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In accordance with Sea Launch Company plans, the first
launch after almost a yearlong break should have taken place
in March 2002. It was planned to launch a direct TV broadcast
spacecraft Galaxy-IIIC on the HS-702 bus.
Prior to launch processing operations it was necessary to
perform debugging of the nominal control law updated in
accordance with control object input changes accumulated
by that time and documented discrepancies by the results
of four previous launches. The necessity of these activities
was determined by a joint decision taken by RSC Energia,
Yuzhnoye GKB and KBTM General Designers and concurred by
the Sea Launch Company.
RSC Energia personnel required for these activities should
have left for Home Port right after New-Year holidays. However,
due to spacecraft non-availability the launch date was postponed
until the beginning of May and the activities at Home Port
were initiated only in the 20s of February.
Besides the debugging of the control law, prior to the beginning
of nominal launch processing activities, it was necessary
to replace on the Upper Stage (Block DM SL #8L) one of control
system devices after its repair at NPTs AP and perform modification
of the attitude/ullage control propulsion system relative
to thermal shield mounting and OCN cables. At this time
a message from the customer came that the spacecraft delivery
is delayed. By the end of March Upper Stage modification
and repair were complete. The debugging of the nominal control
law drew to an end. All Home Port services were brought
to readiness. Rocket Segment assemblies and systems passed
through nominal tests. The testing of rocket blocks was
initiated.
CHRONOLOGY OF ACTIVITIES
February
23 -
April 17, 2002 |
Test activities with Block DĚ-SL #8L and Zenit-2S
LV #8 aboard ACS. Processing activities with Rocket
Segment systems and equipment.
|
| April
11, 2002 |
Readiness review (SRR) for Rocket-Space complex segment
systems and equipment by the start of Galaxy-IIIC SC
mission processing activities. Developer (BSS) and Customer
(PanAmSat) have announced an additional 5-day delay
of SC arrival at Home Port (a total delay made up 12
days). A new date of SC arrival at Home Port is fixed
for 22.04.02., a new launch date - for 28.05.02. |
April
17 -
April 29, 2002 |
Further US processing activities are stopped until
SC arrival, RSC Energia in the period of forced idle
time started doing maintenance work under a special
"Personnel Work Schedule". Continuation
of testing of Zenit-2S LV #8 aboard ACS, conduct of
activities with Upper Stages Block DĚ-SL#9L and #11L.
|
| April
22, 2002 |
Final Technical Board on the results of CACS PL control
law modifications and verification.
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| April
29, 2002 |
The Galaxy-IIIC SC is delivered to Home Port. Developer
(BSS) and Customer (PanAmSat) have defined a new launch
date - 04.06.02.
|
April
29 -
May 10, 2002 |
Preparation
and implementation of Block DĚ-SL #8 loading with kerosene,
nitrogen tetroxide and UDMH, compressed gases. |
| May
11, 2002 |
US/LV
mating. |
| May
19, 2002 |
Transfer
of PLU with the Galaxy-IIIC SC to ACS ( 5 days later
than the scheduled date due to SC electric test discrepancies
), launch date shift to 09.06.02. |
May
20 -
May 26, 2002 |
A
3 day delay in performing operations on US/PLU mating
due to a faulty PLU transport-mating equipment (responsible
agency - Boeing). Renewal of US/PLU mating operations,
in the final phase Boeing specialists have detected
a loss of one of eight metallic gaskets mounted under
PLU attach bolts. Visual inspection of US/PLU internal
cavities first in the mated state and then after US/PLU
demating - the gasket is not detected. By the results
of inspection a conclusion is made: with a high probability
the lost gasket in US and PLU is absent. Sea Launch
Company, BSS and Customer (PanAmSat) have defined a
new launch date - 04.06.02. |
| May
28, 2002 |
ILV
transfer from ACS to LP. Review (MRR) of RSC systems
and equipment readiness to go to the launch site. The
launch date is shifted to 15.06.02. |
| May
29, 2002 |
Activities
on ILV "dry" roll-out to the launch pad, critical
launch readiness checklist implementation. |
May
31 -
June 11, 2002 |
ACS/LP
transit to the launch site. Two integrated rehearsals
of pre-launch processing with MCC-Moscow support. |
| June
13, 2002 |
Activities
of the first launch day: making Rocket Segment systems
ready for operations at the launch site, ILV processing. |
| June
14, 2002 |
Activities
of the second launch day: ILV roll-out to the launch
pad, critical launch readiness checklist implementation. |
| June
15, 2002 |
Activities
of the third launch day: nominal launch readiness checklist,
ILV fueling and launch. |
| June
16, 2002 |
At
2:39 A.M. Moscow Time (June 15, 2002 at 10:39 P.M. Greenwich
Time) is carried out the eighth launch from the Odyssey
Launch Platform. |
| Post-launch
operations. |
LAUNCH RESULTS
The Galaxy-IIIC spacecraft is placed into the calculated
orbit:
Perigee altitude,
km |
Apogee altitude,
km
|
Inclination,
deg.
|
|
361
|
41440
|
0,0
|
|
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