News

May 18 2010. MCC-M - S.P. Korolev RSC Energia,
Korolev, Moscow Region

Mini Research Module ?1 (MRM1) Rassvet is introduced into the International Space Station Russian Segment (ISS RS), operations for its integration are started.

The Module docking to nadir docking port of Functional Cargo Block (FGB) Zarya have been performed. (The initial contact with the docking port occurred at 16:19:45 Moscow Time.)

The Module transfer from the payload bay of U.S. Atlantis Orbiter and its docking to FGB are made using the Shuttle manipulator and the USOS manipulator.

Managers and specialists of the Corporation subdivisions, representatives of allied enterprises and organizations of the branch worked at Mission Control Center near Moscow (MCC-M) during MRM1 docking operations performance.

Control of the Module docking operations was provided by Lead Operational Control Team (LOCT) from MCC-M (The flight director is First Deputy General Designer of RSC Energia V.A. Soloviev).

By telemetry information data and reports of the ISS crew the Station and spacecraft onboard systems operate in the design modes.

For reference:

Module Rassvet is the fifth module of the ISS RS of the Russian production. It is developed and manufactured at S.P. Korolev Rocket & Space Corporation Energia which is the prime contractor for development and operation of the ISS RS, its Base Modules (Zvezda, Pirs, Poisk, etc.), Soyuz TMA and Progress M.

Module Rassvet is designed to perform the following tasks:

organization of workstations and accommodation of science hardware (SH/W) to make experiments envisaged by the Long-term science and application research program and experiments planned to be conducted on the ISS Russian Segment. In particular, in order to reduce a functional load on the onboard equipment of other Russian modules of the Station in this Module it is planned to continue such science experiments as Plasmida, Krystallizator, Konjugatsia, MSK, Bioemulsia, Membrana, Aseptic carried out in Modules Zvezda and Poisk;

organization of the port for Soyuz and Progress docking to the ISS on the side of FGB (with a capability of the ISS RS refueling);

delivery of cargoes for Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) reequipment and their storage till MLM arrival including an airlock, an additional radiator-heat exchanger, a spare elbow element of the European robotic arm and a portable workstation for science hardware (SH/W);

delivery of the U.S. cargoes in the pressurized compartment in compliance with the Contract aimed to provide services by Roscosmos to NASA at a period of 2006-2011.

Mass of the Module with cargoes and equipment delivered is about 8 t, the internal volume of its pressurized compartment is 17.4 m³ (concerning gas), 7.9 m³ habitable volume included. In the pressurized compartment there are universal internal stations equipped with mechanical adapters and special-purpose equipment:

8 arc frames with extendable module-racks;

glove box (Glovebox-C hardware);

high-temperature universal biotechnological thermostat (UBT-HT);

low-temperature universal biotechnological thermostat (UBT-LT);

universal vibration protection platform (VPP-U).

Glovebox-C (usable volume - 0.25 m³, 5 service ports) creates the environment for operation with sterile, hazardous substances or bulk matter as well as provides the airlocking, cleaning and sterilization aids. The cleaning level of the working chamber atmosphere is 99.9%.
UBT-HT and UBT-LT usable volumes are equal to 10 l each) are designed to provide the required temperature conditions for operation with biological objects. The thermostatting temperature is "plus" 2:37 C in UBT-HT and "minus" 20 C in UBT-LT.
VPP-U protects the science hardware (up to 50 kg mass) installed on it from the onboard background vibration, provides its vibrating insulation at frequencies of 0.4-250 Hz with the coefficient no less than 20 dB.
The ISS RS consists of: FGB Zarya, Modules Zvezda, Pirs, Poisk (MRM2), Rassvet (MRM1), Soyuz TMA-17, Soyuz TMA-18, Progress M-05M.