Friday, April 15, 1994
Tuesday, April 12, 1994
Navstar 11
1985-093A
Navstar 11 (SVN 11, PRN 3) was the last Rockwell Block I GPS launch. It was placed in the C plane. By this time, operations with GPS were being supervised by USAF Space Command. In Mar 1990 it was reported to be operating on the rubidium clock without temperature control. It was then rephased to an alternate position in the plane.
| Navstar 11 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 Oct 9 | 0253 | Launch by Atlas E/SGS II | V SLC3 |
| 0255 | T+2:04 Booster sep | ||
| T+2:24 Fairing sep | |||
| T+5:21 MECO | |||
| 0259 | T+6:00? Atlas sep | ||
| T+6:21? Star 48 burn | |||
| T+7:46? Star 48 burnout | |||
| 0300 | T+7:46? Star 48 sep | ||
| 0300 | T+7:50? SGS upper Star 48 burn | ||
| 0302 | T+9:15? Star 48 burnout | ||
| 0304 | T+11m Star 48 sep | ||
| 1985 Oct 9 | 542 x 20740 x 63.0 | ||
| 1985 Oct 10 | 1225? | Star 27 burn | |
| 1985 Oct | 717.0 ... | ||
| 1985 Oct 30 | In nav service | ||
| 1990 Mar | Op on Rb clock, C-9 | ||
| 1990 Mar 20 | Rephase burn | ||
| 1990 Oct 17 | On station | ||
| 1994 Feb 27 | end of nav service | ||
Vega 2
1984-128A
Vega-2 (Venera-Galley 2, 5VK No. 902) was launched on 1984 Dec 21.
| Vega-2 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 Dec 21 | 0913:52 | Launch by Proton | KB |
| 0923? | Stage 3 MECO | ||
| 0927? | 11S824M burn 1 | ||
| 0929? | 11S824M MECO1 | ||
| 1027? | 11S824M burn 2 | ||
| 1031 | Asc node | ||
| 1035? | 11S824M MECO2 | Solar orbit | |
| 1035? | 11S824M sep | ||
| 1947? | Pass EL1:4 | ||
| 1984 Dec 26 | 1730? | Pass L1 | |
| 1985 Jan? | TCM-1 | ||
| 1985 Jun ? | TCM-2 | ||
| 1985 Jun 11 | 2200? | Enter Venus sphere | |
| 1985 Jun 14 | Venus encounter, 24500 km | ||
| 1985 Jun 18 | 0815? | Leave Venus sphere | |
| 1986 Mar 9 | 0720:06 | Halley encounter, 8036 km at 0.8341 AU from Sun | |
| 1987 | Decommissioned | ||
The Vega-2 Spuskaemiy Apparat landed on Venus on 1985 Jun 15. Landing site was 6 27 S, 181 05E, at 2.6 km below mean 6050 km radius. (other sources give 8.5S 164.5E (NSSDC);27 0S 181 05 (unk); 7.2S 179.4E (KI25-643)). Conditions were 90 atm, 729K.
| Vega-2 SA | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 Dec | Launch by Proton | KB | |
| 1985 Jun 13 | Sep from Vega-2 | ||
| 1985 Jun 15 | 0159:30 | Entry, 10.80 km/s 19.08 deg 125 km | -480 x -68300 |
| 93 km begin science data | |||
| 0200:05 | Drogue para deploy 65 km 280 m/s | ||
| Begin 64 min descent | |||
| 0200:16 | E+1 min Heat shield upper half sep, 64 km 160 m/s | ||
| 0200:16 | Balloon sep and parachute, (w upper half) 57 km 30m/s | ||
| 0200:16 | Deploy main chute 64.5 km | ||
| 0200:20 | Lower half shell sep 63 km, 100 m/s | ||
| 0209:15 | Main chute release 47 km 20 m/s | ||
| 0300:50 | Landed on Venus | ||
| 0322 | End of transmission, 21 min | ||
The 3-m balloon was deployed at an altitude of 55 km from the Vega-2 SA and transmitted for 46 hr.
| Vega-2 AZ | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 Jun 14 | Sep from Vega-2 SA | ||
| 1985 Jun 15 | 0200:16 | E+1 min Heat shield upper half sep, 64 km 160 m/s | |
| 0200:38 | Balloon sep 62 km | ||
| 0200:46 | Balloon drogue parachute, 57 km 30m/s | ||
| 0203:16 | Balloon main para | ||
| 0206:04 | Input at 179.8E 7.5S | ||
| 0206:16 | Toroidal lower half sep | ||
| 0206:36 | Fill balloon envelope 55 km 8m/s | ||
| 0210:26 | Parachute and filling system sep 53 km, 5m/s | ||
| 0211? | Ballast release H=50 km | ||
| 0215? | Begin drift after 15 min, 54 km | ||
| 1985 Jun 16 | 0910 | Terminator passage at 111.0E 7.5S, 7400 km range | |
| 1985 Jun 17 | 0038:01 | End of transmissions, 76.3E 7.5S, 11100 km range | |
Vega 1
1984-125A
The final probes in the 4MV series were the Venera-Galley (VeGa) probes, 5VK No. 901 and No. 902. Vega 1 (spacecraft 901) was launched on 1984 Dec 15 from Baikonur by Proton-K with an 11S824M fourth stage.
