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May 14, 2010. Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA -
S.P.Korolev RSC Energia, Korolev, Moscow region, Russia
The launch of the U.S. Atlantis orbiter in the payload bay of which besides the cargo envisaged for the USOS a new module of the ISS Russian Segment (RS), namely Mini Research Module Rassvet is located, was performed from the Kennedy Space Center cosmodrome at Cape Canaveral, USA, Florida at 22:20 Moscow Time.
The launch and docking of Mini Research Module MRM1 Rassvet is the NASA program commitment to the Russian partner in the ISS project.
After docking of the U.S. "shuttle" to the Station using two manipulators (one is located on the orbiter and the other is on the ISS) Module Rassvet will be docked to nadir docking port of Functional Cargo Block Zarya of the ISS RS.
S.P. Korolev RSC Energia management and specialists involved in MRM1 prelaunch processing operations observed the U.S. Orbiter launch at the cosmodrome.
For reference:
- In the scope of government contract with Roscosmos S.P. Korolev RSC Energia is responsible for the Module development, manufacture, launch support and docking. MRM1 operations were conducted at the Corporation since 2007.
- The following is installed on MRM1: Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) elements such as the airlock and radiation heat exchanger which in this case formed MRM1 flight configuration. The launch of the Multipurpose Laboratory Module - future component of the ISS RS is planned to be performed in 2012. After docking of the Multipurpose Laboratory Module to the ISS the airlock and radiation heat exchanger delivered together with MRM1 will be relocated for operation within MLM.
- In compliance with the Russian party commitments to NASA 1400 kg of different cargoes for the USOS were delivered to orbit in Rassvet Module Compartments.
- Presently 6 persons work in near-earth orbit under the ISS program: Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kotov (ISS commander), Aleksander Skvortsov and Mikhail Kornienko, U.S. astronauts Timothy Creamer and Tracy Caldwell Dyson, JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi.
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