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themanwithoutapast
Guest
The first Soyuz-2-1B test has been announced to liftoff in the 3.Quarter of 2006 http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=2757213&PageNum=0 - thus a reason to discuss this enhanced Soyuz.<br /><br />1. On http://www.russianspaceweb.com/soyuz2.html payload capacities are stated as 8.5 tons from Baikonour and about 9 to 9.2 tons to LEO from Kourou compared to the 7tons to LEO the Soyuz is capable to lift right now. While I understand that this helps Starsem to get more and better contracts for commercial payloads, I do ask myself what they will do with the additional payload capacity with regard to launches of a Soyuz-TMA? The Soyuz (spacecraft) is so cramped, that there is no way to include additional payloads racks of 1-1.5 tons of food or equipment. They could just add more fuel for reboost maneuvours of the ISS, but even that would require an enhancement of the Soyuz service module, that might cost more than it actually helps at the end. So any other suggestions to make use of these spare payload capacities for manned Soyuz flights or will they keep on using the old Soyuz configuration rather than Soyuz-2 for manned Soyuz crafts?<br /><br />2. With the current proposal to remove Kliper's service module and instead use a previously launched 6-7ton heavy Parom as a space tug, Kliper gets very, very near to the payload capacity of a Soyuz-2. According to the plans announced so far the Kliper crew module weights 9.8tons and the service module weights 4.7tons for a total mass of 14.5tons. Thus there are only a few hundred kilograms that Kliper has to get lighter or respectively a few hundred kilograms that a Soyuz-2 must be able to lift more. So, if Kliper gets built eventually, is it now settled that a Soyuz-2 will be the launcher of choice? - I personally am very confinced that this is what th