Dnepr - CryoSat 2 (Launched April 8, 2010)

[Zipi]

Launch time: 13:57 GMT (9:57 a.m. EDT)
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

An ISC Kosmotras Dnepr rocket will launch the European Space Agency's CryoSat 2 Earth observation satellite. CryoSat 2 will monitor precise changes in the polar ice caps and floating sea ice to determine the rate the planet's ice cover is diminishing. The satellite replaces another spacecraft lost in a 2005.



Information about Dnepr rocket: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dnepr_rocket
Information about Cryosat 1&2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CryoSat

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: Feb. 25 Dnepr - CryoSat 2

Some spam about the rocket and the bird :
from ISC Kosmotras
Dnepr LV

Main specifications of the Dnepr LV are given below:

* Weight at liftoff........211 tons
* Propellant......amyl + heptyl
* Number of stages......3
* LV diameter..............3 meters
* LV length..................34 meters
* Injection accuracy:
o For orbit altitude..........± 4,0 km
o For orbit inclination.....± 0.04 degrees
o For right ascension of the ascending node....± 0.05 degrees
* Orbit inclinations...64.5; 98.0 degrees
* Flight reliability..............0.97
* Operational environments:
o Longitudinal g-load …up to 7.5
o Lateral g-load...............up to 0.8
* Integral level of sound pressure …….up to 140 dB

Launch type – steam ejection from Transport and Launch Canister (TLC)

and Yuzhnoye
Dnepr

CryoSat-2

CryoSat-2 data will help determine whether arctic ice masses are thinning due to global warming

Main instrument :
Synthetic aperture radar

Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) is a form of radar in which multiple radar images are processed to yield higher-resolution images than would be possible by conventional means.

Kiruna, Northern Sweden

Kiruna is located in the north of Sweden, 145 kilometers north of the Arctic circle.

 

[Zipi]

Re: Feb. 25 Dnepr - CryoSat 2

I got interested about that Kiruna Ground Station and tried to find it from Google Maps:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 3&t=h&z=12

As you can see Google don't have good satellite images of that location...

Kiruna Ground Station page at ESA's web site: http://www.esa.int/esaMI/Operations/SEMERDSMTWE_1.html

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: Feb. 25 Dnepr - CryoSat 2

More cool pics there ...



Cryosat is already on the way ..

Last look at CryoSat-2

11 February 2010
As preparations for the launch of ESA's ice mission on 25 February continue on schedule, an important milestone has just been reached with the team at the Baikonur Cosmodrome saying farewell to CryoSat-2 as it was encapsulated in the rocket's 'space head module'.

 

[Zipi]

Re: Feb. 25 Dnepr - CryoSat 2

Here is a link to Swedish aerial photo service which shows Kiruna Ground Station site pretty well:

http://kartor.eniro.se/m/MeDsA

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: Feb. 25 Dnepr - CryoSat 2

ESA announcing launch :

CryoSat to observe Earth’s ice cover

15 February 2010
ESA PR 03-2010. The European Space Agency is about to launch the most sophisticated satellite ever to investigate the Earth’s ice fields and map ice thickness over water and land: lift-off scheduled for 25 February.

Lift-off is scheduled to take place at 14:57 CET (13:57 UTC) on Thursday 25 February 2010. The launcher is operated by the international space company Kosmotras.

A live televised transmission of the launch will provide pictures from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and from Mission Control at ESA/ESOC in Darmstadt for broadcasters (further details of TV transmission at http://television.esa.int).

 

[Zipi]

Re: Feb. 25 Dnepr - CryoSat 2

CryoSat-2 upper composite was mated with RS-20 rocket yesterday at Baikonur.

The launch vehicle undergoes final operations and integrated tests with the launch facilities today.

More from: http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=8773&lang=en

 

[Zipi]

Re: Feb. 25 Dnepr - CryoSat 2

More images: http://www.federalspace.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=9271

ESA's CryoSat articles: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cryosat/

 

[SandorZoo]

Re: Feb. 25 Dnepr - CryoSat 2

I hear the Cryosat II launch has been delayed for "up to a month".

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: Feb. 25 Dnepr - CryoSat 2

I hear the Cryosat II launch has been delayed for "up to a month".

I checked

Any change in the launch date will be announced on our answering machine at +49 (0)6151 90 2609 or on the CryoSat website at http://www.esa.int/cryosat.

"No messages are waiting, no messages are waiting, .."

?

 

[Zipi]

Re: Feb. 25 Dnepr - CryoSat 2

I hear the Cryosat II launch has been delayed for "up to a month".

This has been already delayed from December, so you might have red old information.

