Russian Space Program: News & Discussion #1

Big_Gazza wrote:

sepheronx wrote:

Rmf wrote:

Viktor wrote:Express-AM7 successfully put in orbit  

2015EKR troops completed operations for transfer booster "Breeze-M"

express is made in EU , by astrium company ,so contarcts are not affected with sanctions.

That sucks, as I wouldn't trust them worth a damn and would give my own people jobs/contracts over the European scum.

Russia has its own manufacturer of commsats - ISS Reshetnev.  The earlier Express-2000 based AM5 & AM6 were Reshetnev products but they differ from the Astrium AM4, AM4R, & AM7  which are based on Eurostar 3000 bus, and are larger that the Reshetnev builds ( 5775 vs 3600 kgs).   I'm not sure why the Astrium birds are heavier as they seem to carry less transponders than the Reshetnev ones - 24xC, 32xKu, 2xL versus 30xC, 40xKu, 12xKa, 2xL ??

I suspect that Reshetnev are constrained by their manufacturing capacity so Astrium are contracted to build satellites in order to accelerate delivery?

Russia's main problem is in supply of electronics for the transponders, as Reshetnev have traditionally sourced from Thales, so its clear that Russia needs to redouble its efforts to develop indigenous alternatives.  I wouldn't necessarily advocate abandoning Thales (or other western suppliers) but I'd use both domestic & foreign suppliers to prove a point and let the Eurotrash politicians know that sanctio would be both ineffective and counterproductive...

sepheronx wrote:How much does India spend on their Space Program Austin? India proved to the world you do not need to spend billions to get a sat to mars. And I think Roscosmos should start working with Indias space agency real close.

And possibly look to getting funds in other ways. Like owning semiconductor plants and other facilities under Roscosmos that will generate revenue they could use.

George1 wrote:Guardians of the Galaxy: Russia Creates International Space Patrol

Russia's Ministry of Defense on April 1 established the Aerospace Monitoring Forces (AMF) tasked with providing security to spacecraft and the International Space Station (ISS) and enforcing international rules of space conduct.

The military corps, dubbed the Space Patrol by the Russian media, will carry out joint missions in cooperation with similar forces under development in other countries across the globe, including the United States, China and Germany.

The United Nations welcomed Russia's initiative, adding it could lead to a binding international agreement.

The AMF will use an extensive network of satellites and ground stations to track those, who break international law, especially space traffic regulations. The agency will also carry out three month space missions to the International Space Station and fly daily orbital patrols.

Russia's space patrol will use refurbished Soyuz spacecraft to conduct observation flights, chase abusers of the international space law and even collect space junk, experts at Russia's Space Research and Intergalactic Standards Center told Sputnik.

Russia's Ministry of Defense also plans deep-space missions to provide security to the distant regions of outer space, often used for lucrative illegal activity, including alien weapons and drug trafficking, as well as money laundering.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/military/20150401/1020316462.html#ixzz3W5y1JvBU

TR1 wrote:http://lenta.ru/news/2015/04/17/vostochny/

Flights from Vostchny being delayed by several years.

No shocker there- Rogozin aside it was obvious the project has serious problems.

As the "Y", the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) has finalized a draft Federal Space Program (FCP) for 2016-2025 years. Managed to cut costs by more than $ 400 billion to $ 2 trillion rbl.-. To this end, had to abandon a number of scientific devices, extra heavy missiles and 29 development work, but keep the manned flight around the Moon. The agency expects that in some segments of the program, even profitable.

According to "Kommersant", most of the provisions of the PCF-2025 was developed under the previous head of Roscosmos Oleg Ostapenko: for their implementation required 2.436 trillion rubles., Of which 2.117 trillion space agency planned to receive from the budget, and another 319 billion from non-budgetary rbl.- sources. Submit a draft to the government, Mr. Ostapenko did not, and his successor in January Igor Komarov had to cut the program because of the crisis: the cost of work has increased by an average of 30%, and reduced government funding (see. Figure). Recall, culminating in this year's PCF-2015 an allocation of 757.1 billion rubles. from the budget and 77.1 billion rubles. from extra-budgetary sources.

"B" was able to get acquainted with the new design of the PCF-2025. From this it follows that considering two options for optimization. The first involves the full implementation of works on space communications, remote sensing (RS), fundamental space research (FCI), the ISS mission and research works, but folded the promising manned transport spacecraft, controls for deep space and maintenance of vehicles in orbit, as well as work on the lunar base and super-heavy launch.

