Project Implementation Progress

November 26, 2001 at 21:24:12 Moscow time the Progress M1-7 transport cargo vehicle with Colibri microsatellite (MS) accommodated in the payload compartment was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome to the near-earth orbit in compliance with the International Space Station (ISS) flight program.

December 03, 2001 at 17:51:39 the Progress M1-7 cargo vehicle docked with the ISS orbital complex. The Colibri MS was disassembled from the cargo vehicle and transferred to Functional Cargo Block Zarya for storage.

March 17, 2002 the crew of the fourth main expedition of the ISS - Russian cosmonaut Yuri Onufrienko (commander of ISS-4) and U.S. astronauts Кард Уолз and Дэниэл Берш (flight engineers of ISS-4) before the cargo vehicle separation provided the microsatellite preparation for launch: installed the microsatellite container on the docking ring of the cargo vehicle.

March 19, 2002 at 20:43 the Progress M1-7 vehicle undocking from Russian Service module Zvezda was provided in the radio coverage (visibility) area of the Russian ground stations; after the undocking the vehicle was transferred to a free flight mode.

March 20, 2002 at 01:28 after separation and departure of Russian transport cargo vehicle Progress M1-7 from the International Space Station for a safe distance the launch of Russian-Australian scientific-educational microsatellite Colibri was provided from the Progress M1-7 cargo vehicle, then the satellite unpinning and its automatic removal from the container were provided.

March 20, 2002 at 2:53 ground control complex (GCC) located in Kaluga detected this microsatellite and established radio communication with it.
Presently GCC provides the flight control of the satellite with regard to its attitude stabilization in flight, testing of its service systems and the scientific equipment set and also provides processing and analysis of the telemetry data obtained. The transmitter operates, its signal is stable and of a good level. Operations with the Colibri MS to be continued.

By 30 April 2002 MS has performed more than 630 orbits around the Earth. More than 200 communication contacts were established from MS. The service systems and science hardware complex operate to a full extent. New data on fluctuations of the Earth's magnetic field and energy particle fluxes during strong geomagnetic disturbances on April 17 and April 23 were obtained. The data on the impact of the Earth's disturbed atmosphere on the nature and rate of the MS orbit changes were analyzed.
According to the ballistic analysis made by S.P. Korolev RSC Energia specialists, MS will make an atmospheric re-entry and be destroyed on 3-4 May 2002. Taking into account the significance of obtaining scientific data in low-earth orbits, all service systems and science hardware complex will operate and transmit data to the Earth within this period.

On May 3, 2002 the micro-satellite (MS) "Kolibri-2000" which had been launched in space on March 20, 2002 within the framework of a Russian-Australian scientific and educational project, ended its life in Earth orbit. Its mission lasted 45 days, during which time MS Kolibri-2000 completed 711 orbits around the Earth and there were more than 230 communications sessions with the Main Ground Control Station at Kaluga and data receiving and processing stations at Tarusa, Obninsk (Russia), and Sydney (Australia). After completing its program of scientific and engineering experiments, micro-satellite Kolibri-2000 re-entered atmosphere and disintegrated over Pacific Ocean at 23 hours 19 minutes Moscow Time. The scientists continue to process the unique data obtained from the micro-satellite, that allow to start working on the publication of educational materials, and also to start developing the program for the subsequent missions of scientific and educational micro-satellites of this series that will take into account the results of the first mission.