Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-13-2015 08:06 AM
Soyuz TMA-19M: mission viewing, questions, comments
This thread is intended for comments and questions about the Soyuz TMA-19M mission and the updates published under the topic: Soyuz TMA-19M mission to the space station.
Soyuz TMA-19M will launch three crew members for Expedition 46 on board the International Space Station (ISS): Roscosmos cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, NASA astronaut Tim Kopra and Tim Peake of the European Space Agency (ESA).
TMA-19M is the 128th flight of a Soyuz spacecraft since its first flight in 1967.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-13-2015 08:16 AM
NASA Television will provide full coverage of the launch beginning at 4 a.m. CST (1000 GMT) on Tuesday (Dec. 15).
NASA TV coverage of docking will begin at 10:45 a.m. CST (1645 GMT). NASA TV coverage of the hatch opening will begin at 1 p.m. (1900 GMT).
Additional BBC coverage of Tim Peake's launch and journey to the space station:
Professor Brian Cox and Dara O Briain present live coverage of British astronaut Tim Peake's arrival at the International Space Station. At the Science Museum in London they are joined by astronauts including former ISS commander Chris Hadfield and Helen Sharman, who can give them the low down on the journey through space, life aboard and what Tim will face from his very first night on the ISS. Plus Dallas Campbell reports live from Kazakhstan with Tim Peake's first phone call home from space.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-13-2015 08:20 AM
On Sunday (Dec. 13), the Soyuz-FG rocket topped with the TMA-19M spacecraft was rolled out to the launch pad by train and erected into position.
Good luck @astro_timpeake and team from all at #DoctorWho. If you bump into any Daleks, give us a call!
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-15-2015 05:23 AM
During the broadcast of the Soyuz TMA-19M launch, the space station crew provided a spectacular live view of the liftoff!
Lunar Module 5 Member
Posts: 370 From: Wales, UK Registered: Dec 2004
posted 12-15-2015 02:35 PM
I am, today and always, unashamedly proud to be a Brit! Go Tim!
issman1 Member
Posts: 1042 From: UK Registered: Apr 2005
posted 12-15-2015 02:55 PM
Very pleased that Tim Peake reached the ISS. Also surprised that he was headline news on our mainstream TV channels all day long. Nice to see Helen Sharman getting some well-deserved attention as well.
Perhaps it was the fact that his launch and arrival occured at peak viewing times. Hopefully it will lead to a greater appreciation for human spaceflight in general.
OV-105 Member
Posts: 816 From: Ridgecrest, CA Registered: Sep 2000
posted 12-15-2015 10:47 PM
How many times had the Soyuz crews had to do a manual docking at the ISS? This was the first one I could remember.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-15-2015 11:08 PM
It's happened a few times at least. Some examples:
Gennady Padalka flew a manual docking by design during the relocation of Soyuz TMA-16M in August of this year. He earlier had to take control of another Soyuz, TMA-14, in 2009 after a glitch aborted the autonomous docking.
Salizhan Sharipov flew a manual docking with Soyuz TMA-5 in 2004 after an onboard alarm warned the crew about a higher than normal rendezvous velocity (it was later determined an onboard flight control system had supplied faulty data on the acceleration of the craft).
It's a contingency that every Soyuz crew member trains extensively for before the flight. Tim Kopra told me that the bulk of his Soyuz training was devoted to flying a manual approach but, of course, Yuri Malenchenko was a veteran at such things.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-18-2015 08:12 AM
Anatoly Zak of Russian Space Web cites "veterans of the Russian space program" saying that Soyuz TMA-19M "narrowly avoided" a potential disaster.
After switching to manual controls, it took the Soyuz commander two attempts to put the spacecraft into right orientation and complete the docking. During the first try, the spacecraft began a seemingly faster-than-normal approach to the station and then, suddenly, turned sideways just meters from the docking port and deviated from its approach.
