Russian space travel

[EarthlingX]

en.rian.ru : Russia to start testing new Angara rocket in 2013

17:25 15/07/2010

Angara rocket

Test launches of Russia's new booster rocket, the Angara, are to start in 2013, the rocket designer said on Thursday.

Vladimir Nesterov, head of the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, said the rocket assembly would be completed in the first quarter of 2011, adding that the first-stage engine was "99% ready" and the second-stage engine had already been tested three times.

He said the only problem that could affect the schedule of tests was delays in the purchase of ground-based equipment that the center was unable to order due to underfunding.

Angara rockets, designed to provide lifting capabilities between 2,000 and 40,500 kg into low earth orbit, are expected to become the core of Russia's unmanned launcher fleet, replacing several existing systems.

The main purpose of the Angara rocket family is to give Russia independent access to space. The rockets will reduce Russia's dependence on the Baikonur space center it leases from Kazakhstan by allowing the launch of heavy payloads from more northerly sites such as Plesetsk and a new space center in Russia's Far East.

Khrunichev is also developing a super-heavy-lift version, the Angara 7, capable of orbiting payloads of 45 to 75 tons, and for which there is no equivalent in Russia's current rocket fleet.

MOSCOW, July 15 (RIA Novosti)

 

[EarthlingX]

Birth of the Proton :
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDa3QPbjaow[/youtube]
(Google translated accompanying text) :

This week, the most powerful Russian rocket Proton is launched to the orbit of American telecommunications satellite, EchoStar. Created at the height of the Cold War, as military complex, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, today "Proton" sends satellites into orbit peace. The current launch coincided with the anniversary date: 16 July 1965 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome launched the first "Universal rocket", abbreviated - UR-500. Then the missile was given the name: from the Greek "Protos", which means - the first.

www.ilslaunch.com : July 16th Marks the 45th Anniversary of the First Proton Launch

16/07/2010

Today, Proton celebrates the 45th anniversary of its first flight. Originally named UR-500, the rocket later took on the name Proton in homage of its first three payloads. Its first payload, the satellite “Proton-1,” weighed over twelve tons and was inserted into orbit at 589 km apogee, 183 km perigee, and an inclination of 63.4 degrees.

Taiga spaceport part 1
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo2JFJI8UZo[/youtube]
(Google translated accompanying text) :

Russia - the most powerful space power with which, alas - now is not on their soil cosmodrome for manned flight. Rent of Baikonur in Kazakhstan annually consumes billions of rubles from the treasury. Northern Plesetsk launch not suitable for ships with the astronauts - because of its geographical position: to put into orbit with a crew capsule is almost impossible. The idea of building its own port for manned spacecraft Russia ozabotilas long. And only now, the project takes shape.

Taiga spaceport part 2
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPqC-HuOaU8[/youtube]

 

[EarthlingX]

http://www.federalspace.ru : Russia to Invest Over $ 800 mln to Build New Space Centre

:: 20.07.2010

Russia will invest over USD 800 million to build a space centre in the Far East of the country for civilian space launches, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said.


"The government decided to allocate over the next three years 24.7 billion roubles (around USD 811 million) for beginning of the full-scale construction of the Vostochny (Eastern) Space Centre," Putin said in his televised remarks at a meeting with space industry officials.

The Vostochny Space Centre to be located in the Amur region bordering China will eventually replace the Soviet-era Baikonur cosmodrome, now on 30-year lease with Russia from Kazakhstan.

"I hope that the Vostochny Space Centre will become the first civilian national space centre, and would guarantee Russia full independence in space activities," he underscored. Addressing the space officials at the 'Energia' spacecraft plant in Korolyov town near here, Putin also vowed to develop international cooperation in space and announced the cabinet decision to allow foreigners access to the top secret facility for this.


"It is important that the new space centre will provide service for all prospective space projects, including a manned transport system, new generation boosters and future interplanetary missions," he said.

http://www.federalspace.ru : Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at RSC-Energia (photos)

en.rian.ru : Russia set to occupy 15% of world's space services

20:40 19/07/2010

The head of Russia's Federal Space Agency Roscosmos, Anatoly Perminov

Russia plans to occupy at least 15% of the world's space services under the national aerospace industry's development strategy for 2015, Russia's top space official said on Monday.

"At the moment the output has been growing annually, growth rate exceeds that of both the industry as a whole and the military industrial complex," the head of Russia's Federal Space Agency Roscosmos, Anatoly Perminov, said.

