Saturday, August 28, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Kirari
2005-031A
NASDA's Optical Inter-Orbit Communications Engineering Test Satellite was to be launched by a J-1 in 1998 to LEO. It will demonstrate laser satellite-to-satellite links and pointing and tracking technology. Launch was delayed since the pad was needed for other launches. Eventually J-1 was cancelled and the satellite was finally launched by a Russian Dnepr in 2005. OICETS was renamed Kirari ('glitter') after launch.
The 8194/8474A laser system will be used to communicate with Artemis. An S-band link will be used to DRTS and the ground.
Size is 0.8 x 1.1 x 2.5m, box + 2 panels 9.4m span. Mass 570 kg. Orbit will be 550 x 610 x 97. Control from Tsukuba.
OICETS carries out a high precision acquisition and tracking experiment with Artemis; the optical inter-orbit comms experiment using LUCE, with Artemis; and evaluation of the optical components and of the vibration environment.
In Dec 2005 it made the first 2-way lasercom signal exchange with Artemis.
The Dnepr final stage carried a capsule with commemorative objects for Turkmenistan.
| OICETS | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Aug 23 | 2109:59 | Launch by Dnepr | KB LC109 |
| T+1:49 St 1 sep | |||
| T+1:52 St 2 MES | |||
| T+4:26? St 2 MECO | |||
| T+4:36? GO sep | |||
| T+4:41? St 2 VECO | |||
| T+4:41 St 2 sep | -1000 x 350 ? | ||
| T+4:44 St 3 burn | |||
| T+4:57 Low thrust regime? | |||
| St 2 impact Pacific 45E 32S? | |||
| 2121? | T+11? St 3 MECO | ||
| 2125:09 | T+15:10 St 3 fairing/plume sep | ||
| 2125:13 | T+15:14 OICETS sep | ||
| 2125:15 | T+15:16 adapter sep | ||
| 2125:17 | T+15:18 Index sep | ||
| T+25:35 Solar arrays deploy | |||
| 2126:03 | T+16:04 St 3 depletion | ||
| 2004 Nov 24 | One reaction wheel failed | ||
| 2005 Dec 9 | Two-way laser com with ARTEMIS | ||
| 2006 Apr 20 | Reaction wheel reactivated | ||
| 2009 Sep 24 | end of mission | ||
Payload:
- LUCE Laser-utilizing Comms Experiment
- MVE Micro Vibration Equipment - studies stability of laser comms
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Shenzhou 7
2008-047A
SZ-7 carried a crew of three: Zhai Zhigang, Liu Buoming, and Jing Haipen. Zhai Zhigang is the EVA astronaut in a Feitian; Liu Buoming wears an Orlan inside the depressurized OM.
Zhai is zhilingzhang ('commander'; the word is similar in meaning to zhihuizhang). Liu is guidaocang hangtianyuan ('orbital module astronaut') and Jing is fanhuicang zhishou hangtianyuan ('descent module safeguard astronaut' or 'descent module monitor astronaut').
Mass 7890 kg. EVA suit 120 kg.
Subsatellite mounted on nose of OM.
From Chen Lan:
There were two EVA suits onboard. The EVA taikonaut wore the Chinese made Feitian suit and another member inside the OM will wear the Russian Orlan M-42. These two suits are with slight differences, judging from available photos. China signed the agreement with Russia in April 2004 to purchase 9 Orlan suits, among which 3 flight suits, 4 neutral pool training suits and 2 low-pressure training suits. - Solar panels, 16 thrusters, all sub-systems used for independent flight are removed. New additions include five gas bottles and the subsatellite on top of the OM, two external cameras, handrails, as well as an exposure experimental device to be retrieved by the taikonaut. - The contingency plan includes the single person EVA. -
The subsatellite,
\uni{ 神舟七号伴随卫星}{ }(Shenzhou qihao bansui weixing) weighs 40kg and with diameter of 40cm. It will be released after the EVA. After photographing SZ-7, it will move away to a distance about several kilometers, and will test "satellite fleet" technology with the OM in next a few month. - China will launch Tiangong-1, 2, 3 spacecraft between 2010 and 2015. TG-1 will be the docking target (probably a modified OM) and TG-2 and 3 will be the 8t class mini-station, or the Spacelab. There will be two unmanned vehicles (SZ-8 and 9) and 5 manned ships to visit these TGs during this period.
| SZ7 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Sep 25 | 1310:05 | Launch by CZ-2F | JQ |
| T+2:00 LES sep | |||
| T+2:16 SRM burnout, sep | |||
| T+2:38 St 1 MECO | |||
| T+2:39 St 1 sep, St 2 burn | |||
| T+3:20 Fairing sep | |||
| T+7:41 St 2 MECO | |||
| 1319 | T+9:43 Stage 2 VECO | ||
| 1320 | Stage 2 sep | 200 x 330 x 42.4 | |
| 2005 | Perigee raise | 330 x 336 x 42.4 | |
| 2008 Sep 27 | |||
| 0810? | Resume depress at 70 kPa? | ||
| 0815? | OM depress | ||
| 0830? | Ready for HO | ||
| 0830? | Depress complete | ||
| 0838 | HO (dp 2kPa) | ||
| 0839 | Hatch temp close | ||
| 0840 | Hatch open | ||
| 0843 | Zhai SEVA | ||
| 0844 | Zhai egress fully | ||
| 0844 | EVA begins | ||
| 0847 | Liu SEVA; Zhai waving PRC flag | ||
| 0850 | Zhai retrieves materials sample | ||
| 0857 | Ingress | ||
| 0858 | EVA complete | ||
| 0900 | Hatch closed | ||
| 0912 | Go for repress | ||
| 0915? | Repress | ||
| 0926 | OM at 40 kPa | ||
| 0950 | OM fully repress | ||
| 1127 | Subsat release | ||
| 2008 Sep 28 | |||
| 0848 | OM sep | ||
| 0851:16 | 7.451 -24.075 339 km DO burn | ||
| 0853:18 | 13.664 -19.287 336 km DO CO | ||
| 0913 | Modules sep | ||
| 0919 | Reentry blackout | ||
| 0919 | On drogue parachutes | ||
| 0924 | Main parachute deployed | ||
| 0936:40 | Landed 42.278N 111.355E | ||