January 29, 2004. Baikonur Cosmodrome.
At 14 hours 58 minutes 8 seconds Moscow Time the Soyuz-U/Progress
M1-11 Rocket-Space Complex was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome
under the International Space Station (ISS) Mission Program
and the Russian Side's commitments under the ISS Project.
The launch objective is to inject the Progress M1-11 transport
cargo vehicle into a near-earth orbit in order to deliver
onboard the ISS the propellant and cargoess required to
keep the station operating and support crew work and its
living conditions.
The vehicle has been successfully injected into orbit with
a maximum altitude of 262.4 km, minimum altitude of 191.1
km, revolution of 88.73 min and inclination of 51.65°.
The vehicle onboard systems operate normally in a design
mode. Its docking to the ISS is slated for January 31, 2004
at 16 hours 17 minutes.
The Progress M1-11 vehicle prelaunch processing was conducted
under the direction of Yu.P. Semenov, Technical Manager
of the Russian Manned Flight Programs, General Designer
of S.P. Korolev RSC Energia, the RAS academician.
The decision on taking the Soyuz-U/Progress M1-11 Rocket-Space
Complex out to the launch site of Baikonur Cosmodrome and
its launch was taken by the State Commission in accordance
with the Technical Management's conclusion.
The vehicle and the ISS Russian Segment flight is controlled
by the Lead Operational Control Team (LOCT) located at the
Mission Control (MCC-M), Moscow Region, Korolev. The Flight
Director is Pilot-Cosmonaut V.A. Soloviev.
The Progress M1-11 carries about 2.4 tons of the cargoes,
including propellant to satisfy the station needs, potable
water, oxygen and food products, crew life support systems,
equipment for resupply and maintenance of the station onboard
systems (with the equipment for the USOS included). The
vehicle will also deliver to the station scientific instruments
and equipment to conduct the European Space Agency (ESA)
Program-specific activities and work under the Dutch and
Japanese Projects, as well as support the future mission
program of ESA astronaut Andre Kuipers (Netherlands), which
is to be implemented during the Russian Expedition 6 to
the ISS slated to begin in April this year.
It is the 11th space vehicle of the range of transport cargo
vehicles-tankers developed and manufactured by S.P. Korolev
RSC Energia in cooperation with the Russian rocket-space
industry enterprises and agencies. The first flight of this
modified vehicle was accomplished under the Mir Station
Program from February 1 through April 27, 2000.
In early 2003 the Russia - made Progress transport space
vehicles have become the only means of delivery to the ISS
of oxygen, water, food products, fuel and various equipment
in support of both crew and the orbital complex operations.
The Orbital Complex having mass of some 174.9 tons is operating
in the orbit characterized by the following parameters:
maximum altitude of 391.4 km, minimum altitude of 365.7
km.
Its Russian Segment incorporates Functional Cargo Block
Zarya, Service Module Zvezda, docking compartment - module
Pirs, as well as the Soyuz TMA-3 manned space vehicle. The
American Segment consists of the modules Unity and Destiny,
airlock Quest and multielement truss structure with the
solar arrays deployed.
By the telemetry information and crew reports of the Main
Expedition 8, including the Russian cosmonaut Alexander
Kalery (Flight Engineer) and the American astronaut Michael
Foale (Commander), all the Orbital Complex onboard systems
are operating in design modes; the crew is ready for docking
with the Progress M1-11 space vehicle.
The progress of the launch and vehicle orbital injection
events was observed by the specialists from the Russian-American
independent Commission on the problems of ensuring the joint
human flights under the ISS Program (the Anfimov - Stafford
Commission) staying at MCC-M.
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