Engine burns to raise orbit

Soyuz launcher putting the Soyuz spacecraft into its insertion orbit. Credits: ESA

Andreas, Sergei and Aidyn are in space circling Earth, free from the Soyuz launcher that released them from the clutches of gravity. Their spacecraft is in the so-called insertion orbit, the orbit that their Soyuz launcher put them in. The spacecraft separated from the launcher in three stages, the last occurring precisely at 06:46:31.893 GMT according to Moscow Control Centre. The spacecraft was released with these orbital parameters: 88.69 minutes inclination, 51.67 degrees perigee 200.34 km, apogee 248.67 km. These parameters allow mission controllers to calculate their orbit and position in space.

Today the crew will fire the thrusters in their spacecraft twice to increase their speed and raise their orbit even more, bringing them into the so-called phasing orbit.

The first burn is planned for 08:17:29 GMT. The engines will fire for 46 seconds to increase their speed by 18,56 m/s.

The second burn will be at 09:11:06 GMT and last for 24 seconds to increase the Soyuz speed by 9,32 m/s.

Interestingly both these burns will occur during a “communication blackout” when the Soyuz spacecraft does not fly above ground stations in Russia that can pick up their signals. Mission control will not know if the engine burns happened correctly until both have been completed.