And now for something weird...

nsaspook

Joined Aug 27, 2009
16,329
http://www.russianspaceweb.com/meteor-m2-1.html
By November 29, specialists at NPO Lavochkin, which builds Fregat, had already narrowed down the most likely culprit in the failure of the Soyuz launch from Vostochny spaceport, industry sources close to investigation told RussianSpaceWeb.com

Although the information is still preliminary, it is increasingly clear that all the hardware aboard the Fregat upper stage performed as planned. But, almost unbelievably, the flight control system on the Fregat did not have the correct settings for the mission originating from the new launch site in Vostochny, as apposed to routine launches from Baikonur and Plesetsk. As a result, as soon as Fregat and its cargo separated from the third stage of the launch vehicle, its flight control system began commanding a change of orientation of the stack to compensate for what the computer had perceived as a deviation from the correct attitude, which was considerable. As a result, when the Fregat began its first preprogrammed main engine firing, the vehicle was apparently still changing its attitude, which led to a maneuvering in a wrong direction.

At the time, ground control was still receiving telemetry from the mission, but the space tug left the communications range around 7o0 seconds after the liftoff and before the completion of the first maneuver. Apparently, it was not immediately possible to predict the exact trajectory of the stage resulting from the wrong attitude, but it likely led to a suicidal plunge of the stack into the Earth's atmosphere. The available telemetry also allows to establish the exact culprit in the failure, sources said.
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/11/soyuz-2-1b-launch-meteor-m/
 
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nsaspook

Joined Aug 27, 2009
16,329
In the Soyuz rocket, the gyro platform normally rotated from 174 degrees back to a zero position, providing the correct guidance. However on the Fregat, the shortest path for its platform to a zero-degree position was to increase its angle from 184 to 360 degrees. Essentially, the platform came to the same position, but this is not how the software in the main flight control computer on the Fregat interpreted the situation. Instead, the computer decided that the spacecraft had been 360 degrees off target and dutifully commanded its thrusters to fire to turn it around to the required zero-degree position. After a roughly 60-degree turn, the gyroscope system on the Fregat stalled, essentially leaving the vehicle without any ability to orient itself in space.


:eek: ... 19 satellites? !!!
Yes, 19. The nasaspaceflight link has descriptions of each lost bird. Pretty sad as some of the other loads were experimental.
 
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spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
What a shame, a well done implosion is a work of art.

It was a cold January day. My father and I along with a couple of hundred onlookers got the perfect seat just across the Allegheny River from the old Baltimore and Ohio building due for implosion.

We knew the mayor had commissioned a local excursion boat to give the well connected in the city a better view of the implosion. The boat approached and stopped on the periphery of our view. OK not too bad it wasn't blocking our view. As implosion time approached the boat made its way up river between us and the building.

Soon there were over 200 people shouting at the top of their lung. MOVE THAT BOAT, MOVE THAT BOAT! Everyone chanted. Plans were already being formed to meet the mayor back at the dock should our show be spoiled, to have a talk with him. The mayor or the captain likely sensing that they were going to endure the wrath of 200 people on the boats return to the dock, the boat once again baked off to the periphery .

It was a glorious show and a day I will remember for the rest of my life.
 

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,768
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-42218618

Other "advice" from the controversial school included never arguing when scolded and never divorcing.

The teachers are also seen warning that if a woman has sex with more than three men, the semen becomes poisonous and might kill her.

"Whatever your husband asks, your reply should be: 'Yes. Right away'" one lecturer tells her students.

The video showed women doing domestic housework such as cleaning the floor and cleaning toilets using bare hands.
 
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