A critical element of the International Space Station, the Zvezda service module, moved a step closer to its long-delayed journey into orbit following the apparently successful launch Tuesday of a Russian Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
The Proton rocket, the same type of launcher that will carry Zvezda into orbit, tookoff Tuesday morning (Moscow time) powered for the first time by improved engines onits second and third stage.
The Russian Aviation and Space Agency, Rosaviacosomos, ordered the development of the engines after the Proton rocket booster crashed twice last year.
Officials planned to test the new engines on at least two missions before qualifying the hardware for the Zvezda launch, a mission that will have major international significance and is currently targeted for July 12.
The Proton carrying the Gorizont-45 communications satellite lifted off at6:59 a.m. Moscow Time on Tuesday (10:59 p.m. EDT Monday). Two minuteslater the first stage powered by six engines separated and the secondstage powered by four modified engines were ignited.
Russian space officials reported that the second stage successfully separated five minutes after the launch and the third stage, powered by a single engine, then fired.
After the third stage separation, a new Breeze-M upper stage and itsGorizont payload reached an initial parking orbit over Earth.The Breeze-M upper stage, which promises to improve the Proton rocket'sperformance is also flying its first test flight. An initial attemptto test the stage in July 1999, ended in disaster when the Proton exploded soon after liftoff.
The Breeze-M is expected to fire its engine five times during the next few hours to finish the process of placing Gorizont-45 into its orbit 36,000 kilometers (22,300 miles) above Earth.
Russian ground controllers confirmed the first firing of the Breeze-M upper stage went as planned, with the engine igniting at 7:09:13 a.m. Moscow Time Tuesday (11:09:13 p.m. EDT Monday) and burning for almost ten minutes.
The second firing is scheduled to take place between 8:08 - 8:23 a.m.Moscow Time (12:08 - 12:23 EDT) Tuesday.
A full update on Gorizont's safe arrival in its proper orbit is expected later Tuesday morning and SPACE.com will provide a full update when the satellite delivery mission has concluded.
advertisement
