Kolibry-2000 Satellite Launched From Progress M1-7 During ISS Departure

Today, at 1:28 Moscow Time, a Russian-Australian scientific
and educational micro-satellite (MS) "Kolibry-2000"
was launched from on-board logistics vehicle Progress M1-7,
after its separation and departure from the International
Space Station,
Logistics vehicle Progress M1-7 undocked from the Russian
Service Module Zvezda on March 19, 2002 at 20:43 within
coverage of the Russian ground tracking stations, after
which the vehicle was switched to free-flier mode.

The MS has a mass of 20.5 kg. Its solar arrays having an
area of 0.5 square meters can generate up to 60 W of electric
power. The radio equipment of the satellite operates at
145/435 MHz frequencies. The MS active life in orbit is
no less than 4 months.

The MS scientific equipment consists of the particle and
electromagnetic field analyzer and ac magnetometer. The
MS systems include data acquisition and control system,
RF command link system, housekeeping and science telemetry
system, power supply, thermal control and gravitation attitude
control system.

The Kolibri project MS is intended for use in comparative
studies of near-Earth space over Europe and Australia, as
well as for investigation of processes in Earth’s radiation
belts and Earth’s magnetosphere during solar flares.

This is a first spacecraft in a planned series of scientific
and educational micro-satellites.

The MS was delivered to the orbit in the payload compartment
of Progress M1-7.

The ISS fourth expedition crew, which consists of Russian
cosmonaut Yuri Onufrienko (ISS-4 commander) and US astronauts
Carl Walz and Daniel Bursch (ISS-4 flight engineers), prior
to the logistics vehicle separation, stowed spent hardware
and other cargoes in the vehicle’s payload compartment,
and prepared the micro-satellite for its launch and independent
operation in orbit.

The MS mission is controlled from the ground control complex
located in Kaluga, Russia.

The missions of the logistics vehicle and the ISS Russian
Segment are controlled by the Lead Operations Control Team
from MCC-M near Moscow (the Flight Director is cosmonaut
V.A.Soloviev).