News on START launch vehicles

[shoogerbrugge]

Somehow Im a big fan of ambigious Russian Launch Vehicles. And I found this so interesting that I decided to share it with you.<br /><br />The START and START 1 are all sollid propellant vehicles based on SS-25 Topol M ICBMs. They have 4 and 5 stages respectivly, and are usually launched from mobile launchers at Snobodnyy in the eastern part of Russia. Until now I believe 3 times there has been a launch attempt with a commercial payload, at least one reached orbit, I believe once the 4th stage failed, about the other one I can't recall the result<br /><br />Now on spacedaily the following news report came: http://www.spacedaily.com/news/launchers-05zzzk.html Its an opinion piece, and shows some real Russian small mindedness, but has some interesting info on the side of the START launch vehicles.<br /><br /><br />According to the spacedaily article, the Russian company Puskoviye Uslugi and the Italian Space Agency are considering to operate the START LV from a floating platform close to Kenya.<br /><br />Its the floating platform San Marco, more info on it to be found on: http://www.astronautix.com/sites/sanmarco.htm <br /><br />The START LV is suitable for launches from floating platforms, because its operations are highly automated. Usually they are TEL mounted. Launching a START from russia would cost The cost of orbiting a payload by it, is $8 million to $8.5 million. And it will be able to put a 100kg payload in orbit<br /><br />(its funny, the piece in spacedaily reports the number of SeaLaunches to low, and less succesive then it really is, and the number of START launches and more succesive then it really is, baised??? )<br /><br />Now somehow the article doesn't add up. First the state of the San Marco described by astronautix as <i>"By 2003 the platforms were in a very decrepit state and the scrap yard beckoned."</i> A

 

[giofx]

Hi Shooger... I'm Italian so if you need something to be translated just ask and ur welcome. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />About the San Marco launch platform site, i just found this:<br /><br />http://www.univ-perp.fr/fuseurop/sanma_e.htm

 

[shoogerbrugge]

Well, I used google translation to have a look around at http://www.asi.it/index.htm I don't think the news section had anything relevant in it. But if you could peak around and look for news on a possible use of Russian START LV's that would be great.

 

[giofx]

sure... I`ll look for news about it

 

[holmec]

Wow, SeaLaunch is getting some competition. Space commerce is growing. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>