Launch of Soyuz-TMA6 from Baykonur on 15.04.2005 at 004625 UTC.

ISSCOM.046 15 April 2005.



Launch of Soyuz-TMA6 from Baykonur on 15.04.2005 at 004625 UTC.



Just like in the past the launch and control of the flight are for 100% a
Russian matter.



The crew on board consists of the crew for the 11th ISS expedition and the
ESA cosmonaut Roberto Vittori.



Commander of both flights (so of the S-TMA6 as well as the 11th
expedition) is Sergey Krikalyov, who is now making his 6th space flight,
2nd board engineer is the American John Phillips.



The call sign of Krikalyov is Bazalt. So he uses the call Bazalt-1, VittorI
is Bazalt-2 and Phillips Bazalt-3.



Radio communications after launch:



Between 0348 and 0343UTC, so 3 hours after launch, the S-TMA6 came within my
range (The Hague) towards the end of its 2nd orbit. There was still no
voice traffic, only telemetry in the 165 and 166 mc bands. Monitoring of the
higher frequency , 922.755 mc, was not possible due to interference of the
transponder of the cardiology section of a local hospital .



During the 3rd orbit strong telemetry signals could be heard on 166.134 mc
between 051730 and 052420UTC.

Voice communications via 121.750 mc FM-N came in between 052020 and
052420UTC. Only during voice communications on 121.750 mc AM-W of the
ground services at Rotterdam Airport monitoring of the S-TMA6 signals was
impossible.



During this pass Krikalyov reported details of the performed manoeuvres, for
instance the rotation of his ship and the executed orbit correction
impulses. He derived the data from the BNO (ballistic navigation support).
He also reported the amount of consumed fuel during the 2 motor impulses.
There for he used the system SIRT. He also reported the results of the
corrections in meters per second.



During the 4th orbit telemetry could be heard in the 166 mc band between
0649 and 0657UTC.



Radiotelephony via the 121.750 mc FM-N took place between 065330 and 065720
UTC. Krikalyov reported the good functioning of systems like TV and the
camera. He got instructions for the following orbits and also the times for
comm. sessions, for instance at 194453 and 201753 UTC. He also told that he
had stowed away the space suits and that they wished to eat something. He
presumed that after that meal they would be allowed to sleep.



For me personally it was a sensation to hear again loud and clear the voice
of ols hand Krikalyov. The long period in which he was on board of MIR in
1991 and 1992, his EVA's in that period and the enormous changes in his
homeland gave me a lot of goose-skin during listening hours .



Not being a member of the communist party he still had to hoist the soviet
flag on the MIR station during an EVA. Somewhat later his commander,
Volkov, a member of the CPSU, had to lower this flag and dump it into space



C.M. van den Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202



See also: http://www.muurkrant.nl