ISS online

The first ISS spacewalk for this year took place on 14/1, from the Russian segment, the 24th Russian spacewalk. Details:

• Maksim Suraev (EV1, Orlan-MK №4)
• Oleg Kotov (EV2, Orlan-MK №5)
• Duration: 5h 44m (10:05-15:49)
• From Pirs
• ISS Daily Report, NASASpaceflight.com thread, TsUP

“At last, space station crew gets live Internet”, MSNBC.com, 22/1. I did mention in my 4/12/2009 entry that the ISS crews were getting Internet, and this article gives more details (see also “NASA Extends the World Wide Web Out Into Space”, NASA Media Advisory, 22/1/2010).

Humphries said the space Internet uses the station’s high-speed Ku-band antenna, so it is active whenever the station has that connection. To surf the Web, astronauts can use a station laptop to control a desktop computer on Earth. It is that ground computer that has the physical connection to the Internet. There are security restrictions in place to protect the Internet portal, which NASA is calling the Crew Support LAN (Local Access Network).

Energiya’s website is undergoing a makeover with a new design (reminiscent of NASA’s current site); the old one has been in place since the 1990s. They are still using a table for page layout though (a very outdated method now), and the site is not very accessible (too much Javascript, and I wish they would discontinue the images appearing in pop-up windows!).

I decided to rename my “Kosmonavtka” sub-site to “RuSpace” (Russian Spaceflight) which is easier to say and remember. I wish I had not chosen the Kosmonavtka name – it makes no sense (it means “lady cosmonaut”, «Космонавтка») and sounds wierd – but was stuck for a name at the time, and happened to see it in a book. Thankfully I did not choose it for my main site URL (it was an option I considered).

I found out how to do 301 redirects, so have spent the afternoon moving files. Unfortunately it means anyone who has linked to my site will have to update bookmarks or links (there are quite a lot), and search engines will have to reindex, which might take many months.

I don’t update my space site (or this blog) much anymore; I feel little enthusiasm for it. The manned space program itself is going nowhere slowly – or around in circles – and just seems stagnant. Perhaps if there were an international manned Mars mission my interest would rekindle, but such a mission is unlikely to happen for a long time, if ever, given the numerous problems in the world.

Digital Soyuz and other news

My main website, SuzyMcHale.com, is still not online (server failure). Hopefully back soon…?

“Russia’s Dark Horse Plan to Get to Mars”, James Oberg, Discovery Magazine, 21/5. On the Phobos-Grunt mission. Another article at IEEE Spectrum by Anatoly Zak is “A Russian Return to a Martian Moon”, June 2009. The Chinese microsatellite that will ride onboard is to be delivered to the probe manufacturer, NPO Lavochkin in Russia, on 17 June.

Soyuz TMA-15 launched last week (27/5) with Expedition 20, so there is now a crew of 6 onboard the ISS for the first time, all from the different space agencies involved.

Contradicting earlier media reports, Roscosmos representatives said that there are no plans to disconnect the Russian segment of the ISS from 2015 and turn it into an autonomous space station. Instead, there are plans to extend the lifetime of the ISS as much as its technical capabilities will allow.

From NK №786:

02/06/2009 / 00:05 – Russia has no plans to disconnect its segment of the ISS after 2015

Roscosmos has no plans to disconnect the Russian segment of International Space Station from the U.S. and create an autonomous station from 2015. “There are no plans for disconnecting us from the ISS. On the contrary, we have a plan for extending the operation of the Station, as far as its technical capabilities will allow,” said Aleksei Krasnov, the supervisor of manned programs at Roscosmos, on Friday at a news conference at TsUP mission control center.

“There is no reason to have the segments of the ISS partner countries taken apart,” added, in turn, the president of Rocket-Space Corporation Energiya, Vitalii Lopota.

They commented on reports by some Russian and foreign media that Russian specialists are discussing the possibility of removing the ISS Russian segment in the event that other participating countries of the project did not prolong the operation of the station until 2020. According to current plans, the ISS is planned to be in use up to 2015.