He also said the Russian Federal Space Program as well as the Global Navigation System (GLONASS) Special Federal Program are provided with all the necessary resources and financing.

Perminov said there were not any space industry enterprises that went bankrupt or had some late salary payments since all of them [18 companies] received state support to tackle the consequences of the global downturn.

KOROLYOV (Moscow region), July 19 (RIA Novosti)

http://www.federalspace.ru : Russia and US shall Fly to Mars Together

:: 19.07.2010

Russia and US would have reached Mars together already, if there had not been interruption in cooperation between the two countries, Vance Brand, one of the Soyuz-Apollo crew told ITAR-TASS.
Soyuz-Apollo, the first international space program, celebrates its 35th anniversary these days.
The crew- US Thomas Stafford and Vance Brand, and Russian Alexey Leonov and Valery Kubasov- are awaited on Monday at Rocket Space Corporation Energia, and later on, at 5 p.m., at Memorial Space Museum.
According to Brand, Russia and US shall continue their cooperative initiatives intended to explore distant space.

 

[EarthlingX]

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/

Rus-M design is ready

Published: 2010 Aug. 26

After more than a year of work, developers of the Russia's next-generation rocket submitted their project to the formal review by the nation's space agency.

On Wednesday, August 25, Roskosmos held a formal meeting of its Scientific and Technical Council tasked to critique and approve the preliminary design of the future rocket. The event is considered a major milestone, marking a formal conclusion of the preliminary design and beginning of a full-scale development of the new family of rockets, known as Rus-M.

The agency ordered the Russian space industry to start the work on the new launch vehicle for manned space flight in the spring of 2009. The central role in the project was awarded to TsSKB Progress design bureau in Samara, the manufacturer of the world-famous Soyuz series of rockets and the Soviet Energia super-heavy launcher.

The completed project mostly complied with the design philosophy formulated by the agency during 2008 and 2009, which called for a two-stage rocket with three boosters on the first stage. However at least one alternative solution based on the operational Zenit rocket was proposed in the course of the preliminary design by RKK Energia, the developer of the future manned spacecraft intended to ride Rus-M into orbit. The Zenit-based launcher would allow the continuation of the Russian manned missions from the existing launch site in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. However during the meeting, Roskosmos re-confirmed its commitment to the development of the new Vostochny launch site in the Russian Far East, which would host the new family of rockets. The agency promised to start the construction of the new center in 2011.

Although, Roskosmos stuck with the three-booster design for the medium-class rockets, the architecture of future heavy-lifting launchers remains to be determined. The heavy launcher would be required to support Russia's long-term goals in manned space flight, such as the construction of lunar bases and expeditions to Mars.

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/ppts_lv.html

Artist rendering of the Rus-M launch with the PTK NP spacecraft, as it was envisioned by developers during 2009. Click to enlarge. Copyright © 2009 Anatoly Zak

 

[EarthlingX]

www.federalspace.ru : Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Unveiled a Plaque Commemorating the Start of Construction of the Vostochny Space Port

:: 29.08.2010

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin continued his working visit to the Amur Region on August 28. He arrived in his Lada Kalina car at the site of a geological survey for the construction of the Vostochny Russian National Cosmodrome, where Mr Putin familiarised himself with the blueprints and layout of the future spaceport.

Mr Putin unveiled a plaque commemorating the start of construction of the spaceport. The plaque is affixed to a large granite slab and reads: "A spaceport will be built here." Mr Putin personally removed the sheet covering the slab. Mr Putin touched the plaque and said: "Consider that the start!"

 

[EarthlingX]

www.bbc.co.uk : Vacuum lab to grow space crystals may be added to ISS

27 August 2010 Last updated at 10:15 GMT

By Katia Moskvitch Science reporter, BBC News, Novosibirsk

The vacuum lab may be added to the ISS in the years to come

Scientists are planning to use the space station to grow a new kind of crystal for use in solar cells by 2013.

They say the vacuum conditions in space improve the quality of thin film crystals, giving them properties that are unachievable on Earth.

The technique, called Molecular Beam Epitaxy, could improve electronics, in particular raising the efficiency of solar cells as much as 60%.

Scientists behind the proposed move call it "an industrial evolution".

 

[Yuri_Armstrong]

Interesting that the former communist nation were the first ones to sell a private ticket into space instead of the US.

