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Zvezda Module Is Go For Launch
Dr. DSP writes: "One of the primary Russian components of the International Space Station, the Zvezda module, is being scheduled for launch on July 12, and rendevous with the station on the 26th. The Zvezda module will serve as early living quarters for astro/cosmonauts. It contains the life support, electrical power distribution, data processing, flight control, and propulsion systems. The fact that the Russians have been late to launch this module is one of the largest problems NASA, and the space agencies of the other partner nations, has had to deal with since the project started. The fact that Zvezda is launching will be a sigh of relief for the international aerospace community. Read the press release at NASA's website."
And if the space station is run by castronauts, how long until we have a custody battle over little Alien Gonzalez who came 53,000 light years to live in america?
/. at 5:30 am...
Boy, i gotta stop reading
Dreamweaver
"If a man hasn't discovered something he will die for, he isn't fit to live" -- MLK, Jr.
eellis speculates wildly:
On reading the press release, it seems that the Russians still haven't got a clue about generating the power required for a space station. [...] One of the designers of the solar array [told] me that the then planned array size of 60 feet was too small by a factor of 2. It seems that they've added some extra capacity, but nowhere near enough. So, this mission is doomed to fail. They'll run out of power.
What the bleep do you mean "doomed" and "fail"? Is it going to flicker on and off until something catches fire and the entire space station veers off course and crashes and burns spectacularly in Central Park? Or is it (worst case scenario) going to simply be chronically short of the expected power requirements, meaning the crews have to reroute the systems it supports, and perhaps give up some luxuries? I guess the second scenario isn't as ominous sounding.
Perhaps there is some truth to this -- there are always engineering disagreements on projects this big -- but the Russians aren't doing this alone, and there has been ample consideration given to the ISS power requirements.
The Service Module is only responsible for a small percentage of station power. When complete, the entire ISS power system will consist of four US-built arrays connected to the US Node 1 via the Z1 Truss, each with four 112x39' wings, as well as the solar arrays on the Zarya and Zvezda modules, and possibly (if the Russians meet their commitments) a separate array to power the Russian science modules (which are themselves not guaranteed). The aggregate power systems will produce 110 kW, of which 98 kW will come from the US-built main arrays. (By comparison, all of Mir's solar panels, including the US-built-and-delivered MCSA, produce a mere 30 kW.)
The first of the main arrays will be installed by ISS Crew 1 around November, so they won't be dependent on the Zvezda arrays for very long at all. Each PANEL on the array has more power capacity than BOTH the Zvezda wings, and there will be four panels.
In short, for the completed ISS, Zvezda will be providing about 1.5% of the power requirements.
In any case, the Mir power problems weren't related directly to the power-generation abilities of the solar arrays; they were related to the lousy Russian batteries that couldn't keep the station running when Mir lost the ability to stay pointed at the sun. Fortunately, ISS has better batteries and more of them. We'll see how this goes.
For the "mission" (whatever you meant by that) to be "doomed", the American-built main arrays would have to be so badly designed that they generate less than half the expected power. Anywhere in between that, and they will simply have to modify the science expectations until they can supplement the power systems.
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lake effect weblog
{Network engineer in Chicago--looking for work!}
Don't forget that one of the four main solar arrays will be installed on the Z-truss shortly after Zvesda is launched. Zvesda's power generation capability is similar to the FGB's - just there to keep the station running until the main truss is installed.i ghts/2000/4a.html
Check this:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/assembly/fl
Damn. I must have messed up my install somewhere.
/lib/modules/0.0.1/construct/left-bit.o /lib/modules/0.0.1/construct/right-bit.o /lib/modules/0.0.1/systems/life-sup.o /lib/modules/0.0.1/constants/gravity.o
[root@localhost]>modprobe zvezda
[root@localhost]>insmod zvezda
[root@localhost]>depmod zvezda
depmod: not an NASA file
depmod: *** Unresolved symbols in
depmod: *** Unresolved symbols in
depmod: *** Unresolved symbols in
depmod: *** Unresolved symbols in
Any one got a clue? It looks like it still needs some work?
Cheers,
Toby Haynes
Anything I post is strictly my own thoughts and doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the opinions of IBM.
From the press release:
Last time I was in Moscow, as part of an international conference (1998), I had some interesting discussions with one of the designers of the solar array. He voiced his concerns to me that the then planned array size of 60 feet was too small by a factor of 2. It seems that they've added some extra capacity, but nowhere near enough.So, this mission is doomed to fail. They'll run out of power.
In old days, maybe we send you to gulag. I have better idea for you comrade; we have you write control code for Zvezda module, yes? You work in Zvezda module, yes? Nothing but cosmonauts to look at, surely you have no problems concentrating. As for being fired; no fired, ejected!
--
...vividly encapsulates that post-Watergate/pre-punk/coked-up moment when you could trust no one, least of all yourself.
Canada is providing a 55-foot-long robotic arm to be used for assembly and maintenance tasks on the Space Station.
The European Space Agency is building a pressurized laboratory to be launched on the Space Shuttle and logistics transport vehicles to be launched on the Ariane 5 launch vehicle.
Japan is building a laboratory with an attached exposed exterior platform for experiments as well as logistics transport vehicles.
In addition, Brazil and Italy are contributing some equipment to the station through agreements with the United States.
I think Italy plans to launch one or two modules this year, and early next year.
krystal_blade
It will be easy to motivate our fellow man; there is hardly anything people treasure more than not being annihilated.
NASA also has imposed restriction that Russia successfully launch 2 other Protons before they go ahead with the Service Module.
The 12 June date is not solid. If all goes well that is the earliest window for launch. Note that the listed window runs from July 8-14. If they can't get the SM up by the 14th of July, the next launch opportunity won't be until early August. Here's a breakdown of near term Russian launches:
June 23: Russian Proton K-DM with the Intersputnik Express-3A communications satellite from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. Launch Time 8:28 PM EDT (0028 GMT June 24).
No earlier than June: Ukranian Zenit-2 with a Russian Kosmos military spacecraft from Complex 45 at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. Launch time TBA.
June 28: Russian Cosmos-3M with the Russian Nadezhda COSPAS-SARSAT military navigation satellite, the Tsinghua-1 satellite for China and the SNAP-1 nano-satellite for Great Britain from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia. Launch Time TBA.
June 30: International Launch Services Proton (Block DM) with first Sirius communications satellite (formerly known as CD Radio) from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. Launch time 6:08:47 PM EDT (2208:47 GMT).
No earlier than July 1: Russian Proton with a Geyser data relay satellite for the Russian Ministry of Defense from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. Launch Time TBA.
July 12: Starsem Soyuz-Fregat with two Cluster-2 satellites (FM6 and FM7) from Complex 31 at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. Launch Time TBD.
July 12: Russian Proton on ISS flight 1R with the Zvezda Service Module for the International Space Station from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. Launch Time TBD. (Launch is scheduled between July 8 - 14).
Does anyone have something further on this? I'm sure some AC can respond, but for unfortunate reasons I've been reading this thread at threshold=1.
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This is not my sandwich.
If we end up with Castronaughts, does this mean the space station will become the world's most expensive cigar shop, or that our old friend Fidel will sue for trademark infringement?