At the same time, A. Krasnov noted that even before the deorbiting of the station Mir, the possibility of using part of its modules as part of the International Space Station was explored. It is a similar situation in the case of the ISS.

“We do not exclude that we will explore the possibility of using the modules of the ISS assembly, consisting of orbital research complex in low orbit that would allow the Russian space program to develop further,” said Aleksander Krasnov.

Earlier, representatives of Roscosmos has been reported on the possibility of construction in orbit from 2020, a new space station that would become an orbital plant for the production of unique materials, as well as a trans-shipment base on the way to the Moon and Mars.

A ceremony was held for the lowering of the TsPK flag, but it attracted little official or media interest (the translation is a bit incoherent):

02/06/2009 / 00:05 – In Star City the unit banner has been farewelled

On 29 May 2009 in the town of Star City a farewell ceremony was held for the banner, writesYurii Baturin. The famous Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, established in 1960 as a military unit, was eliminated in accordance with a governmental order (№1435 from 1/10/2008). In its place there will be a new organization to train cosmonauts, but as a civilian federal government budgetary institution.

A monument to Yuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Alley to put members of the part. There were present family members of the military and the center, many with children. We cosmonaut veterans shed copious tears. And now, the last solemn march. Then the photographs of the flag. The standard-bearers probably have, as expected, began packing the banner for shipment, and the assembly did not disperse, but remembered, remembered… The mood for all was sad.

Representatives of NASA and the European space agency paid a tribute of respect to the banner and TsPK. But no-one from the Military-air forces command attended the farewell ritual. And after all the military unit as the Center of preparation of cosmonauts of the Air Forces was formed and for half a centur has made considerable glory for this kind of Armed forces of the country. There was nobody from the Ministry of Defence, nor from the Joint Staff, as if only an ordinary battalion of air field service was being disbanded. And this is a unique military division. It was not counted a significant event and in Russian Space Agency, under whose command TsPK now falls. Usually, generals from the Air Forces, and the management of the Federal Space Agency liked to address Star City from a podium and say high words to the heroes of space. Now words for some reason were not found, probably, it was difficult to look in the faces of the gathered. Probably, such a general lack of official attendance was an indirect recognition of the inaccuracy of the decision to reform TsPK.

Unfortunately, the press, except Novoi, «Новой» and Cosmonautics News, «Новостей космонавтики», has not been interested. There was no TV (possibly because there were no space tourists – a favourite central theme of space reportings).

Maybe this was for the better: no hypocrisy, had only their own flag.

Cosmonaut Aleksandr Kaleri will be the first to command the new digital Soyuz in September 2010, along with Cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka and the American astronaut Scott Kelly. (Sergei Krikalyov was at one time to be the first to pilot the digital version, but he now has other duties.) From NK №785:

28/05/2009 / 17:15 – Cosmonaut Kaleri will test the new Soyuz version

Flight tests of the “digital” piloted ship Soyuz are entrusted to the experienced Russian cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri.

“Flight of the first ship in the new Soyuz series, which is equipped with a digital control system, is scheduled for September of next year. Cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri has been entrusted to pilot the ship, having had experience of four space flights,” the space-rocket industry interlocutor said. According to him, the appointment of the flight commander was preceded by a long dispute about who to entrust the management of the new machine.

Experience in piloting of the Soyuz ships was the basic requirement during selection of candidates. “On the list were many surnames, but eventually Kaleri was appointed as the commander of the ship,” the agency interlocutor said.

In the crew of the “digital” Soyuz, the Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka and the American astronaut Scott Kelly are appointed as flight engineers.

In April, 2008 the president of Rocket & Space Corporation Energiya, Vitalii Lopota during a scientific conference in Moscow said that the first “digital” Soyuz would go to space in the spring of 2009. But the launch did not take place in the announced time. In connection with necessity of carrying out of additional tests of the ship, the launch was delayed to autumn of 2010.

According to V. Lopota, installation of digital systems on the piloted ship Soyuz will require a crew of one professional cosmonaut, instead of two, as now. In that case, two nonprofessional cosmonauts can fly at once.

