1998-042A
On Jul 7 at 0315 UTC Russia carried out the first satellite launch from a submarine. The Shtil'-1 launch vehicle is a converted R-29RM (RSM-54) ballistic missile. It launched the German 8 kg Tubsat-N `nanosatellite' and its companion 3 kg Tubsat-N1 from the K-407 `Novomoskovsk', a 667BDRM Del'fin class submarine of the Russian Northern Fleet's 3rd Flotilla, commanded by Cdr. Aleksandr Moiseev. Tubsat-N entered a 400 x 776 km x 78.9 deg orbit. The Shtil' is a three stage liquid propellant submarine launched ballistic missile made by the Makeev design bureau; the satellite payload is placed in the standard Shtil' reentry vehicle. The launch was carried out at 0315 UTC on Jul 7 from a range in the Barents Sea off the coast of the Kol'skiy Peninsula, at approximately 35.3 deg E 69.3 deg N (TUB message) or 34.2E 69.5N (NK 9815-15). The submarine was at a depth of about 30m. Both Tubsat-N and Tubsat-N1 carry a small store-forward communications payload which will be used to keep track of transmitters placed on vehicles, migrating animals, and marine buoys. They are owned and built by the Technische Universitat Berlin (TUB). This was the first orbital launch by the Russian Navy and the first by a Makeev built rocket.
Size of the combined satellites 0.32 x 0.32 x 0.10m. Mass of Tubsat N is 8.5 kg.
The third stage engine is jettisoned from the third stage post boost system. The payload capsule (an SLBM RV) is ejected from the PBS. It is a 1.47m long 0.45m x 0.67m dia elliptical cone with its base a separable payload plate.
Stage 2 is 4.6m long (including forward skirt but excluding engine nozzle) 1.90m dia. The PBS is 1.90m diam 3.0m long. The ejected engine is about 2.0m long 1.0m dia.
42F was a rapidly decaying object not tracked until a year after launch.
| ID | RCS | Orbit 6/98 | Orbit 6/99 | ||
| 42A | Tubsat N | 0.06 | 400 x 774 | 396 x 745 | |
| 42B | Tubsat N1 | 0.54 | 400 x 770 | 391 x 708 | |
| 42C | Stage | 5.3 | 401 x 807 | 400 x 792 | |
| 42D | Engine? | 0.25 | 400 x 774 | 393 x 726 | |
| 42E | 0.01 | 400 x 771 | 385 x 675 | ||
| 42F | deb | 0.16 | 332 x 453 | (Cataloged 1999) | |
| Tubsat N | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 Jul 7 | 0315:00 | Launch by Shtil'-1 | Barents |
| Stage 1 burn | |||
| 0316:15 | T+1:15 Stage 1 Sep 30 km | -6300? x 60? x 78.9 | |
| T+1:15 Interstage halves sep | |||
| 0316:15 | Stage 2 burn | ||
| 0317:49 | T+2:49 Stage 2 sep 109 km | -5200? x 160? x 78.9 | |
| T+2:49 Mode A start, Stage 3 MES 109 km | |||
| 0319:16 | T+4:16 Mode M start 174 km, Stage 3 MECO | -1650? x 400 x 78.9 | |
| 0320:20 | T+5:20 Stage 3 engine sep 224 km; impact Pacific | -1620? x 400 x 78.9 | |
| 0325:41 | T+10:41 B mode, Apogee leg begins, BR MES 800 m/s? | -1500? x 400 x 78.9 | |
| 0330:06 | T+15:06 Apogee leg ends, BR MECO | 400 x 700? x 78.9 | |
| BR in low thrust mode | |||
| 0330:11 | T+15:11 Payload capsule sep from nosecone | 400 x 710? x 78.9 | |
| 0330:47 | T+15:47 Payload capsule cover ejected | ||
| 0330:47 | T+15:47 Payload ejected from capsule at 2.2m/s | ||
| 0330:47 | T+15:47 Nosecone thrust off, 100m away | ||
| 0335? | Stage 2 impact 85E 78N | ||
| 0338? | Stage 3 engine impact Pacific range | ||