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: Feb. 25 Dnepr - CryoSat 2

It is delayed :
CryoSat launch delayed

19 February 2010
The launch of ESA's CryoSat-2 satellite from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, scheduled for 25 February, has been delayed due to a concern related to the second stage steering engine of the Dnepr launcher.

Although the fuel supply of the second stage engine should be sufficient to get CryoSat into orbit, the fuel reserve is not as large as they would like it to be, according to the Ukrainian company Yuzhnoye, who developed and is responsible for the launcher. The situation is being reviewed, and measures will be taken to resolve this concern.

Kosmotras, the launch provider, will inform ESA of a new launch date shortly.

 

[Zipi]

Re: Dnepr - CryoSat 2 (DELAYED)

23 February 2010 – Following last week’s announcement that there would be a launch delay, the space head module encasing CryoSat-2 has been removed from the launcher and returned to the integration facilities.

More from: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cryosat/SEM7SH3KV5G_0.html

Sounds like this could delay launch longer than late March, but lets wait and see...

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: Dnepr - CryoSat 2 (DELAYED)

23 February 2010 – Following last week’s announcement that there would be a launch delay, the space head module encasing CryoSat-2 has been removed from the launcher and returned to the integration facilities.

More from: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cryosat/SEM7SH3KV5G_0.html

Sounds like this could delay launch longer than late March, but lets wait and see...

As you said :

The delay is due to the fact that some parameters relating to fuel ratio in the launcher’s second stage could be optimised to improve the reliability of the mission.

Kosmotras:

This are second stage engines, i think :RD-252

Perhaps there is something on Yuzhnoye, but i can't find it.

This is manufacturer of rd-252, per Wikipedia : Yuzhmash

I guess, there might be something with injectors or turbo pump, maybe a leak ?

Was designer Valentin Glushko ?
Then perhaps something from Energomash ?
RD-253

General info from Wiki :

Liquid rocket propellants

Hypergolic propellant

Dinitrogen tetroxide
img : http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... 3D-vdW.png

Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine
img : http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... -balls.png

Multistage rocket

Interesting googled info :
Russian/Ukrainian space-rocket and missile liquid-propellant engines

edit. Wiki images ..

 

[SandorZoo]

Re: Dnepr - CryoSat 2 (tentatively scheduled to March 25th)

I hear the new earliest possible (and current "tentatively scheduled") launch date is now April 6th.

 

[Zipi]

Re: Dnepr - CryoSat 2 (tentatively scheduled to March 25th)

I hear the new earliest possible (and current "tentatively scheduled") launch date is now April 6th.

I have checked a couple of sites and they still say tentatively March 25. If you point out where did you get this info I'll check it and change the heading of this thread.

 

[Zipi]

Re: Dnepr - CryoSat 2 (tentatively scheduled to early April)

The issue stems from the 1,587-pound satellite's large size and unique orbit, which is at an altitude of 447 miles with an inclination of 92 degrees. CryoSat 2's physical dimensions -- 15 feet long and nearly 8 feet wide -- also require the Dnepr's extended payload fairing, adding more mass to the rocket, mission officials told Spaceflight Now.

Kosmotras, the joint Russian-Ukrainian sales firm that markets the Dnepr rocket, informed ESA in February that the liquid-fueled steering engine on the booster's second stage doesn't have the appropriate fuel margins for the mission.

Yuzhnoye, the Dnepr's prime contractor, is reprogramming a flight computer from another SS-18 missile to tweak the mixture ratio of the rocket's second stage vernier steering engine. The change should permit the engine to produce the required thrust, according to Richard Francis, the CryoSat 2 project manager.

"We understand the issues, and we're confident they've got a good handle on it," Francis told Spaceflight Now on Tuesday.

Francis said officials are working on securing a special export license to ship the computer from Ukraine to the launch site in Kazakhstan. Approval for the license could come later this week.

"They really speeded things up because it normally takes 45 days," Francis said. "But they've been banging on the door to get this done, and we appreciate that."

Although a new launch date is still pending, Francis said liftoff probably won't occur before early April.

Quotes from: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1003/10dnepr/

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: Dnepr - CryoSat 2 (tentatively scheduled to early April)

ESA : New launch date for CryoSat-2 confirmed

19 March 2010
The technical issue with the second stage of the Dnepr rocket that delayed the launch of ESA's Earth Explorer CryoSat-2 satellite in February has now been resolved – and the new launch date of 8 April has been set.

Babysitting CryoSat-2

 

[Zipi]

Re: Dnepr - CryoSat 2 (tentatively scheduled to March 25th)

I hear the new earliest possible (and current "tentatively scheduled") launch date is now April 6th.

Nice sources you have, only two days off.

