December 1, 2009. Baikonur Cosmodrome,
branch of RSC Energia after S.P. Korolev
Upper Stage (US) DM-SLB delivered Spacecraft (SC) Intelsat 15 to target geosynchronous transfer orbit. SC mass is about 2.5 tons.
Launch was performed under the Land Launch Program with launch vehicle (LV) Zenit-2SB used (launch took place of December 1st at 00 hours 00 minutes Moscow Time).
First firing of the US main engine was carried out within 10 seconds of the separation of the US+SC Orbital Block (OB) from LV 2nd stage (within 8 min. 41 seconds after the launch). Having run 3.5 minutes, the engine provided the OB injection into reference near-earth orbit..
Following the second and third firings of the main engine, US provided SC injection from the reference orbit into the scheduled orbit having the parameters close to design parameters (with perigee altitude of 10290 km, apogee altitude of 35786 km and inclination of 12.0 degrees).
The second firing was performed within 1 h 20 min after the launch, engine had run 5.3 min. The third firing took place within 6 h 14 min., with the engine operation duration of 1.8 min.
On December 1 at 6 hours 28 minutes Moscow Time SC separation from US was performed in geosynchronous transfer orbit.
US/SC flight control was conducted by the Technical Management (headed by V.A. Lopota, President of RSC Energia after S.P. Korolev, General Designer). Mission analysis was performed by RSC Energia's specialists as the members of the Lead Operational Control Team operating in the Mission Control Center for Upper Stages (RSC Energia, the city of Korolev). Flight Director is the first Deputy General Designer V.A. Solovyov.
The Mission Program which envisaged triple firing of the US main engine in an automatic mode for SC orbital insertion has been completely implemented. Customer was put in charge of spacecraft control.
US onboard systems operation was monitored by telemetry data arriving at the Mission Control Center with the involved data reception and transmission systems. In addition, the moment of SC separation was recorded in real-time mode during direct transmission of telemetry results from US.
For reference:
- This launch was the fourth under the Land Launch Project, which is the ground alternative of the Sea Launch Project based upon Cosmodrome Baikonur.
- Upper Stage DM-SLB is DM-type US modification of the D, DM units family developed by RSC Energia after S.P. Korolev on the basis of the DM-SL modification being operated under the Sea Launch Program and advanced onboard systems (control system, radio system, thermal control system, etc.).
- Under the Land Launch Project, RSC Energia in cooperation with subcontracting enterprises ensures US development and manufacture, integration of US and Ascent Unit (AU) as applied to specific SC, manufacture and integration of the US/SC adapters system. In support of the launches, RSC Energia along with its subcontractors developed the following: US Technical Complex, kits of checkout equipment for AU and US at Cosmodrome Baikonur technical complexes.
- D, DM-type US developed and manufactured by RSC Energia are intended to deliver SC from low near-earth orbits to high-energy orbits (including geosynchronous orbit), as well as to translunar trajectories and Solar system planets. Advanced US modifications are being operated together with LV Proton and Zenit.
- SC Intelsat 15 is designed to provide telecommunication services in regions of Middle East, Indian Ocean and Russia. Subsatellite point of SC in geosynchronous orbit is 85 East Longitude, where its final ascent is performed autonomously upon separation from US.
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