November 10, 2002. Korolev, Moscow Region.
The International Space Station (ISS) fourth visiting crew
(VC-4) - the Russians: Sergey Zaletin and Yuri Lonchakov
and the Belgian: Frank de Winne - returned with the space
vehicle Soyuz TM-34 landing module upon the 11-days flight
program.
Soyuz TM-34 was undocked from the ISS Russian Segment ZARYA
Module on November 9, 2002 at 23:44 in Moscow time, following
the Moscow Region Mission Control Center (MCC-M) commanding.
The vehicle descent was performed nominally in automatic
mode.
The landing module was landed in the target district, located
near Arcalyck (Kazakhstan). At the first time over recent
10 years the landing was performed at night, the touch with
ground surface by the landing module was performed at 03:04
in Moscow time. Search and rescue service effectively provided
a timely search of landing module in complicated dark night
conditions, and its escorting on the phase of its pancake
and landing with subsequent crew evacuation from the landing
site.
The landing site coordinates are 51.00 degrees of North
latitude and 67.35 degrees of East longitude.
The VC-4 flight tasks were successfully completed. The manned
transfer vehicle Soyuz TM-34, been a part of ISS orbital
complex since April 27, 2002, as a rescue vehicle and been
the earlier manned space vehicle modification of Soyuz type,
was replaced by Soyuz TMA-1, the new modification, designed
by the S.P. Korolev RSC Energia specialists in cooperation
with its subcontractors from Russian rocket and space industry.
During this crew flight the program of scientific research
and experiments, including those related to Odissea Project,
was fully completed.
Besides the flight program completion the VC-4 visited the
ISS American Orbital Segment (USOS) pressurized compartment
and familiarized themselves with its equipment, performed
a replacement of Soyuz TM-34/Soyuz TMA-1 IELK, developed
the emergency complex escape operations, performed the medical
examination and physical exercises required for descent
preparation.
During the joint flight the TV-reports on the VC-4 arrival
to the ISS and its departure from the Station before return
to the Earth were made. The video filming and photographing
of crew operation and rest on-board ISS as well as activity
connected with symbolics items; TV-sessions with European
Space Agency (ESA) representatives, mass media; TV-sessions
with schoolchildren under the Odissea Project were performed.
The Soyuz TM-34 flight control on the phase of its return
to the Earth was performed by the Main Operational Management
Group (GOGU) located at MCC-M (Flight Director is pilot-cosmonaut
V.A. Solovjev) and operating together with the American
Control Center (Houston) specialists.
During the Soyuz TM-34 descent/landing maneuvering the members
of State Committee (Co-chairmans: N.F. Moiseev, Secretary
of State, First Deputy General Director of Rosaviacosmos;
V.A. Grin, Deputy Director of TsNIIMASH) and Technical Management
of Manned Space Programs (Yu.P. Semenov, Technical Manager
of Russian Manned Programs, General Designer of S.P. Korolev
RSC Energia, Member of the Russian Academy of Science) as
well as representatives of Rosaviacosmos, NASA, ESA, leading
specialists of RSC Energia, Russian enterprises and organizations
involved in the ISS Project realization.
The ISS orbital complex is continuing its flight in the
near-earth orbit with inclination of 51.650, maximum and
minimum altitude of 418.1 and 384.4 km, respectively, and
orbital period of 92.3 min.
At present, the orbital complex with mass of 165.9 tons
operates as a following composition: Functional Cargo Unit
ZARYA, Service Module ZVEZDA, Docking Compartment PIRS,
manned vehicle Soyuz TMA-1, cargo vehicle Progress M1-9,
as well as modules: UNITY and DESTINY and airlock QUEST.
The ISS-5 main crew - Russian cosmonauts: Valeri Korzun
(commander) and Sergei Treschev (on-board engineer) and
American astronaut: Peggy Whitson (on-board engineer) -
is in the process of on-board operations under the flight
program. This crew is to be replaced during implementation
of flight program by American vehicle of Shuttle type, which
launch is scheduled for November 11, 2002.
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