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28.01.2011
Russian cargo vehicle Progress M-09M lifted off toward the International Space Station (ISS) at 4:32 Moscow time [1:32 GMT] on Friday, the Russian space agency Roscosmos said. It was launched from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan on a Soyuz-U booster rocket. It separated 10 minutes later and successfully entered the designated orbit.
Soyuz-U / Progress night launch
The space freighter will deliver fuel, oxygen, food, books and birthday presents for Expedition 26 captain Scott J. Kelly of the United States, who turns 47 on February 21. The spaceship is to dock with the space station on January 30 at 5:40 Moscow time [2:40 GMT]. There are a number of notable cargoes aboard Progress M-09M, one of which is the Earth Artificial Satellite (EAS) “Kedr”.
Kedr is a 30 kg, 550 х 550 х 400 mm minisatellite, classified as such due to its mass of less than 100 kg. It is designed to transmit 25 greeting messages in 15 different languages, earth photos, and telemetry data for its scientific equipment and service systems. It will transmit its signal at 145.95 MHz, with the amateur radio callsign is RS1S.
The satellite’s name is derived from Yuri Gagarin’s callsign, which was also Kedr. Its purpose is to perform the Space Experiment (SE) RadioSkaf, which involves the development, processing and launch of a supersmall spacecraft during an EVA.
It will also be used for student space education programs, and for this year’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s spaceflight. Kedr will be manually jettisoned overboard to free-fly from the ISS during Russian EVA-28 on 16th February.
Images, Video, Text, Credits: Roscosmos PAO / NASA.
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