Russia launches Shuttle demonstrator

[nacnud]

<font color="yellow">Russia launches Shuttle demonstrator [nasaspaceflight.com]<br />10/6/2005 10:03:00 PM<br />By: Sergi Manstov<br />Russia's Defence Ministry has successfuly launched a Shuttle Demonstrator from a Russian Submarine in the Barents Sea - which then completed a 35 minute sub-orbital flight before being retrived on the Kamchatka Peninsula.<br /><br />The craft - described only as a 'mini shuttle' by military officials quoted by the TASS news agency in Moscow - was launched on a converted Volna booster from a submerged Borisoglebsk submarine early Friday (local time).<br /><br /><font color="white">Although details are scarce I think this might be a test of the Ballute that Russia has been developing in partnership with ESA and EDAS. <br /><br />"The unfolding and inflating system worked successfully in space, the heat protection did not let the craft down in the dense layers of the atmosphere," ITAR-Tass quoted the Russian space agency as saying. The Scotsman<br /><br /><font color="white">This could eventualy help with replaceing some of the down mass capablity lost when the STS retires, or posibly even developed into a crew rescue system. This artist's conception shows an inflatable re-entry shield descending to Earth. Russian and European engineers are working together on a project to develop such shields, known as Inflatable Re-entry and Descent Technology.</font></font></font>

 

[shoogerbrugge]

finally, its been a very long time since its last failed attempt.<br /><br />This craft has huge potential and is an important link in making spaceflight cheaper (its not all about going up thats expencive, coming down costs a pretty penny as well)<br /><br />lets hope this demonstration was succesive and will lead to a faster development<br /><br />http://www.2r2s.com/irdt_concept.html for more information

 

[syndroma]

<img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" />

 

[JonClarke]

Why the sad face for a successful test of important technology?<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[syndroma]

Too early to declare a success.<br />http://en.rian.ru/russia/20051007/41629995.html<br />

 

[nacnud]

Looks like a cool vehicle, the ESA site on the project has more in the design of the craft itself and this paper from 2001 has even more <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br /><br />

 

[spacefire]

you mean "shuttlecock" right? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[nacnud]

Well I was quoting the article, it seems to be reported as a shuttle in many places but I agree shuttlecock is more acurate. Dunno why they missed the **** part out?

 

[spacefire]

maybe the reporter was a lady <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[shuttle_man]

The Russians tend to call a lot of things a Shuttle. They sometimes even call the Soyuz a Shuttle.

 

[holmec]

low cost, no thrusters, colapsable vehicle. That's using your head. I can just see that something like this might be the way for a future space parachutists extreme sport. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[shuttle_rtf]

>maybe the reporter was a lady<<br /><br />Sergi's no lady! <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />Good thread, Nacnud. I'll link this up to Sergi and see if he can get them to confirm.

 

[nacnud]

<font color="yellow">I'll link this up to Sergi and see if he can get them to confirm.<br /><br /><font color="white">Cool <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /></font></font>

 

[spacefire]

how would you see anything if you were wrapped inside that ballute? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[spacefire]

wasn't there a lady that went supersonic in a skydive using a rigid cone over her head? <br /><br /><br />anyways, why jump out a of a perfectly good lifting body during re-entry? <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[nacnud]

Lieing on your back watching the plasma trail not spectacular enough spacefire? <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />S_G What sort of angle would this enter at? Could you see the ground by looking out the back of the ballute?

 

[spacefire]

I had a book with aviation firsts and records, and I distinctly remember reading about <b>somebody</b> who went supersonic during a dive. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[spacefire]

I read about this nutcase (skydiver) who wanted to learn how to land a wing suit. This gave me the idea of an inflatable lifting body that the skydiver would wear and fly all the way to touchdown...well I haven't figured that part out yet.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[shuttle_rtf]

Sergi just posted this on our forum:<br /><br />"Ok, I asked and they say it is a cargo ship that will be delivered to the ISS, it was designed to carry cargo to low orbits. It will be delieved to the ISS by Progress of ESA ATV. It is a contract for European Aeronautic Defense & Space Co. Hope that helps."

 

[spacefire]

no, some are nutcases with over-inflated egos who believe themselves immune to gravity...like people who mod their own rigs. But they tend to eliminate themselves from the gene-pool <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[spacefire]

so that guy jumped from high up with no training whatsoever? now that's a nutcase for ya! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[nacnud]

That sounds exactly like the ballute system, check out the paper I linked to above.

 

[lampblack]

Back in the early 1960s when folks figured anything was possible, NASA actually considered a proposal from General Electric that would have allowed an astronaut to bail out of a crippled spacecraft from orbit.<br /><br />They called it MOOSE -- the "Man Out of Space, Easiest" program. It was "easy" in the sense that the concept was simple. What's not clear is how easy it would have been to actually survive the experience.<br /><br />You just put on your spacesuit, strap on a bit of specially designed portable ablative shielding, and step out of the ship. After you're outside, all you have to do is line yourself up just right -- and then use a hand-held solid rocket device to slow your velocity enough to initiate ballistic reentry.<br /><br />Now, if you're serious about extreme sports, here's a candidate. I'm surprised, actually, that some entrepreneur hasn't tried to license the old plans from General Electric and see what the market will bear.<br /><br />This thread inspired me to dredge MOOSE up from deep memory because -- I *think* I'm right about this -- they considered using ballute technology to make the one-man reentry workable.<br /><br />In case anybody thinks I'm joking, here's the relevant Astronautix article:<br /><br />http://www.astronautix.com/craft/moose.htm<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#0000ff"><strong>Just tell the truth and let the chips fall...</strong></font> </div>

 

[lampblack]

It does seem to make sense as a reasonable plan for dealing with extreme emergencies. Assuming it would actually work. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />Sort of like ejector seats on a fighter jet -- you don't really want to have to use 'em, but you're glad they're there as a fall-back when things go really, really badly. You're willing to risk a few broken bones to get out alive. Or -- I suppose in the case of MOOSE -- a slightly toasted butt.<br /><br />But whether it makes sense or not -- WHAT a ride!<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#0000ff"><strong>Just tell the truth and let the chips fall...</strong></font> </div>

 

[lampblack]

I had a detail wrong, by the way, in my description of how MOOSE would have worked.<br /><br />The free-floating astronaut would have used a hand-held gas canister to position himself just right -- so that he would be flying in essentially a butt-first, heads-up attitude. Then he would fire a small solid rocket attached to the back of the MOOSE apparatus, slowing him down enough to initiate ballistic reentry.<br /><br />That would leave the astronaut flying backwards in a seated position as he entered the atmosphere, depending on the portable ablative heat shield for protection and on his spacesuit for oxygen. Upon arrival in the dense part of the atmosphere, of course, a parachute would deploy from an attachment point on the astronaut's chest.<br /><br />Whew!<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#0000ff"><strong>Just tell the truth and let the chips fall...</strong></font> </div>