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According the plans of the Sea Launch company, the first
launch in 2003 was to take place in May. Spacecraft (SC)
EchoStar-IX was to be launched. However, delivery of EchoStar-IX
to the Home Port was delayed, and the first SC to arrive
at the Home Port was Thuraya D2. In connection with this
the Sea Launch changed the launch sequence and June 10,
2003 Thuraya D2 was put into its target orbit. Then, preparations
started for the launch of EchoStar-IX.
CHRONOLOGY OF ACTIVITIES
| April
11, 2003 |
Delivery of EchoStar-IX SC to the Home Port and placing
it in storage in a hangar.
|
June
30 -
July 6, 2003 |
Test operations with upper stage DM-SL #10L on-board
ACS (protective operations, test activation of the control
system, integrated tests per the orbital insertion sequence,
leak tests). Tests of LV Zenit-2S #SL10 on-board ACS
and preparations for tests of LV Zenit-2S #SL12 (donor
LV). Upper stage DM-SL #12L intended for the next mission
is loaded on ACS and installed onto a storage stand.
Activities to prepare rocket segment systems and hardware
for the upper stage filling. EchoStar-IX is filled with
nitrogen tetroxide. |
| July
7-13, 2003 |
Upper stage DM-SL #10L filling with propellant components
and compressed gases; mating upper stage DM-SL #10L
with LV Zenit-2S #SL10 on-board ACS. Tests of LV Zenit-2S
#SL12 and its transfer onto storage supports. Tests
of the upper stage DM-SL #12L on-board ACS (protective
operations, test activation of the control system,
integrated tests per the orbital insertion sequence,
leak tests).Continued work on the preparation of the
rocket segment systems and hardware. Completion of
the SC filling, conducting joint SC/PLU operations.
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| July
14-20, 2003 |
Transfer of PLU with SC EchoStar-IX to ACS, conducting
operations to mate PLU with upper stage DM-SL #10L.
Transfer of ILV Zenit-3SL #SL10 from ACS to LP. Continued
tests of upper stage DM-SL #12L on-board ACS.
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| July
21, 2003 |
Conducting a review of the launcher system subsystems
and hardware readiness for sailing out to the launch
site.
|
| July
21-22, 2003 |
ILV
dry roll-out activities, running a test launch readiness
poll. Placing ILV into LP hangar upon completion of
the work. |
| July
24, 2003 |
LP
sailing out from the Home Port to the launch site. |
| July
27, 2003 |
ACS
sailing out from the Home Port to launch site. |
July
24 -
August 3, 2003 |
ACS
and LP sea transit to the launch site. Conducting integrated
pre-launch processing rehearsals with support from MCC
in Korolev. |
| August
4, 2003 |
"Zero"
launch day activities on the launch segment. |
| August
5, 2003 |
First
launch day activities: readying the rocket segment systems
for launch site operations, ILV processing. Review of
the Sea Launch system readiness for launch site operations
and launch of ILV Zenit-3SL No.SL10 with EchoStar-IX
SC. |
| August
6, 2003 |
Activities
of the second launch day: bringing LP orientation into
the launch position, moving ACS into its nominal position
relative to the LP, ILV roll-out to the launch pad,
test run of the launch readiness poll. |
| August
7, 2003 |
Activities of the third launch day (Pacific Daylight
Saving Time):
- launch crew delivery to the LP by helicopter;
- evacuation from LP by helicopter of the personnel
not involved in the launch operations;
- 14:31 implementation of the "L-6 hours"
command;
- 15:31 implementation of the "Program start"
command; start of the actual run of the launch readiness
poll and ILV fuelling;
- final evacuation by helicopter from the LP of
the rocket segment and maritime segment personnel;
- ILV filling with propellant components and compressed
gases;
- evacuation of the "Red Team" from the
LP;
- 20:30:59 Lift-Off signal received.
|
| August
8, 2003 |
At
03 hrs 30 min 59.1 sec GMT ((07 hrs 30 min 59.1 sec
Moscow Time) the tenth launch from the Odyssey launch
platform under the Sea Launch program was accomplished.SC
insertion into its target geotransfer orbit from an
intermediate orbit established by the two-stage LV Zenit
2-S was performed by upper stage DM-SL using a mission
profile involving two burns of the main engine. The
first burn, performed ~10 seconds after the orbital
module (OM), consisting of the upper stage and spacecraft,
separated from the LV, raised the OM to a reference
near-circular orbit. The second burn, performed 35.5
minutes after completion of the first burn, assured
the SC delivery to its target geotransfer orbit. At
04 hrs 36 min 44 sec SC separation was detected. Spacecraft
EchoStar-IX was inserted into its target orbit. Launch
mission accomplished. It was 272-nd launch of a D and
DM-type upper stage over the period starting from 1967. |
| Post-launch
operations on LP and ACS. |
LAUNCH RESULTS
Spacecraft EchoStar-IX has been put into its target orbit:
Perigee altitude,
km |
Apogee altitude,
km
|
Inclination,
deg.
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|
757.773
|
35863.885
|
0,0
|
According to telemetry data, the target orbit parameters
are as designed.
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