Soyuz launch - Expedition 44 - successful launch

[RocketPilot573]

Did I just here something about a battery problem?

[RainDreamer]

Did they forgot to attach a battery?

Anyway, launch seems awesome and good. Everything seems to be going smoothly. Too bad I cannot stay up and see the docking DX.

[K^2]

Russian tech. It works, but sometimes needs a good kick. It's only when you don't have anyone on board to give it a kick when it's a problem.

[Mitchz95]

Russian tech. It works, but sometimes needs a good kick. It's only when you don't have anyone on board to give it a kick when it's a problem.

"American components, Russian components ... all made in Taiwan!" *kicks engine*

[Frida Space]

Hypothetically, would they have been okay with just one panel open?

Yes, no huge deal. See Soyuz TMA-14M

[BagelRabbit]

Hi everyone!

Believe it or not, I watched this launch with Kjell Lindgren's entire family (with the exception of his parents and wife, who are at Baikonur). Kjell's mother- and father-in-law and his wife's sister were sitting right next to me... they were incredibly nice and it was a pleasure to meet them.

I also met up with Barry "Butch" Wilmore, a two-time astronaut and really cool guy, and Bruce McCandless II, who was the capcom for Apollo 11, conducted the first untethered spacewalk, and was one of the guys who released the Hubble Space Telescope.

Sorry if this comes off as gloating... but today was a good day. Probably the best I've had in a while.

Congratulations to the crew, and good luck on the eventual docking!

-Upsilon

Edited July 22, 2015 by UpsilonAerospace

[Frida Space]

I hope you'll make the most out of this day! Very happy for you, it must have been a great experience

[tater]

Docking final approach on live NASA TV right now. Nice.

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

[RocketPilot573]

Docking in 10 minutes or so.

EDIT: Successful docking.

Edited July 23, 2015 by RocketPilot573

[Teilnehmer]

I haven’t watched it. Does Nasa-TV show map view during the flight?

[Frida Space]

So the second solar panel didn't actually deploy?

[Albert VDS]

It did deploy, but it took a bit of work to get it to.

[Frida Space]

It did deploy, but it took a bit of work to get it to.

Doesn't look like it...

[_Augustus_]

Doesn't look like it...

http://www.spaceflight101.com/uploads/6/4/0/6/6406961/8551486.jpg

I never heard those crazy Russian flight controllers say that it deployed, and that image proves it.

I wonder when it will deploy?

[Frida Space]

With Soyuz-TMA14M, which had the same problem, they managed to deploy it once docked. However from what I understand it's no big deal, the Soyuz can perform without problems with just one solar panel.

[Mitchz95]

Doesn't look like it...

http://www.spaceflight101.com/uploads/6/4/0/6/6406961/8551486.jpg

I think it's just in shadow.

EDIT: Upon closer viewing, the sunlight should still be reaching it. But I thought I heard them say it deployed.

[Frida Space]

Confirmed, just one panel.

http://www.spaceflight101.com/soyuz-tma-17m-mission-updates.html

I heard them say it was deployed too. In fact, even the website above for a moment tweeted "after a problem, the second panel has been deployed as well". Strange stuff

[Albert VDS]

Doesn't look like it...

http://www.spaceflight101.com/uploads/6/4/0/6/6406961/8551486.jpg

Maybe something glitches, because the crew reported that it deployed.

[Frida Space]

Maybe something glitches, because the crew reported that it deployed.

Yes, a glitch that said it was deployed when it actually wasn't. From the link I posted above, it never opened.

[asmi]

With Soyuz-TMA14M, which had the same problem, they managed to deploy it once docked. However from what I understand it's no big deal, the Soyuz can perform without problems with just one solar panel.

It can do 4-orbit rendezvous even without both solar arrays, using onboard batteries only.

[Frida Space]

Good to know.