Please publish your rumous here at the future as well.

 

[Zipi]

Re: Dnepr - CryoSat 2 (Launch scheduled to April 8, 2010)

Campaign resumes

Entry 7: Launch campaign resumes

25 March 2010 – The task of having to babysit CryoSat has now officially ended with the arrival of the launch campaign team back in Baikonur.

Throughout the month-long babysitting period, CryoSat-2 remained encapsulated within the Dnepr space head module in the cleanroom. The two-man team checked the satellite every day, usually at the same time the facility was being cleaned. This daily inspection included checking the satellite's batteries and temperature, as well as the temperature of the facility.
With the fuelling issue with the launcher now resolved and the launch date of 8 April confirmed, the rest of the launch campaign team returned to the launch site this week. Preparations to launch CryoSat-2 are now underway again – starting with some electrical tests on the satellite and battery recharging.


Celebrating the restart of launch campaign

This is all in readiness for the reloading of the space head module onto the 'crocodile'. The crocodile is the vehicle that carries the precious space head module out to the silo, where it will be integrated with the rest of the Dnepr launcher. Transfer to the silo is planned to take place on 25 March.

Everyone involved is very positive about the run up to launch. Morale has also been lifted by the milder weather, which also removes any concern about the space head module getting too cold in the silo.

Quoted from: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cryosat/SEM1NT8I77G_0.html

 

[Zipi]

Re: Dnepr - CryoSat 2 (Launch scheduled to April 8, 2010)

On the way to the silo.

CryoSat-2 installed in launch silo

1 April 2010
In readiness for launch on 8 April, ESA's CryoSat-2 ice satellite has now joined the rest of the Dnepr rocket in the launch silo at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The 'space head module' was transported from the integration facilities to the underground launch silo this morning. Although it is only 7 km between the two sites, the specialised lorry, nicknamed the 'crocodile', takes well over an hour to complete the journey.
The crocodile is equipped with a container that is positioned vertically and opens like 'jaws' to allow the space head module to be loaded. This procedure took place yesterday and marked the last time the team members from ESA and industry would see it. The launch silo is restricted to cosmodrome personnel only.

Tomorrow, the satellite will be powered up to test that all is well after being integrated with launcher. Then, the last milestone before liftoff will be the launch dress rehearsal, planned for Tuesday. This simulation will ensure the communication sequences and procedures between the launch site and ESA's European Space Operations Centre in Germany are in place for launch on Thursday.

The launch of CryoSat-2 will mark an important milestone for ESA because it will be the third Earth Explorer mission to be placed in orbit within just over 12 months. CryoSat-2 follows the Gravity field and steady-sate Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) mission, launched in March 2009, and the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission, launched last November.

As with all ESA's Earth Explorers, CryoSat has been developed to address a particular issue identified by the scientific community – in this case, to understand exactly how Earth’s ice fields are changing.

For some years, satellites such as Envisat have been mapping the extent of ice cover. However, in order to understand how climate change is affecting these sensitive regions, there is an urgent need to determine how the thickness of the ice is changing.

In response to this need, CryoSat is Europe's first mission dedicated to monitoring Earth's ice. The advanced observation techniques will provide precise measurements on variations in the thickness of floating marine ice as well as the vast ice sheets that overlie Antarctica and Greenland. This much-awaited information will lead to a better understanding of the relationship between ice and climate change.

Original article: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cryosat/SEMLOQIK97G_0.html

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: Dnepr - CryoSat 2 (Launch scheduled to April 8, 2010)

Khm .. that strange date again .. :roll: they transport satellite with that ?

As long as it works ..

 

[OrbitaZero]

Re: Dnepr - CryoSat 2 (Launch scheduled to April 8, 2010)

I can view it online?

Thanks !!!

 

[Zipi]

Re: Dnepr - CryoSat 2 (Launch scheduled to April 8, 2010)

I can view it online?

Thanks !!!

From Satellite TV: http://television.esa.int/
From Internet Livestream: http://www.livestream.com/eurospaceagency

Here is also some animations: http://video360.world-television.com/me ... =CryoSat-2

Cryosat-2 Launch Timelines: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cryosat/SEM4ERZNK7G_0.html

 

[Zipi]

Re: Dnepr - CryoSat 2 (Launch scheduled to April 8, 2010)

Cryosat-2 is ready for launch:

7 April 2010
Following yesterday's launch dress rehearsal and the debriefing today, the Russian State Commission has given the go-ahead to launch ESA's ice mission tomorrow at 15:57 CEST.

More from: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cryosat/SEMVPXZNK7G_0.html

SiberianTiger has also posted some information: http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?t=14920