Yet another launch to watch!

[goldenpeach]

A launch will take place, with a Soyuz rocket.

It will send supply to the ISS.

I can't tell more because I don't know anything: I just discovered it would happen now.

You can watch it here: http://original.livestream.com/spaceflightnow

Or any of the three NASATV channel: here's the link for one: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/#media

When do the coverage start?

It start at the very moment I write this thing.

Have a nice launch, if you read this in time!

[Mitchz95]

Let's hope it goes better than the two that preceeded it.

[Endersmens]

Woo! Perfect launch! Great to see a rocket get to space

[SpaceXray]

thank god the Progress went without a hitch! We had way to many bad launches already.

[K^2]

Promissing start. Looks like ISS will finally get its supplies.

[Albert VDS]

Great launch, very uneventful.

[Mitchz95]

Wait, it launched already? Aw, I though it was going to be later.

[Leszek]

Here is a youtube (Launch starts at 2:21:00):

[Hcube]

Ooooh i missed the launch... (7hours long train trip)

Good thing that the Progress made it ! Too bad it only carries very little supplies (~1month worth of supplies) CRS-8 better make it

[J.Random]

The proposition to increase its payload has been made and refused, mainly because noone wanted to postpone the launch. Progress also rides "the old reliable" Soyuz-U this time instead of Soyuz-2.1.

Also, don't count your chickens yet. It's 3 more days until Progress will dock to ISS.

[A35K]

Why does it take 3 days to reach the ISS? Are they using a different rendezvous method than we do in KSP? Surely if they launch at the right moment and it takes about 15 minutes to get to orbit, then adjust inclination and get closer in the following few orbits which take around 90 minutes, shouldn't it get close enough in max 1 day?

[Endersmens]

Why does it take 3 days to reach the ISS? Are they using a different rendezvous method than we do in KSP? Surely if they launch at the right moment and it takes about 15 minutes to get to orbit, then adjust inclination and get closer in the following few orbits which take around 90 minutes, shouldn't it get close enough in max 1 day?

It's because of the insanely low approach speed.

In KSP, we don't mind approaching at 100 m/s and slowing down close to the station. In real life, this is extremely dangerous, and puts people at risk. Craft approach the station at very low speeds, taking many orbits to close in on the station.

however, crewed launches to the ISS usually take 6 hours, but if there are any delays or anything, they switch to the 2 day approach.

[sgt_flyer]

Why does it take 3 days to reach the ISS? Are they using a different rendezvous method than we do in KSP? Surely if they launch at the right moment and it takes about 15 minutes to get to orbit, then adjust inclination and get closer in the following few orbits which take around 90 minutes, shouldn't it get close enough in max 1 day?

They slowly raise the orbit in fact. Only small burns at apoapsis & periapsis to raise both by small increments, it's not a direct intercept

The manned soyuz can use a faster approach, but goes back to the 3 day approach if they have a problem with this automatic 1 day approach.

Above all, they want to avoid at all cost a uncontrollable cargo ship to be on a collision course with ISS, so they perform a time consuming series of manoeuvers to posistion themselves on an orbit near ISS's orbit (but which does not intersect with iss's orbit) and wait till the cargo catch up (lower&faster orbit) with ISS before making the final manoeuver for the docking course.

Plus, they want to minimise having a huge amount of exhaust gases (rcs or orbital engines) to be released near ISS, to prevent risks of having exhaust gases contaminating the external instruments.

Edit : endersmens was faster

Edited July 3, 2015 by sgt_flyer

[YNM]

Seems like the whole Progress spacecraft (and the rocket) can be made quickly ? (I mean, the last launch were just a few months ago...) Or were this planned directly after failure of Progress M27 ?

[Kryten]

Progress launches are four a year as standard.

[A35K]

It's because of the insanely low approach speed.

In KSP, we don't mind approaching at 100 m/s and slowing down close to the station. In real life, this is extremely dangerous, and puts people at risk. Craft approach the station at very low speeds, taking many orbits to close in on the station.

however, crewed launches to the ISS usually take 6 hours, but if there are any delays or anything, they switch to the 2 day approach.

Makes sense. So during manned launches they can cut travel time as the astronauts will be able to control the ship if the computers fail, while on the unmanned one if it fails it could crash into the station?

[Robotengineer]

If this one fails, isn't ISS pretty much screwed for a while?

[HoloYolo]

If this one fails, isn't ISS pretty much screwed for a while?

The ISS has enough supplies to last till winter (I think so, anyways), so anyone on there can make it until then, and then they'd have to evacuate.

[AngelLestat]

But... winter is coming..

In fact I am already in winter.

Edited July 3, 2015 by AngelLestat

[HoloYolo]

But... winter is comming..

In fact I am already in winter.

Northern Hemisphere Winter. Sorry, should've been specific.

[Robotengineer]

The ISS has enough supplies to last till winter (I think so, anyways), so anyone on there can make it until then, and then they'd have to evacuate.

They may be able to eat and sleep, but they won't have anything to do will they?

[HoloYolo]

They may be able to eat and sleep, but they won't have anything to do will they?

Don't they have laptops? They could play KSP while they wait.

[Reactordrone]

They may be able to eat and sleep, but they won't have anything to do will they?

There's a lot of experiments on the station to keep them busy and there's always the space medicine aspect. Even without anything specifically to do the presence of astronauts in zero g conditions for extended periods advances our knowledge of human physiological changes in that environment and methods to combat those changes.

[Armchair Rocket Scientist]

Makes sense. So during manned launches they can cut travel time as the astronauts will be able to control the ship if the computers fail, while on the unmanned one if it fails it could crash into the station?

More likely there's no real reason to have a fast approach on an unmanned ship. Progress is solar-powered and I'm assuming has multi-week endurance on its own, so it doesn't really matter if it takes two days to reach the station. On the other hand, astronauts don't want to be cooped up in a Soyuz for two days.

[Albert VDS]

Progress is docking right now:

Edit: Successful dock!

Edited July 5, 2015 by Albert VDS