April 28, 2003. Korolev, Moscow Region.
The Russian Soyuz TMA-2 manned transport spacecraft docked
to the International Space Station (ISS).
At 09:56:20 Moscow time the spacecraft docking assembly
came into contact with the port of the ISS Functional Cargo
Block Zarya, when the spacecraft and Space Station were
within the Russian ground site coverage.
Following a two-day free flight in near-earth orbit and
upon completion of all the required rendezvous and berthing
operations in an automated mode with respect to the Space
Station, Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft approached the ISS Orbital
Complex.
Upon completion of the mechanical capture, retraction and
interface leak check operations, at 11:26 Moscow time the
transfer hatches between the spacecraft and Zarya Module
were open. The ISS Expedition Seven Crew (ISS-7) including
Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko (crew commander) and
U.S. citizen, NASA astronaut Edward Lu (flight engineer)
transferred to the Station.
The spacecraft fly-around, rendezvous and berthing operations
were observed by the Expedition Six Crew ISS-6 and Russian
and U.S. Mission Control Centers personnel, by using the
trajectory measurements, telemetry and television information
from the onboard TV cameras accommodated on the ISS U.S.
On-orbit Segments.
The joint International crew consisting of Russian cosmonauts
N. Budarin, (ISS-6 flight engineer, test cosmonaut of S.P.
Korolev RSC Energia), Yu. Malenchenko (ISS-7 crew commander,
instructor and test cosmonaut of Yu. Gagarin GCTC RSRI),
U.S. astronauts Kenneth Bowersox (ISS-6 crew commander),
Donald Pettit (ISS-6 flight engineer) and Edward Lu ((ISS-7
flight engineer). They will have to perform 6-day joint
activities onboard the ISS. During this time the cosmonauts
and astronauts will perform station crew rotation activities,
prepare Soyuz-TMA-1 spacecraft for return to the ground.
The return of ISS-6 crew on Soyuz TMA-1 is scheduled on
4 May 2003 with landing at 6:08 Moscow time.
At present the ISS Complex of about 186.2 tons is operating
in orbit in the following configuration: Functional Cargo
Block Zarya, Service Module Zvezda, Docking Module/Compartment
Pirs, manned spacecraft Soyuz TMA-1, Soyuz TMA-2, cargo
vehicle Progress M-47 (Russian Segment), as well as modules
Unity, Destiny and airlock Quest (U.S. On-Orbit Segment).
The ISS Russian Segment flight is commanded from Moscow
Mission Control Center (Korolev, Moscow area) in close cooperation
with the American Mission Control Center (Houston, the USA).
The Flight Director is Pilot-Cosmonaut V.A. Soloviev.
The ISS Complex is flying in a near-earth orbit with the
following parameters: maximum altitude of 413.2 km, minimum
altitude of 388.2 km, orbital period of 92.3 min.
The onboard systems of the transport spacecraft and the
station modules operate normally. The ISS joint crew is
performing on-orbit activities under the flight program.
During the Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft rendezvous and docking
maneuvers with the ISS and the first TV communication session
MCC-M was attended by members of the State Board (Co-chairmen:
N.F. Moiseev, State Secretary, First Deputy General Director
of Rosaviakosmos, V.A. Grin, Deputy General Director of
TsNIIMash) and Technical management of manned space programs
(Yu. P. Semenov, Technical Director of Russian Manned Space
Programs, General Designer of S.P. Korolev RSC Energia,
Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences). These operations
were observed by representatives of Rosaviakosmos and NASA,
including M. Kostelnik, NASA Deputy Administrator, ISS Program
and Shuttle Flights Manager, F. Gregory, NASA Deputy Administrator
for Space Flights and leading specialists of RSC Energia,
Russian enterprises and organizations involved in the ISS
Project implementation.
During the first TV session with the ISS conducted directly
after opening of the transfer hatches and meeting of ISS-7
and ISS-6 crews Yu.P. Semenov, General Designer, Academician
of the Russian Academy of Sciences, N.F. Moiseev, First
Deputy General Director of Rosaviakosmos, N.A. Anfimov,
General Director of TsNII of Machine-Building, Academician
of RAS, M. Kostelnik and F. Gregory, NASA Deputies Administrator
for Space Flights congratulated Yu. Malenchenko and Ed.
Lu with their arrival to the Station and wished successful
flight program activities to the joint international crew.
After opening of the transfer hatches a press conference
for Russian and foreign mass media representatives was held
at MCC-M. The press conference was attended by Yu.P. Semenov,
Technical Director of Russian Manned Space Programs, General
Designer of S.P. Korolev RSC Energia, Academician of the
Russian Academy of Sciences, N.F. Moiseev and V.A. Grin,
co-chairmen of the State Board, N.A. Anfimov, General Director
of TsNII of Machine-Building, Academician, P.I. Klimuk,
Colonel-General, Director of Yu.A. Gagarin CTC RGNII, F. Gregory
and M. Kostelnik, NASA Deputies Administrator for Space
Flights, B.Gerstenmaier, ISS Program Director, V.I. Lobachev,
MCC-M Head. Yu.P. Semenov, General Designer of S.P. Korolev
RSC Energia, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences,
N.F. Moiseev, First Deputy Director of Rosaviakosmos, F.
Gregory, NASA Deputy Administrator for Space Flights, P.I.
Klimuk, Colonel-General, Director of Yu.A. Gagarin CTC RGNII
answered questions of journalists about ISS program activities
in 2003 and their funding.
Key data on the experiment program to be performed by Expedition
Crew ISS-7 is presented in Internet at RSC Energia site:
www.energia.ru/eng/iss/iss07/res.html.
|
|