Progress M1-9 logistics vehicle launched to ISS
Baikonur launch site.:
In accordance with the International Space Station (ISS)
mission plan, logistics vehicle Progress M1-9 has been put
into a low Earth orbit.
The vehicle was launched at 20:58:24, Moscow daylight saving
time.
The objective of the launch is logistics support of the
Station and conducting tests of the rendezvous system Kurs
installed on the Russian module Zvezda and on the logistics
vehicle, while flying to the Station.
The total mass of cargo carried by the vehicle is about
3.2 tons, which includes propellant for refuelling the Russian
Segment of the Station; oxygen; food rations and fresh food
for the ISS crew; means of atmospheric control, repair and
maintenance, sanitary, hygienic and medical support, water
supply, power supply, personal protection; crew support
equipment; payloads for conducting work under the program
of the European Space Agency (ESA) envisaged in the mission
plan of the ESA astronaut, citizen of Belgium, Franc De
Vinne, who is a member of the fourth Russian "taxi"
mission.
The vehicle is put into an orbit with the maximum altitude
of 234.8 km, the minimal altitude of 192.4 km, the orbital
period of 88.49 minutes and the inclination of 51.74?.
The on-board systems of the vehicle operate within design
limits. Its docking with the ISS is scheduled for September
29, 2002 at 21:04.
To prepare for the vehicle docking, an axial docking port
on the Zvezda module was cleared by undocking from it Progress
M-46 on September 24, 2002. That vehicle, having departed
from the space station, made a burn that put it into an
orbit with the maximum altitude of 401 km and the minimal
altitude of 360 km, where it is carrying out an independent
mission in the free-flyer mode.
Progress M1-9 was prepared for its mission under the direction
of the Technical Manager of the Russian manned programs,
S.P.Korolev RSC Energia Designer General, a member of the
Russian Academy of Sciences Yu.P.Semenov.
The pre-launch processing of the vehicle at the Baikonur
launch site and the launch were directed by Co-chairmen
of the State Commission, State Secretary, the First Deputy
of Rosaviacosmos Director General N.F.Moiseev, the Deputy
Director of the Central Research Institute for Machine Building
V.A.Grin, and the Technical Manager of the Russian manned
programs, S.P.Korolev RSC Energia Designer General, a member
of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yu.P.Semenov.
The flight of the vehicle and the ISS Russian Segment are
controlled by the Lead Operations Control Team at the Mission
Control Center (MCC-M), Korolev, Moscow region. The Flight
Director is the cosmonaut V.A.Soloviev.
The ISS currently operates in orbit with the maximum altitude
of 401 km and minimal altitude of 381 km, and consists of
the following modules: Functional Cargo Module Zarya, Service
Module Zvezda, Docking Compartment Pirs, manned transport
vehicle Soyuz TM-34, modules Unity, Destiny and Quest airlock.
The total mass of the in-orbit system is about 148.9 tons.
Based on telemetry data and reports of the fifth expedition
crew (ISS-5) – Valeri Korzun (commander, Russia), Peggy
Whitson (flight engineer, USA) and Sergei Treshchev (flight
engineer, Russia) – all the on-bard systems of the in-orbit
system operate within their design limits. The space station
is ready for docking with Progress M1-9.