23. 
  9. ^ Russian Space Agency (2010-10-25). "Soyuz-U with Progress M-08M Rolled Out". http://www.federalspace.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10653. Retrieved 2010-10-25. 
  10. ^ Nefedov, Anatoli; Morfill, Gregor (2003). "PKE–Nefedov: plasma crystal experiments on the International Space Station". New Journal of Physics (IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft) 5: 10. Bibcode 2003NJPh....5...33N. doi:10.1088/1367-2630/5/1/333. http://iopscience.iop.org/1367-2630/5/1/333/pdf/1367-2630_5_1_333.pdf. 
  11. ^ Russian Federal Space Agency (2010-10-25). "Progress M-08M Prepared for Launch". http://www.federalspace.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10660. Retrieved 2010-10-26. 
  12. ^ Russian Federal Space Agency (2010-10-27). "Progress M-08M Cargo Supplies". http://www.federalspace.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10681. Retrieved 2010-10-28. 
  13. ^ Chris Bergin (2010-10-27). "Progress M-08M launches – Managers update status of ISS life support". NASAspaceflight.com. http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2010/10/progress-m-08m-set-to-launch-managers-update-status-of-iss-life-support/. Retrieved 2010-10-28. 
  14. ^ Russian Federal Space Agency (2010-10-27). "Soyuz-U Successfully Lifts Off from Baikonur". http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10675. Retrieved 2010-10-28. 
  15. ^ Justin Ray (2010-10-27). "Cargo craft begins pursuit of International Space Station". 
  16. ^ ITAR-TASS (2010-10-30). "Flight engineer Alexander Kaleri manually docks Progress with ISS". http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15640152&PageNum=0. Retrieved 2010-10-31. 
  17. ^ Russian Federal Space Agency (2010-10-21). "ISS Orbit Boosted". http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10628. Retrieved 2010-10-23. 
  18. ^ Justin Ray (2010-10-30). "Cosmonaut flies resupply ship to space station docking". Spacefligth Now. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/station/exp25/101030prog40p/. Retrieved 2010-10-31. 
  19. ^ Russian Federal Space Agency (2010-10-30). [www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10707&lang=en "Progress M-08M Successfully Docks to the ISS"]. www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10707&lang=en. Retrieved 2010-10-30. 
  20. ^ The Voice of Russia (2010-10-31). "ISS crew opens hatch of Progress M-08M cargo spaceship". http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/10/31/30699347.html. Retrieved 2010-11-01. 
  21. ^ "Russia's Progress M-08M cargo spacecraft to be buried in Pacific". RIA NOVOSTI. 2011-01-24. http://en.rian.ru/science/20110124/162264905.html. Retrieved 2011-02-05. 
  22. ^ NASA (24 January 2011). "NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 24 January 2011". SPACE REF. http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=35879. Retrieved 04 February 2011. 
  23. ^ "Russia's spaceship debris slump into Pacific Ocean". xinhua. 2011-01-24. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/sci/2011-01/24/c_13705164.htm. Retrieved 2011-02-05. 

External links