 

[EarthlingX]

spacefellowship.com : Khrunichev Update on Performance and Future Plans

Published by Klaus Schmidt
on Sat Sep 4, 2010 7:03 am
via: ILS

Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center (KhSC), headquartered in Moscow, a Federal State Unitary Enterprise (FSUE), has been a longstanding leader in the advancement of space programs. Its varied product lines include launch vehicles and launch vehicle upper stages, communication and earth observation satellites, rocket engines and Space Station modules.

 

[emudude]

Interesting that the former communist nation were the first ones to sell a private ticket into space instead of the US.

Well, they do have a resource-dependent economy...although, I know that is changing gradually.

 

[EarthlingX]

Recent updates on Anatoly Zak's RussianSpaceWeb :

An overview of Russia's multi-phase plan for unmanned lunar exploration

Step 1: Luna-Glob (or is it Step 2 now?)

Step 2: Luna-Resurs a.k.a Chandrayaan-2

Step 3: Luna-Grunt

Step 4: Lunar Range or "Lunny Poligon" as they call it.

Plenty of images and historic info.

 

[Yuri_Armstrong]

Aren't they trying to replace the Soyuz pretty soon?

 

[EarthlingX]

Aren't they trying to replace the Soyuz pretty soon?

I'm not so sure. Rus-M is now confirmed (see above), but i didn't notice any news about PPTS.

There is upgraded version of Soyuz TMA :

SDC thread : Oct. 7 Soyuz-FG - Soyuz TMA-01M (ISS 24S)

 

[Zipi]

Aren't they trying to replace the Soyuz pretty soon?

Yes and no. They have had plans for soyuz replacement for a long time and those plans have been recently updated to meet new launch location limitations and try to be as cost effective as possible.

It will take several years until replacement for Soyuz is ready and we shall see what kind of vehicle that might be. In the meantime they are upgrading Soyuz to meet the current technology and reducing its manufacturing costs.

 

[EarthlingX]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oUAfe6G_aM[/youtube]
(with extensive help by Google Translate) :

Launch - "Soyuz". 300 million horsepower lifted 300-ton rocket, refilled with oxygen and kerosene, from the ground. Rate increases and reaches the first mark - 8 kilometres per second. Moments later - and there is only a shining point in the sky. Ahead of the Soyuz - 9 minute flight to weightlessness. The culmination of the life of missiles - short, but bright.

 

[EarthlingX]

www.federalspace.ru : The Longest Firing Test of Oxygen-Liquid Gas Engine Took Place at NITS RKP

:: 02.10.2010

Life-time firing test of the С5.86.1000-0 №2 demo engine with thrust of 7,5 tf (developed by Khimmash Design Bureau) took place at NITS RKP, Peresvet. This was the longest firing test of an engine of this type which uses oxygen and liquid natural gas as propellant components.
The test was successful, displaying the longest operational time for an engine of this size at single triggering- 1160s.
The test confirmed capabilities of engines with close-loop layout featured by after-burning of the recovery generator gas (propellant pair – oxygen and liquid natural gas), as well as the capabilities of the test facility.
The work was done under the contract the Keldysh Center.

 

[EarthlingX]

www.federalspace.ru : Advanced Crew Vehicle to Provide Landing Accuracy Better than Soyuz

:: 13.10.2010

Advanced crew vehicle developed by RSC-Energia will provide landing accuracy 10 times better than Soyuz due to parachute and propulsion landing system, RSC-Energia president Vitaly Lopota told news media.
It is planned to open the parachute during in the low altitudes during the descent, together with jet engines.
"Since some landing areas in Russia have uneven terrain, both systems are used to maintain proper safety. Landing accuracy will also improve up to 2 km, from 20 of Soyuzes”, Lopota said.
Energia has won a tender to develop the advanced vehicle in April 2009. The contract implies several modifications, including LEO and LLO options, repair and deorbiting of the failed satellites and space debris. Flight tests of the new vehicle are to commence in 2015, RIA Novosti informs

 

[EarthlingX]

Russian mission control center is 50 years old :

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tpo1bSpDfY[/youtube]

tvroscosmos | October 16, 2010

 

[oldAtlas_Eguy]

I imagine that they had to do some upgrades since Soyuz went all digital in this last manned flight. Its not like in the 60's and 70's when a new computer system costs millions. Now enough PC's to power everything would run less than $100,000, they wouldn't even have to be top of the lline, they could be 2000 era models at about $50 each bought off of E-Bay.

 

[EarthlingX]

Everything new on TMA-M went up before as improvements on Progress (avionics and telemetry) and Soyuzes TMA-15 and TMA-18 (digital displays).