The modernisation of spaceships, according to V. Lopota, will bring Russian astronautics to a new technological level and to raise the safety of space flight. For the docking of the new ship to the International Space Station it is planned to use the standard scheme of docking. “We cannot afford to risk anything. Even though the ship systems were analogue, and are now digital. In no event will use of the new modernised systems change the planned algorithm,” said V. Lopota. The docking of the ship to the ISS will continue under the standard scheme, that is on the second day of flight, he has added. Visually, the president of RSC Energiya admitted, the digital Soyuz will not differ from previous versions of the ship.

The basic difference of the new ships is in the digital control systems. The control system of movement and system of onboard measurements has undergone modernisation. Innovations have allowed to increase speed and to lower weight of equipment. In contrast with the previous version, the digital cargo ship is capable to take aboard on 80 kg of more cargo, than its predecessors.

Cosmonaut photos

The Encyclopedia Astronote (Космическая энциклопедия ASTROnote) site got hold of portraits of the latest cosmonaut selection (see my New Cosmonauts entry). Low-resolution photos, but better than nothing. Quick links to the photos on the site: Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Misurkin, Oleg Viktorovich Novitskii, Aleksei Nikolaevich Ovchinin, Maksim Vladimirovich Ponomarev, Sergei Nikolaevich Ryzhikov, Elena Olegovna Serova, Nikolai Vladimirovich Tikhonov.

Sy Liebergot is a “Paranoid Patriot” (perhaps typical of the cranky conservative types of his generation, though). A posting by him at CollectSPACE (in the Griffin says space shuttle was a mistake thread):

I was part of the original Space Station design and program office 1979-1986) before the program office was moved to Reston, VA. In my very personal opinion, NASA’s next big mistake was involving Russia and moving it into an orbital inclination of 51.6 deg. You see, one of our major forward planning features was to use the Station as a transportation node, i.e. construct upper stages on-orbit and head back to the Moon and on to Mars. We even planned a sample isolation module for Mars return samples. All that went away when we gave up on i=28.5 deg. and approx. 30% of payload lift capability. All this to save money. But then I rant.

Would be interesting to hear the Russian point-of-view about that!

(I just Googled “Paranoid Patriots” but apparently I didn’t make the term up – drats! My site comes up on the second page, though.)

I changed my blog over to the Blogger Beta (all blogs will have to soon, so I thought I might as well). It seems OK so far; I like being able to “label” entries.

“Darth Vader” gave me a nice mention on his blog. :-) I am still not sure if I am going to maintain this one yet. Somehow I don’t think anyone is interested in the topics I write about! I seem to have a habit of becoming interested in things few others care much about.

New cosmonauts! And an introduction

I thought I would try starting a proper blog (as an addition to the manually-typed HTML journal on my website) and focus on the Russian manned space program as no-one else seems to be doing it (in English, at least) that I know of! Nearly all the space blogs are focused on NASA and a lot are by “Paranoid Patriots” who think their country should be first at everything or the world will come to an end. :-P (Some examples being Curmudgeons Corner (he forgot the apostrophe in his title), Space Pragmatism – they all link to each other, so I won’t bother listing them.) They tend to be right-wing capitalist types – yuck (I am more left-wing — Да здравствует революция!).

I am trying to edit the template, so it might look a bit odd!

I am not, alas, a professional in anything; just an interested (and somewhat despondent) onlooker who has been a failure so far, and who has no life.

Also, I really can’t speak Russian as such, but have managed to learn the alphabet so far and a few words.

Last week the 2006 cosmonaut selection group was announced on the Russian Federal Space Agency site. There is one woman among the selection of seven, Elena Serova (wife of Mark Serov, 2003 selection). All the 5 military selections are pilots from the Russian Air Force (VVS) and some from the PVO (Air Defence Force) as well. An approximate (tidied-up Babelfish) translation of the notice:

11-10-2006 About the session of the interdepartmental commission for the selection of the cosmonauts

On 11 October, in the Roskosmos building under the leadership of A.N. Perminov and the Management of the Russian Federal Space Agency, there took place an interdepartmental commission session for the selection of cosmonauts. The commission is based on the proposals of the S.P. Korolev Rocket & Space Corporation Energiya, the Yu.A. Gagarin Russian State Science Research Cosmonaut Training Centre (RGNII TsPK) and the Russian Federation State Scientific Center - the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences concerning the represented candidatures to the enrollment into the force of cosmonauts by cosmonaut candidates, and also for the guaranteeing of timely preparation and fulfillment of the manned space flights on the ISS.

