Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (ISTP SB RAS)
«Radar-Progress-5» active space experiment
From ISTP SB RAS
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The S.P. KOROLEV ROCKET AND SPACE CORPORATION «ENERGIA» Center for Mathematical Modeling modeled the conditions to carry out the «Radar-Progress-5» active space experiment. The experiment is held April 23 through April 28, 2012 during the TCS «Progress М-14M» autonomous flight segment after the undocking from the ISS. The TCS undocking is planned on April 19, 2012 at the 15th daily circuit using the single-pulse scheme of withdrawal from the station towards the ISS velocity vector. At the flight 1st daily circuit, an additional 3 m/s correction impulse is rolled out for the TCS orbit ascent and long-term forming. The experiment operations start with April 23, 2012 after the TCS «Progress М-15M» docking with the ISS has been completed. Four sessions with the exhaust jet direction "towards the Irkutsk Incoherent Scatter Radar" and two sessions with the exhaust jet direction "towards the Geophysical Observatory" are planned. The TCS «Progress М-14М» deorbit is planned on April 28, 2012 at the 1st daily circuit. According to the Russian Federal Space Agency: "the Russian «Progress М-14М» cargo spacecraft undocked from the ISS. As per the ISS flight schedule, the undocking of the «Progress М-14М» transport cargo spacecraft (TCS) from the "Pier" docking module took place today at 15:04 Moscow Time. |
After undocking, six sessions of the "Radar-Progress" experiment are planned to be held during the autono-mous mission in the working orbit. The experiment involves the study of reflective characteristics of plasma inhomogeneities generated in the ionosphere during the TCS "Progress" onboard engine operation. The investiga-tion is carried out by ground-based observation facilities.
The experiment goal is to determine spatial-temporal dependences of electron density, temperature, and ion composition of the ionosphere local inhomogeneities which resulted from the onboard fluid rocket engine opera-tion.
The "Radar-Progress" experiment involves use of regular instrumentation: the TCS "Progress" propulsion system and VHF radio equipment, as well as the ISTP SB RAS ground-based radio observation complex.
- to determine spatial-temporal dependences of the plasma inhomogeneities generated in the ionosphere when the onboard fluid rocket engines of the "Progress М-14М" transport cargo spacecraft (TCS) are in operation;
- to study the onboard transmitter VHF radiosignal (121750 kHz) parameter variations during the TCS engine op-eration;
- to study the Earth electromagnetic field variations within various frequency ranges in subionosperic magnetoconjugated points.
The experiment involves the use of ISTP SB RAS ground-based measurement facilities of "Angara" Multi-Access Center, in particular:
- Irkutsk Incoherent Scatter Radar;
- VHF interferometer;
- monostatic chirp ionosonde;
- DPS-4 Digisonde;
- mobile magnetometric complex.
[edit] Radar measurements during undocking TCS "Progress М-14М"
26/01/2012 "Chibis-M" radar measurements
23/04/2012 During undocking TCS "Progress М-14М" from the ISS, V.E. Zarudnev, D.S. Kushnarev and V.P. Lebedev, the employees of the ISTP near-Earth space physics department, carried out radar measurements at the Irkutsk In-coherent Scatter Radar. They fine-tuned new measurement procedure that included forming a 902 mcs radiating impulse with linear frequency modulation.
27/04/2012 «Radar-Progress-5» active space experiment. First three sessions.
In cooperation with the Russian Federal Space Agency "Central Research Institute of Engineering" and the S.P. KOROLEV ROCKET AND SPACE CORPORATION «ENERGIA», 3 (of 6) sessions of the "Radar-Progress" active space experiment were carried out April 23 through April 25.
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