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Watching Soyuz Roll By

Posted 10/21/2012 12:10 AM by Steven Lee | Comments

Our first sight of the Soyuz, as it slowly rolled out of the assembly facility.

The whole Soyuz was visible within a minute or so. The four strap-on boosters are considered "Stage 1" (firing for about 130 seconds before being jettisoned), while the center booster is considered "Stage 2".

The Soyuz spacecraft is protected by the payload fairing, and the launch escape system can pull the crew to safety in case of a major malfunction in the first two minutes after liftoff.

Finally, a clear view of the entire Soyuz (about 50 m or 165 ft long).

The "Soyuz caravan" approaches the launch pad.

A "strongback" raises the Soyuz to the vertical.

Soyuz is vertical, and ready to be "locked down" on Pad 31.

Soyuz is fully locked-down and ready for 2 days of launch preparations. The next time we see it will be on launch day (Oct. 23)!

Our first sight of the Soyuz, as it slowly rolled out of the assembly facility. The whole Soyuz was visible within a minute or so. The four strap-on boosters are considered "Stage 1" (firing for about 130 seconds before being jettisoned), while the center booster is considered "Stage 2". The Soyuz spacecraft is protected by the payload fairing, and the launch escape system can pull the crew to safety in case of a major malfunction in the first two minutes after liftoff. Finally, a clear view of the entire Soyuz (about 50 m or 165 ft long). Waiting expectantly on Pad 31! The "Soyuz caravan" approaches the launch pad. A "strongback" raises the Soyuz to the vertical. Soyuz is vertical, and ready to be "locked down" on Pad 31. Soyuz is fully locked-down and ready for 2 days of launch preparations. The next time we see it will be on launch day (Oct. 23)!

Our ride to Baikonour Cosmodrome started bright and early (6am). We parked our van near the Soyuz assembly building, and were waved through a gate. My jaw dropped when I saw that we were being told to stand near a barrier about 20 feet from a rail track and an electric locomotive; this was where the Soyuz launch vehicle and spacecraft would pass on their short trek to Pad 31. We were part of a crowd of perhaps 100 people, including families of the astronaut and 2 cosmonauts crewing this mission, several astronauts who have all spent rotations on the International Space Station, and NASA and Russian Space Agency officials. Within a few minutes, floodlights came on, the massive door rolled aside, and there it was! I've been following the many, many launches of this workhorse of the Russian space program since it first flew in the 1960's - and I could almost touch it! (Might have thought about that, if it weren't for the grouchy looking guards with the submachine guns!). After it rolled around a bend, we made our way to the launch pad, and watched the meticulous process of positioning the Soyuz over the flame trench, raising it until vertical, and positioning all of the supports and work platforms around the rocket and spacecraft. By 10am - it was finished, and it was time to go! I'm sending lots of pictures today, so hope you'll get a taste of how amazing today was for all of us lucky enough to be here.

Tomorrow - we get to participate in the crew's final pre-launch press briefing. Stay tuned!