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Abstract: The two-day stay of crew in a limited inhabited volume of the Soyuz-TMA spacecraft till docking to ISS is one of the most stressful parts of space flight. In this paper a number of possible ways to reduce the duration of the free flight phase are considered. The duration is defined by phasing strategy that is necessary for reduction of the phase angle between the chaser and target spacecraft. Some short phasing strategies could be developed. The use of such strategies creates more comfortable flight conditions for crew thanks to short duration and additionally it allows saving spacecraft’s life support resources. The transition from the methods of direct spacecraft rendezvous using one orbit phasing (first flights of “Vostok” and “Soyuz” vehicles) to the currently used methods of two-day rendezvous mission can be observed in the history of Soviet manned space program. For an advanced Russian human rated spacecraft the short phasing strategy is recommended, which can be considered as a combination between the direct and two-day rendezvous missions. The following state of the art technologies are assumed available: onboard accurate navigation; onboard computations of phasing maneuvers; launch vehicle with high accuracy injection orbit, etc. Some operational requirements and constraints for the strategies are briefly discussed. In order to provide acceptable phase angles for possible launch dates the experience of the ISS altitude profile control can be used. As examples of the short phasing strategies, the following rendezvous missions are considered: direct ascent, short mission with the phasing during 3–7 orbits depending on the launch date (nominal or backup). For each option statistical modeling of the rendezvous mission is fulfilled, as well as an admissible phase angle range, accuracy of target state vector and addition fuel consumption coming out of emergency is defined. In this paper an estimation of pros and cons of all options is conducted. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Following the decision taken during the ESA Council in December 2004 to start the “Soyuz at CSG” program funded by seven European countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland) and ARIANESPACE, activities began in French Guyana in January 2005 to build a new launch pad for the Russian Soyouz ST launcher, and in the Federation of Russia to build associated ground equipments and to adapt the launcher. This papers recalls the Soyuz launcher definition and its adaptations for a launch from CSG and presents the overall design of the Soyuz Launch pad together with the future launch operations. One and a half year after project kick-off, a status of the development is made and the planning of the remaining activities until the first flight end of 2008 is also given. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The realization of Russian–Australian scientific—educational micro-satellite “Kolibri-2000” (weight of 20.5kg, http://www.kolibri2000.ru 20 March, 2002), delivered into an orbit by “Progress M1-7”, was the first item in the Program of Scientific—Educational Micro-Satellite (PSEMS'' 2002–2007, http://iki.cosmos.ru/kollibri/mission1_e.htm) and designate the starting point of a series at perspective scientific—educational micro-satellites (SEMS, http://www.energia.ru/english/energia/sci-education/microsat/microsat-02.html). In the “Kolibri-2000” project, several schools equipped by School Center of Reception of the Information (SCRI), participated, including Russian schools (Obninsk http://ftschool.obninsk.org) and two Australian schools in Sydney, Knox Grammar School (www.knox.nsw.edu.au) and Ravenswood School for Girls (www.ravenswood.nsw.edu.au). The results of the “Kolibri-2000” first measurements on the orbit near the International Space Station will be submitted in this paper which include the ionosphere reaction during the April 2002 events, and address as understanding of the coupling and feedback in the Sun–Earth interaction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Modern state of development and application of electric propulsion (EP) in Russia is analyzed in this report. The characteristics of fields of advisable EPS application are presented. The power-to-weight and economic effectiveness of applying EP systems of different types for solving perspective tasks, including spacecraft transportation to operating orbits, its station keeping in the orbit and in the structure of satellite constellations, operation and stabilization and taking away from the orbit after the end of the lifetime are studied in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]