Baikonur, Kazakhstan: It’s all systems go for the launch of the Soyuz rocket that will take the UAE’s first astronaut Hazzaa AlMansoori to the International Space Station (ISS).
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Salem Al Merri, Assistant Director-General of Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), on Monday said “everything is going as per schedule”.
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“What’s happened is after the assembly, the Soyuz rocket as well as the encapsulated Soyuz spacecraft have been rolled out of the assembly building all the way to Gagarin’s Start launch pad, which is where Yuri Gagarin was launched from.”
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“The rocket has been verticalised, which means all the procedures to build up the rocket has been done successfully. The rocket is ready now,” Al Merri, also the head of the UAE Astronaut Programme, told Gulf News.
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“They will be starting refuelling and once it’s fuelled up, obviously we are getting closer and closer to the launch date.”
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UAE flag hoisted
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He said seeing the UAE flag hoisted stand by side with the giants of the space sector with the Soyuz rocket in the background is rewarding.
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“For us to see the UAE flag everywhere here in Baikonur, to see the flag alongside the United States and Russian flag and the logo of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre on the rocket itself, this showcases that two or three years of hard work are coming to an exciting conclusion very soon.”
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“Obviously, the launch on the 25th is one event. We have a series of events happening in the next 10-15 days that involve Hazzaa AlMansoori and Sultan Al Neyadi all the way up to landing and what’s happening after that. So I’m very excited. I’m very happy,” he said.
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“The astronauts are excited. They can’t wait for the 25th (of September) and so can’t we as well.”
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Launch and flight sequence
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The nose fairing of the rocket will also separate to expose the Soyuz spacecraft sitting on top of the rocket.
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The second stage will then provide the power and lift following which it will be jettisoned and the third stage will continue powering up to space.
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Once the third stage has used up its fuel, it will separate from the spacecraft and the solar arrays will be deployed at roughly 8min and 49 seconds after lift-off.
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The chase begins
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Then the “chase” begins.
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The Soyuz spacecraft will fly to the direction of the ISS and will rendezvous with the orbital lab in approximately six hours.
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Docking will take place at around midnight in the UAE. The hatch will be opened after two hours — following a procedure to make sure that there are no leaks or pressure differences.
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Once the hatch opens, the new crew members will be welcomed to the ISS.
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