Some links :
http://www.nasa.gov : Expedition 25/26 press kit', page 40.
http://www.energia.ru : Soyuz TMA-M manned transport vehicle of a new series
http://www.russianspaceweb.com : Soyuz TMA-M


I doubt that they still use much of the equipment from 50 years ago.
Mission Control Centre - Центр управления полетами (ЦУП) - (Centr upravleniya poletamy)

http://www.mcc.rsa.ru : Google translated page about MCC
....

MCC is equipped with the latest technology. He has a strong hub of communication and means of collecting information. On the basis of advanced technology and computational tools developed specialized high-performance data-processing systems, to automate ballistic-navigation, telemetry and command and software management processes, to solve the problem of modeling and information support of space flight, as well as displaying information for the collective and individual use. In its work, MCC uses mainly its own software products.

 

[EarthlingX]

www.physorg.com : Russia marks 50 years since space launch disaster

October 24, 2010

Russia on Sunday marked the 50th anniversary of the world's most horrific but long-classified space catastrophe when 126 people were burned alive during a launch pad accident at the Baikonur cosmodrome.

The Soviet Union, locked in a space race with the United States, was developing an intercontinental ballistic missile known as the R-16, and on October 24, 1960 was scheduled to launch a prototype rocket when it exploded on the launch pad.

"People died in horrific pain, essentially burning alive, but the country and the rest of the world practically never learnt anything about that terrible catastrophe and its heroes-victims," Russian space agency Roscosmos said.

"To this day it is considered the most horrific (tragedy) in the history of space exploration," the agency said ahead of Sunday's anniversary.

In the West, the tragedy is referred to as the Nedelin disaster, after the commander of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces Mitrofan Nedelin, who oversaw the rocket programme and died along with designers and testers.

Soviet authorities led by Nikita Khrushchev imposed total secrecy over the accident. The files on the launch failure were only declassified in the 1990s.

By coincidence, on the same day three years later a fire at a launch pad killed another seven testers.

...

In the wake of the two accidents, October 24 is known as "a black day" for space exploration on which Russian officials commemorate the memory of all those who dedicated their lives to the space programme.

Sending the first man into space in 1961 and launching the first sputnik satellite four years earlier are among key accomplishments of the Soviet space programme and remain a major source of national pride in Russia.

The International Space Station (ISS) saw a rare hiccup in September when the return of the Russian Soyuz capsule carrying three crew back to Earth was delayed by 24 hours after their craft failed to undock from the ISS.

Their delay in landing was the first in a decade of Soyuz flights.

(c) 2010 AFP

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqT90VmYgEU[/youtube]

tvroscosmos | October 22, 2010

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvHfdDrenaA[/youtube]

tvroscosmos | October 22, 2010

 

[Yuri_Armstrong]

Now this didn't have a citation but I saw it on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manned_mission_to_Mars

A number of Mars mission concepts and proposals have been put forth by Russian scientists. Stated dates were for a launch sometime between 2016 and 2020. The Mars probe would carry a crew of four to five cosmonauts, who would spend close to two years in space[citation needed].

That can't be true! I've never heard anything like that! How could they be ready for Mars in 6 years! It's unthinkable!!!

 

[EarthlingX]

Now this didn't have a citation but I saw it on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manned_mission_to_Mars

A number of Mars mission concepts and proposals have been put forth by Russian scientists. Stated dates were for a launch sometime between 2016 and 2020. The Mars probe would carry a crew of four to five cosmonauts, who would spend close to two years in space[citation needed].

That can't be true! I've never heard anything like that! How could they be ready for Mars in 6 years! It's unthinkable!!!

It's already marked as missing citation. My guess is that it's from some old source, talking about far in the future. It's not that Russians wouldn't be capable of something like that given enough money (yea...), but if they had some so close in time real plans, they wouldn't be shy about it. We would get all sorts of stories, perhaps even images

 

[Yuri_Armstrong]

It would be very sad if some other nation surprised us out of the blue and beat us to Mars. What exactly are Russia's plans for the next 10-20 years? Don't they have a moon base planned?

 

[oldAtlas_Eguy]

Most of the information I have come across about Russia has dealt with the Russian companies selling technology and hardware for Lunar exploration to other nations. This seems to be Russia’s plan, get someone else to pay for it while getting a free ride. They are doing this with their HSF program as well by getting the US to pay for their HSF program. Eventually the Russian government will have little or no budget for spaceflight programs but a very robust commercial spaceflight industry.

 

[Space_pioneer]

Why does it matter what nation makes it to Mars? As long as humanity makes it to Mars, it's great.