Shortly after docking, Malenchenko explained mission control that during his first manual approach attempt he could not see the docking port clear enough and only realized the problem at the last minute.
...according to industry sources, the Soyuz commander's problems likely stem from poor lighting, which prevented him from clearly seeing docking targets on the MIM1 Rassvet module. Yet, instead of waiting for better conditions, the pilot pressed ahead with a nearly blind approach only to find his ship positioned out of alignment with the docking port and moving above the speed limit for safe berthing, sources said. Critics suggest that the pilot might have been under pressure from mission control to complete docking as soon as possible.
COR482932 Member
Posts: 212 From: Cork, Ireland Registered: Mar 2012
posted 12-18-2015 10:30 AM
The thought of a collision did enter my mind at one point during the docking procedure. Video showed it seemed to be a fair bit off axis, and as Anatoly cites, probably because of that faulty thruster which controls its movement along the Y-Axis.
But with Yuri flying manually, I knew it would work out alright!
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-18-2016 01:40 AM
Soyuz TMA-19M with Yuri Malenchenko, Tim Kopra and Tim Peake is on its way back to Earth. Here is a schedule of the upcoming major events:
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-18-2016 03:30 AM
Deorbit burn complete. On track for a landing in about 45 minutes.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-18-2016 03:50 AM
Spacecraft separation confirmed. Touch down in 25 minutes.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-18-2016 04:03 AM
Malenchenko reports crew is in great shape (parachute deployed).
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-18-2016 04:26 AM
Soyuz TMA-19M landed safely at 4:15 a.m. CDT. Recovery forces now staging at the landing site to help the crew out of the spacecraft.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-18-2016 05:34 AM
NASA photos (Credit: Bill Ingalls)
robsouth Member
Posts: 769 From: West Midlands, UK Registered: Jun 2005
posted 06-18-2016 12:22 PM
Just heard that the Soyuz spacecraft that returned Tim Peake and his crewmates back from the ISS is going to be destroyed! Why?
Blackarrow Member
Posts: 3120 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
posted 06-18-2016 04:35 PM
Could you have misheard? Perhaps "displayed" rather than "destroyed"?
MSS Member
Posts: 633 From: Poland Registered: May 2003
posted 06-18-2016 04:53 PM
Tim Peake is the eighth ESA astronaut to complete a long-duration mission in space. He will be the third after Alexander Gerst and Andreas Mogensen to fly directly to ESA's astronaut home base in Cologne, Germany, for medical checks and for researchers to collect more data on how Tim's body and mind have adapted to living in space.
"Back in Europe during my stopover in Bodø, Norway on the way to ESA - European Space Agency's astronaut centre in Cologne, Germany."
Robonaut Member
Posts: 259 From: Solihull, West Mids, England Registered: Mar 2002
posted 06-18-2016 05:21 PM
quote:Originally posted by robsouth: Just heard that the Soyuz spacecraft that returned Tim Peake and his crewmates back from the ISS is going to be destroyed!
I heard Sky News say this but I am sure they are wrong.
robsouth Member
Posts: 769 From: West Midlands, UK Registered: Jun 2005
posted 06-18-2016 08:24 PM
They said on Sky News that it would be destroyed.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-18-2016 09:06 PM
Sky News' correspondent also described the landing as "not routine" because the Soyuz tipped onto its side and the landing thrusters began a small fire, causing the crew to close the vents — both of which are somewhat routine occurrences.
That said, it is not unusual for Energia to discard of its old Soyuz descent capsule shells after removing the panels, salvaging what can be reused.
Tom Member
Posts: 1597 From: New York Registered: Nov 2000
posted 06-18-2016 09:07 PM
I find it hard to believe that Soyuz TMA-19M will not be on display in the UK at some point.
MSS Member
Posts: 633 From: Poland Registered: May 2003
posted 06-19-2016 07:55 AM
This was the 24th direct return for USOS crewmember. Tim Kopra on Twitter:
posted 12-13-2015 08:06 AM
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