The decision was made:

To recommend the appointment of A.N. Ovchinin, S.N. Ryzhikov, A.A. Misurkin, O.V. Novitskiy, M.T. Ponomarev, N.V. Tikhonov, and E.O. Serova to the post of cosmonaut candidate in in the appropriate organizations and to charge RGNII TsPK and Energiya to solve a question about the attachment to RGNII TsPK of N.V. Tikhonov and Ye.O. Serov for the period of their general cosmonaut space preparation. To charge RGNII TsPK with organizing the routine basic spaceflight preparation of A.N. Ovchinin, S.N. Ryzhikov, A.A. Misurkin, O.V. Novitskiy, M.T. Ponomarev, N.V. Tikhonov, and E.O. Serova according to the program of preparation for the cosmonaut-testers.

Full names of the cosmonauts:

From the Russian Air Force (VVS, ВВС):

• Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Misurkin, Мисуркин Александр Александрович, born 23 September 1977, Major, the VVS and PVO 4th Army (Rostov-on-Don) (zone of responsibility – North-Caucasian VO)
• Oleg Viktorovich Novitskii, Новицкий Олег Викторович, born 12 October 1971, Lieutenant Colonel, the VVS and PVO 4th Army
• Aleksei Nikolaevich Ovchinin, Овчинин Алексей Николаевич, born 28 September 1971, Major, the 70th individual test-training air regiment of the special designation named after Seregina RGNII TsPK
• Maksim Vladimirovich Ponomarev, Пономарев Максим Владимирович, born 20 February 1980, Captain, the Special-Purpose Command (staff – Moscow) (zone of responsibility – Moscow VO)
• Sergei Nikolaevich Ryzhikov, Рыжиков Сергей Николаевич, born 19 August 1974, Major, the VVS and PVO 14th Army (staff – Novosibirsk) (zone of responsibility – SibVO) (now entire military aviation is subordinated to armies VVS and PVO, but not to military districts; there is no Transbaikal military district now generally, it was included SibVO)

The candidates from Energiya:

• Elena Olegovna Serova, Серова Елена Олеговна, born 22 April 1976, works in TsUP (Moscow Mission Control). If she makes it, she will be the first woman since Nadezhda Kuzhel’naya (who left in 2004 without ever having been assigned a flight – sexism is still prevailent in the Russian space program, unfortunately). The last Russian woman to go into space was Elena Kondakova – way back in 1997! Contrast that to the American women astronauts.
• Nikolai Vladimirovich Tikhonov, Тихонов Николай Владимирович, born 23 May 1982

Rather annoyingly they provided no biographies or individual photos. They didn’t for the 2003 selection either (or any previous selection). NASA does much better (their 2004 astronaut candidates have their own site section). The cosmonauts get little publicity at all, and they need much more done in this area!

It will likely be years before any fly; the group from 2003 have yet to get assigned flights and even from selections before this – some cosmonauts have been waiting a decade or so. It doesn’t help that the Russian Space Agency seems obsessed with leasing the third Soyuz seat to foreign astronauts or paying private space tourists, instead of giving their own cosmonauts valuable flight experience (this is something I will rant about occasionally). It would help if the Russian government increased funding. The RSA/ФКА should perhaps be renamed the Russian Space Tourist Agency as this is all they seem to do these days (instead of focusing on the long-term colonization of space, and the exploring of other worlds). The tourist flights are all they get an occasional mention for in the media here (in Australia). And don’t get me started on the miserable state of Russian unmanned space exploration – they have virtually dropped off the radar there (in contrast to NASA and its spectacularly successful Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, and the latest Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission).

A sorry contrast to the Soviet era…