Soyuz orbit profile
After orbit insertion, the Soyuz usually spends two days chasing the ISS, performing various rendezvous burns and manoeuvres until it docks with the Station. Rendezvous and docking are usually automated (though monitored by TsUP, Moscow Mission Control when the Soyuz is within 150 meters of the Station). The crew can override the automated system and perform a manual docking if necessary.
The timeline below was originally published in the Expedition 1 Press Kit and describes the Soyuz TM-31 flight, but the TMA flight profile is virtually identical (as far as I know). It can also be found on the NASA Soyuz Orbital Insertion to Docking Timeline page.
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 Orbital Maneuvering System/Reaction Control System (OMS/RCS) and Environmental Control & Life Support Systems (ECLSS), and crew health. Entry thermal sensors are manually deactivated
- Ground provides initial orbital insertion data from tracking
Orbit 2
Systems checkout: Infra-Red Attitude Sensors, Kurs, Angular Accelerations, Display TV Downlinks System, Orbital Maneuvering 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 Orbital Module, activate HM CO2 scrubber and doff Sokols
- A/G, radiotelegram and recorded telemetry and Display TV downlink
- Radar and radio transponder tracking
Manual maneuver to +Y to sun and initiate a 2 degrees/second yaw rotation (to ensure the craft receives even thermal heating). MCS is deactivated after rate is established.
Orbit 3
Terminate +Y solar rotation, reactivate MCS and establish Local Vertical/Local Horizontal attitude reference (auto-maneuver sequence)
- Crew monitors LVLH attitude reference build-up
- Burn data command upload for Delta-V1 and DV2 (attitude, TIG Delta V’s)
- Form 14 preburn emergency deorbit pad read-up
- A/G, R/T and recorded telemetry and Display TV downlink
- Radar and ratio transponder tracking
Auto maneuver to DV1 burn attitude (TIG −8 minutes) while loss of signal
- 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 Telemetry 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 workstation in the HM
- A/G, R/T and recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radar and radio transponder tracking
Orbit 15
TCH-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
- Post-burn Form 23, Form 14 and Form 2 (Globe correction) voiced up
- Radar and radio transponder tracking
Orbit 19 (3)
CO2 scrubber cartridge change-out
Free time
- Burn data uplink (TIG, attitude, Delta-V)
- A/G, R/T and recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radar and radio transponder tracking
Orbit 20 (4)
Free time
- Burn data uplink (TIG, attitude, Delta-V)
- 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
- Burn data uplink (TIG, attitude, Delta-V)
- 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
- Burn data uplink (TIG, attitude, Delta-V)
- 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
- Burn data uplink (TIG, attitude, Delta-V)
- 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
- Burn data uplink (TIG, attitude, Delta-V)
- 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
- Burn data uplink (TIG, attitude, Delta-V)
- A/G, R/T and recorded TLM and Display TV downlink
- Radar and 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 refernce 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 [satellite] 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
- Lots of hugs and enthusiastic greetings on both sides!
Glossary
- A/G
- Air-to-Ground
- AOS
- Acquisition of Signal
- DM
- Descent Module, спускаемый аппарат
- HM
- Orbital Module, бытовой отсек
- LOS
- Loss of Signal
- LVLH
- Local Vertical/Local Horizontal
- MCS
- Motion Control System
- OMS
- Orbital Maneuvering System
- RCS
- Reaction Control System
- R/G
- Radiogram
- RHC-2
- Right-Hand Controller (Soyuz flight control)
- THC-2
- Translational Hand Controller (Soyuz flight control)
- TIG
- Time of/to Ignition
- TLM
- Telemetry
- VHF
- Very High Frequency
Docking: стыковка, stykovka
Diagrams
- MARS Center: Soyuz docking and undocking sequences (all diagrams stored on an external site, about 37 KB each).
- Step 1: approaching
- Step 2: alignment
- Step 3: soft docking. The Soyuz docking probe enters the module’s docking cone.
- Step 4: probe retraction
- Step 5: hard docking. The docking rings of the Soyuz and module make a tight seal.
- Step 6: hatches opening
- Step 7: crew enters
- Soyuz ground track (43 KB). It is actually a straight line, but because the map of the Earth is rolled out flat, the track appears as a sine curve in relation to the Equator (the ISS’s orbit is the same, at 51.6° north & south latitudes).
