|
Upon the successful orbital insertion of EchoStar-IX SC,
activities started in the Home Port to prepare for launch
the SC Galaxy-XIII/Horizions-1.
Galaxy-XIII/Horizions-1 was built by Boeing Satellite Systems
based on 601HP bus and its mass is 4090 kg. The SC is intended
to provide digital data transmission services, including
video and Internet for the areas of North and Central America,
Alaska and Hawaii. Intended for its launch were LV Zenit-2S
No.13 and upper stage DM-SL No.12L, used as "donors"
during pre-launch processing were LV Zenit-2S No.12 and
upper stage DM-SL No.9L.
CHRONOLOGY OF ACTIVITIES
| August
15-17, 2003 |
Arrival of the Assembly and Command Ship (ACS) to
the Home Port pier. Start of activities on the Galaxy-XIII
mission. Preparatory work on the Rocket Segment systems
and equipment.Transfer of the Zenit-2S No.13 rocket
stages from the Home Port hangar to ACS. Launch Platform
(LP) sea transit to Home Port continues.
|
| August
18 - 24, 2003 |
Test operations with upper stage DM-SL #12L on-board
ACS (protective operations, test activation of the on-board
systems. Assembling LV Zenit-2S #13 and preparing it
for tests. Tests of LV Zenit-2S #12 ("Donor"
LV) on-board ACS. Upper stage DM-SL #9L intended for
the next mission is loaded on ACS and installed onto
a storage stand. Processing activities on the rocket
segment systems and hardware. Delivery of Galaxy-XIII
SC to the Home Port. Sea Launch conducts a system readiness
review for the Galaxy-XIII mission.LP arrival at the
Home Port pier. |
| August
25-31, 2003 |
Tests of the Upper stage DM-SL #12L on-board ACS
(integrated tests according to the orbital insertion
program, leak tests). Filling the upper stage DM-SL
#12L with propellant components and compressed gases.
Preparations for tests of the upper stage DM-SL #9L
on-board ACS. Tests of LV Zenit-2S #13. Continuation
of work to prepare the rocket segment systems and
equipment. Loading SC Galaxy-XIII with the rocket
propellant components, conducting stand-alone operations
with PLU.
|
| September
1-7, 2003 |
Filling upper stage DM-SL #12L with propellant components
and compressed gases. Mating upper stage DM-SL #9
with LV Zenit-2S #13 on-board ACS (protective operations,
test activations of the on-board systems). Tests of
the Zenit-2S #12 LV.
|
| September
8-14, 2003 |
Transfer of PLU with SC Galaxy-XIII to ACS, conducting
operations to mate PLU with upper stage DM-SL #12L.
Transfer of ILV Zenit-3SL #SL13 from ACS to LP. "Dry"
roll-out of the ILV to the launch pad, running a test
launch readiness poll.Placing ILV into the LP hangar
upon completion of the operations.Continued tests
on upper stage DM-SL #9L on-board ACS.
|
| September
12, 2003 |
Conducting
a review of the launcher system subsystems and hardware
readiness for sailing out to the launch site. |
| September
16, 2003 |
LP
sailing out from the Home Port to the launch site. |
| September
19, 2003 |
ACS
sailing out from the Home Port to launch site. |
| September
16-26, 2003 |
ACS
and LP sea transit to the launch site. Conducting integrated
pre-launch processing rehearsals with support from MCC
in Korolev. |
| September
27, 2003 |
"Zero"
launch day activities on the launch segment. |
| September
28, 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.SL13 with Galaxy-XIII
SC. |
| September
29, 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. |
| September
30, 2003 |
Activities of the third launch day (Pacific Daylight
Saving Time):
- 12:15-13:40 launch crew delivery to the LP by
helicopter;
- 14:00 evacuation from LP by helicopter of the
personnel not involved in the launch operations;
- 15:03:24 implementation of the "L-6 hours"
command;
- 16:03:00 implementation of the "Program
start" command; start of the actual run of
the launch readiness poll and ILV fuelling;
- 17:40 final evacuation by helicopter from the
LP of the rocket segment and maritime segment personnel;
- evacuation of the "Red Team" from the
LP;
- 21:02:59,178 Lift-Off signal received.
|
| October
1, 2003 |
At
04 hrs 02 min 59.178 sec GMT (08 hrs 02 min 59.178 sec
Moscow Time) the eleventh 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 30 minutes
after completion of the first burn, assured the SC delivery
to its target geotransfer orbit. At 05 hrs 03 min 8,4
sec SC separation was detected, and 6 minutes after
that reception of signal from SC was confirmed. Spacecraft
Galaxy-XIII was inserted into its target orbit.The upper
stage performed a maneuver taking it to a storage orbit
and safing it. |
| Post-launch
operations on LP and ACS. Start of ACS and LP sea transit
to the Home Port. |
LAUNCH RESULTS
Spacecraft Galaxy-XIII has been put into its target geotransfer
orbit:
Perigee altitude,
km |
Apogee altitude,
km
|
Inclination,
deg.
|
|
2380
|
35786
|
0,0
|
|
|
