Space Station Assembly

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Soyuz Orbital Insertion to Docking Timeline
Once the Soyuz reaches orbit, it spends two days chasing the International Space Station. The crew performs systems checks and keeps in touch with controllers at the Russian Mission Control Center during that time.

Before the final rendezvous phase, the three crewmembers put on pressurized suits and then monitor the automated docking sequence. Once docking is complete, they equalize the air pressure of the Soyuz with the station before opening the hatches.

The following times are approximate. All times are keyed to elapsed time from liftoff. Each orbit takes approximately 90 minutes.

FLIGHT DAY 1 OVERVIEW
Orbit 1 Post insertion: Deployment of solar panels, antennas and docking probe
- Crew monitors all deployments
- Crew reports on pressurization of OMS/RCS and ECLSS systems and crew health. Entry thermal sensors are manually deactivated
- Ground provides initial orbital insertion data from tracking
Orbit 2 Systems Checkout: IR Att Sensors, Kurs, Angular Accels, "Display" TV Downlink System, OMS engine control system, Manual Attitude Control Test
- Crew monitors all systems tests and confirms onboard indications
- Crew performs manual RHC stick inputs for attitude control test
- Ingress into HM, activate HM CO2 scrubber and doff Sokols
- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radar and radio transponder tracking
Manual maneuver to +Y to Sun and initiate a 2 deg/sec yaw rotation. MCS is deactivated after rate is established
Orbit 3 Terminate +Y solar rotation, reactivate MCS and establish LVLH attitude reference (auto maneuver sequence)
- Crew monitors LVLH attitude reference build up
- Burn data command upload for DV1 and DV2 (attitude, TIG Delta V's)
- Form 14 preburn emergency deorbit pad read up
- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radar and radio transponder tracking
Auto maneuver to DV1 burn attitude (TIG - 8 minutes) while LOS
- Crew monitor only, no manual action nominally required
DV1 phasing burn while LOS
- Crew monitor only, no manual action nominally required
Orbit 4 Auto maneuver to DV2 burn attitude (TIG -8 minutes) while LOS
- Crew monitor only, no manual action nominally required
DV2 phasing burn while LOS
- Crew monitor only, no manual action nominally required
Crew report on burn performance upon AOS
- HM and DM pressure checks read down
- Post burn Form 23 (AOS/LOS pad), Form 14 and "Globe" corrections voiced up
- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radar and radio transponder tracking
Manual maneuver to +Y to Sun and initiate a 2 deg/sec yaw rotation. MCS is deactivated after rate is established.
External boresight TV camera ops check (while LOS)
Meal
Orbit 5 Last pass on Russian tracking range for Flight Day 1
Report on TV camera test and crew health
Sokol suit clean up
- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radar and radio transponder tracking
Orbit 6-12 Crew Sleep, off of Russian tracking range
- Emergency VHF2 comm available through NASA VHF Network
FLIGHT DAY 2 OVERVIEW
Orbit 13 Post sleep activity, report on HM/DM Pressures
Form 14 revisions voiced up
- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radar and radio transponder tracking
Orbit 14 Configuration of RHC-2/THC-2 work station in the HM
- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radar and radio transponder tracking
Orbit 15 THC-2 (HM) manual control test
- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radar and radio transponder tracking
Orbit 16 Lunch
- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radar and radio transponder tracking
Orbit 17(1) Terminate +Y solar rotation, reactivate MCS and establish LVLH attitude reference (auto maneuver sequence)
RHC-2 (HM) Test
- Burn data uplink (TIG, attitude, delta V)
- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radar and radio transponder tracking
Auto maneuver to burn attitude (TIG - 8 min) while LOS
Rendezvous burn while LOS
Manual maneuver to +Y to Sun and initiate a 2 deg/sec yaw rotation. MCS is deactivated after rate is established
Orbit 18(2) Post burn and manual maneuver to +Y Sun report when AOS
- HM/DM pressures read down
- Post burn Form 23, Form 14 and Form 2 (Globe correction) voiced up
- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radar and radio transponder tracking
Orbit 19(3) C02 scrubber cartridge change out
Free time
- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radar and radio transponder tracking
Orbit 20(4) Free time
- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radar and radio transponder tracking
Orbit 21(5) Last pass on Russian tracking range for Flight Day 2
Free time
- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radar and radio transponder tracking
Orbit 22(6) - 27(11) Crew sleep, off of Russian tracking range
- Emergency VHF2 comm available through NASA VHF Network
FLIGHT DAY 3 OVERVIEW
Orbit 28(12) Post sleep activity
- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radar and radio transponder tracking
Orbit 29(13) Free time, report on HM/DM pressures
- Read up of predicted post burn Form 23 and Form 14
- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radar and radio transponder tracking
Orbit 30(14) Free time, read up of Form 2 "Globe Correction," lunch
- Uplink of auto rendezvous command timeline
- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radar and radio transponder tracking
FLIGHT DAY 3 AUTO RENDEZVOUS SEQUENCE
Orbit 31(15) Don Sokol spacesuits, ingress DM, close DM/HM hatch
- Active and passive vehicle state vector uplinks
- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radio transponder tracking
Orbit 32(16) Terminate +Y solar rotation, reactivate MCS and establish LVLH attitude reference (auto maneuver sequence)
Begin auto rendezvous sequence
- Crew monitoring of LVLH reference build and auto rendezvous timeline execution
- A/G, R/T and Recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radio transponder tracking
FLIGHT DAY 3 FINAL APPROACH AND DOCKING
Orbit 33(1) Auto Rendezvous sequence continues, flyaround and station keeping
- Crew monitor
- Comm relays via SM through Altair established
- Form 23 and Form 14 updates
- Fly around and station keeping initiated near end of orbit
- A/G (gnd stations and Altair), R/T TLM (gnd stations), Display TV downlink (gnd stations and Altair)
- Radio transponder tracking
Orbit 34(2) Final Approach and docking
- Capture to "docking sequence complete" 20 minutes, typically
- Monitor docking interface pressure seal
- Transfer to HM, doff Sokol suits
- A/G (gnd stations and Altair), R/T TLM (gnd stations), Display TV downlink (gnd stations and Altair)
- Radio transponder tracking
FLIGHT DAY 3 STATION INGRESS
Orbit 35(3) Station/Soyuz pressure equalization
- Report all pressures
- Open transfer hatch, ingress station
- A/G, R/T and playback telemetry
- Radio transponder tracking


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