The second option was limited to bringing to the minimum level of orbital constellations of communication satellites, remote sensing and FCI, a shift of two - five years the terms of readiness of the new generation of devices socio-economic and scientific purposes, as well as reducing launch vehicles "Progress" from four to three in year. But this option to work on projects manned spacecraft new generation of super-heavy elements groundwork for rockets (to which promised to return after the 2025 th), and further includes the development of launchers medium and heavy class load capacity up to 38 tons, and interorbital tugs for manned flight around the moon in 2025. Roscosmos believe that the second option, although it provides a reduction in orbital groupings of communication satellites, remote sensing and the FCI to the minimum necessary, it is still ensure the implementation of "Basic Policy of the Russian Federation in space activities until 2030" (to increase system capacity to 2.4 Relay Gbit / sec., and personal communications - up to 60 Gbit / d.). According to a source "b" in the Russian Space Agency on April 15 meeting of the Scientific and Technical Council, first deputy director of the Central Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering Alexander Danyluk recommended to support the second option. Manual agency did so.

In the previous version of FCP-2025 most of the money - 1728000000000 rbl.- agency planned to spend on research and development activities ( see. "Kommersant" on November 12, 2014 ). The updated version of the program share of R & D remains the same: from 2.004 trillion on them will take about 1.42 trillion rubles. However, in order to meet this parameter had to be excluded from the plan of 29 OCD 416. Thus, for example, reduced OCD "Avionics" (on-board data-processing system with a network-centric distributed architecture), OCD "Impact ASPOS OKP" (system space means of influence on asteroids, comets and debris), OCD "Liquidator" (complex provides remote spacecraft and upper stages from geostationary orbit) and others.

Reduced funding PCF-2025 resulted in a decrease in the number and year launched spacecraft. For example, in the years 2016-2020 were orbit output 15, 20, 19, 21 and 28, respectively, the satellites, now - 11, 11, 18, 27 and 17 (taking into account extra six satellites ERS). Further, in the years 2020-2024 under the program FCI was to be launched 42 scientific apparatus, now - 22. Under the reduction were astronomical satellites "Spectrum-M" and "Gamma-400" biosatellites "Return-MCA" and interplanetary spacecraft "Luna Grunt ", relay satellite" Ray-NP ", one unit of RS" Resource-P ", as well as satellites" Canopus-B "and" Canopus-VM ". However, the program provides 2025 grouping remote sensing satellites of the new generation of 23 units. And just Roscosmos expects to launch about 180 satellites in the interests of the Russian Federation.

To save money and decided to abandon the development of extra heavy rocket from scratch - it will save about 215 billion rubles. But Roscosmos plans to upgrade the complex "Angara-A5" to the option "Angara-A5V" (adding hydrogen third step) - it would cost only 60 billion rubles. ( see. "Kommersant" on March 13 ). Total test program has three missiles A5V start (usually "Angara-A5" - six). Affect and reduce the ISS: the creation of the module OKA-T decided to abandon. It is expected that in the near future the document will be sent for approval to the government.

Overall Roskosmos managed to reduce the PCF of about 440 billion rubles. In the final version 1.111 trillion rubles. (More than 55% of total funding) will go to space communications, remote sensing, launch vehicle and mission control on projects FCI - about 199.3 billion rubles. (10%), while the manned program - 694.1 billion rubles. (34.6%). The document notes that the implementation of the BDS-2025 in 2016-2025 years should bring profit at 1.806 trillion rubles .: primarily from the sale of satellite communications services - 633.7 billion rubles. and manned missions - 212.6 billion rubles.

Yesterday, officials of the agency did not comment on the provisions of the PCF-2025, but said that at today's press conference it will Igor Komarov and the Head of Scientific and Technical Council of the Russian Space Agency Yuri Koptev.

Russian space station will consist of five modules.

Initially national station form in 2023 on the basis of three modules of the International Space Station (ISS), and then to her in 2025 was joined by two new - RIA Novosti reported. Work on the transformable module will start in 2020 and over the energy - in the 2021 m.

In addition to multi-laboratory, units and scientific power modules, the national space station form a convertible and power modules.

Russia drops plans to create nuclear space engine — source

MOSCOW, April 24. /TASS/. Russia’s space agency Roscosmos is planning to shut down works on developing a megawatt-class nuclear propulsion system for long-range manned spacecraft, a source in the rocket and space sector told TASS on Friday.

"The new draft of the Federal Space Program for 2016-2025 envisages the closure of all the research and development works on creating high power nuclear propulsion systems," he said.

The scientific and technical research on the powerful propulsion systems of prospective spacecraft will continue until 2018, without switching to the scientific research work under the program "Nuclear Power Propulsion System-2025," the document says.

The draft program no more envisages the works on development and ground tests of the key elements and technologies of the nuclear power propulsion systems of up to 500 kW for orbital transfer vehicle and interplanetary spacecraft.

Roscosmos and the Keldysh Research Center, which has been working on developing the systems, have not yet commented on the reports to TASS.

The works on creating a transport energy module based on a megawatt-class nuclear propulsion system were approved by the Russian presidential commission for modernization and technological development of the country’s economy in 2009 and began a year later.

In 2012, a technical plan was fulfilled and in 2015 the power propulsion system was due to be created. By 2018, the module was expected to be ready for flight tests. Some 20 billion rubles ($392.3 million) were to be allocated for the project implementation, including 17 billion rubles in budget funds.
http://tass.ru/en/non-political/791447