| Vega-1 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 Dec 15 | 0916:24 | Launch by Proton | KB |
| 0925 | Stage 3 MECO | ||
| 0929? | 11S824M burn 1 | ||
| 0931? | 11S824M MECO1 | 181 x 217 x 51.6 | |
| 1030? | 11S824M burn 2 | ||
| 1034 | Asc node | ||
| 1038? | 11S824M MECO2 | Solar orbit | |
| 1038? | 11S824M sep | ||
| 1950? | Pass EL1:4 | ||
| 1984 Dec 18 | TCM-1 | ||
| 1984 Dec 20 | 1730? | Leave Earth sphere | |
| 1985 Jun? | TCM-2 | ||
| 1985 Jun 7 | 1900? | Enter Venus sphere | |
| 1985 Jun 11 | 0330? | Venus encounter, 39000 km | |
| 1985 Jun 14 | 0930? | Leave Venus sphere | |
| 1985? | TCM | ||
| 1986 Mar 6 | 0720:06 | Halley encounter, 8912 km at 0.7923AU from Sun | |
1987 | Decommissioned | ||
Payload:
- Vidicon camera
- Plasma wave analyser
- Dust counter
- Neutral mass spectrometer
- Plasmag ion/solar wind analyser
- Opt-UV spectrometer
- IKS IR spectrometer 2.5-12mu,7-14 mu
- Magnetometer
The Vega-1 Spuskaemiy Apparat separated from Vega-1 on 1985 Jun 9 and entered on a -430 km periapsis trajectory. It landed on Venus on Jun 10, at +07 11 latitude, 177 48 longitude and 1.5 km below mean 6050 km radius. It transmitted for 21 minutes and surface conditions were 95 atm, 738 K. During descent, it deployed a balloon, the Aerostatniy Zond.
| Vega-1 SA | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 Jun 9 | Sep from Vega-1 | ||
| 1985 Jun 11 | 0159:49 | Entry, 10.75 km/s 18.23 deg 125 km | |
| 93 km begin science data | |||
| 0200:27 | Drogue para deploy 65 km 280 m/s | ||
| Begin 64 min descent | |||
| 0200:38 | E+1 min Heat shield upper half sep, 64 km 160 m/s | ||
| 0200:38 | Balloon sep and parachute, (from upper half) 57 km 30m/s | ||
| 0200:38 | Deploy main chute 64.5 km | ||
| 0200:42 | Lower half shell sep 63 km, 100 m/s | ||
| 0209:37 | Main chute release 47 km 20 m/s | ||
| 0232 | 18 km, valve failed, XRFS deploy | ||
| 0302:54 | Landed on Venus | ||
| 0324 | End of transmission, 21 min | ||
| 1985 Jun 13 | 0100? | AZ failed | |
Payload:
- Aerostatniy Zond (deployed)
- Temp, pressure
- ISAV UV spectrometer
- VM-4 hygrometer, H20 concentration
- IPF aerosol analyser
- ISAV-A particle size spectrometer/nephelometer
- Sigma-3 gas phase chromatograph
- BDRP-AM25 XR spectrometer
- Malachit GCMS mass spectrometer
- Orage: electrical storms analyser
- GS-15-SCV gamma ray spectrometer (surface)
- Sample scoop (surface)
- X-ray flourescence spectrometer (surface)
The 3-m balloon was ejected from the Vega-1 Spusakaemiy Apparat during its descent at an altitude of 55 km. It operated in the Venusian atmosphere for 47 hours.
The AZ (Cruising Balloon) consists of the nacelle and a 3.4m diameter, 12 kg balloon made of Ftorlon fabric covered with varnish and inflated with helium, attached to the nacelle with a 12 m cable. The nacelle is 1.0m long, 0.13m dia and 7 kg mass, and the total AZ mass is 21 kg.
There is a toroidal container on the upper surface of the lander's upper aerodynamic stabilizer which contains the balloon wrapped around the central science cylinder. The toroid cover and balloon are ejected with the upper half reentry shell.
After travelling 9000 km, the balloon entered the Venus dayside, and solar heating caused the envelope to expand and burst.
| Vega 1 AZ | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 Jun 10 | Sep from Vega-1 SA, alt 55 km | ||
| 1985 Jun 12 | 0200:38 | E+1 min Heat shield upper half sep, 64 km 160 m/s | |
| 0201:00 | Balloon sep 62 km | ||
| 0201:08 | Balloon drogue parachute, 57 km 30m/s | ||
| 0203:38 | Balloon main para | ||
| 0206:10 | "Input" at 176.9 8.1N | ||
| 0206:38 | Toroidal lower half sep | ||
| 0206:58 | Fill balloon envelope 55 km 8m/s | ||
| 0210:48 | Parachute and filling system sep 53 km, 5m/s | ||
| 0211? | Ballast release H=50 km | ||
| 0215? | Begin drift after 15 min, 54 km | ||
| 1985 Jun 13 | 1220 | Terminator passage 97.5E 8.1Nm after 8500 km range | |
| 1985 Jun 14 | 0038 | End of transmissions at 68.8E 8.1N after 11600 km range | |
Payload:
- Temperature and pressure sensors
- Wind velocity sensor
Sunday, April 10, 1994
Korabl-Sputnik 3
1960-017
Vostok-1 No. 3 (1K No. 3, Korabl'-Sputnik-3) was launched on 1960 Dec 1. It carried two dogs, Pchelka and Moucka, but they were killed when the spacecraft was destroyed during reentry. The attitude of the vehicle at retrofire was in error, with an effective underburn putting the descent trajectory on course for China, and the SA was destroyed by the auto destruct system.
| Korabl'-Sputnik-3 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 Dec 1 | 0730:04 | Launch by 8K72 | KB LC1 |
| 0735? | Blok-A sep | ||
| 0740? | Blok-E MECO | ||
| 0741? | Blok-E sep | 166 x 232 x 65.0 | |
| 1960 Dec 2 | 0657 | Retrofire rev 17, underburn | |
| 0710? | Reentry, PO sep | ||
| 0712 | SA destroyed on reentry | ||