Russian Space Program: News & Discussion #1

Viktor wrote:Almost half of all space launches done by Russia

Russia accounted for almost half of the world's space launches since the beginning of the year  

TR1 wrote:

Viktor wrote:Almost half of all space launches done by Russia

Russia accounted for almost half of the world's space launches since the beginning of the year  

But teh BBC told me they can't do anything right!1!!

Moscow. July 2. NTERFAX.RU - Fall rocket "Proton-M" with three satellites "Glonass-M" - this is the third emergency situation in the Russian space industry for the current year

"In addition to this accident, the 2013 accident rocket" Zenit "by the" Sea Launch "and unintended orbit insertion devices Defence," - said the "Interfax" a source in the space industry.

According to him, this year Russia has carried out 15 launches from Baikonur and Plesetsk. The Russian-Ukrainian missile "Zenit" was used in the project "Sea Launch" and the rocket "Soyuz-ST" - in the launch from Kourou in French. The first stage of the Russian production was used to launch a South Korean rocket KSLV.

Until the end of the year in the Russian Space Agency plans to launch 23 more space, told the agency.

The Russian space industry has suffered from a series of launch failures over the last several years.

On December 5, 2010 a Proton-M rocket with a DM-03 booster failed to deliver three GLONASS-M satellites into orbit.

In February 2011 a Geo-IK-2 geodesic satellite with military applications was lost after a Briz-KM booster unsuccessfully delivered the satellite into orbit.

On August 2011 a Proton-M rocket with a Briz-M booster and Express-AM4 satellite aboard lost communication with the control center.

On August 24 a Soyuz-U rocket carrying a Progress M-12M spaceship as cargo launched from Baikonur but did not reach orbit after failing in the first stage.

On November 9 a Zenith rocket launched from Baikonur delivered into orbit for the first time in 30 years Russia’s Mars probe Fobos-Grunt. But the probe’s engines failed to start in time and it subsequently plummeted back to Earth, partially burning in the atmosphere.

In December 2011 a launch of a Meridian military telecommunication satellite from Plesetsk cosmodrome was reportedly unsuccessful due to engine failure.

On August 6, 2012, the launch of a Proton-M rocket with a Briz-M booster failed to deliver two communication satellites – Russian Express-MD and Indonesian Telkom-3 – into orbit. Officially the booster failed to perform the fourth crucial thrust.

On December 8, 2012 another Proton-M rocket with a Briz-M booster delivered a Yamal-402 communication satellite to off-nominal orbit – again due to a Briz-M booster failure. But later the satellite reached the desired orbit using its own orbit correction engine.

With Tuesday’s Proton-M failure, three accidents have already beset Russia’s space industry in 2013.

On January 15 the secret launch of a rocket from Plesetsk cosmodrome partially failed as three military Strela-3M communication satellites were delivered to non-nominal orbits. The military later reported that all the satellites we taken under control and functioned properly. The media however, said that only two of them were ultimately brought under control.

On February 1 a Zenith-3SL rocket – a joint project between the Russian and Ukrainian space agencies – with an Intelsat-27 communication satellite failed to reach orbit. Launched from the Odyssey platform, which belongs to the international Sea Launch program, the rocket fell into the Pacific some 30 seconds after takeoff. The crash was caused by a malfunction of the first stage of the Zenith rocket, which was designed and built in Ukraine.

Austin wrote:http://rt.com/news/proton-m-rocket-takeoff-crash-514/Failed Russian space launches

Viktor wrote:

But if we want to be mean we can  remember that many US rockets and S.Korea rockets use Russian engines (RD-180 and its derivatives with % tend to increase

due to NK-33 purchased by the US) making US rockets essentially Russian ones. In that view we can safely conclude that Russian space market hold under its

grip 70-80% of all world launches. So lets not panic immediately

Werewolf wrote:

Viktor wrote:

But if we want to be mean we can  remember that many US rockets and S.Korea rockets use Russian engines (RD-180 and its derivatives with % tend to increase

due to NK-33 purchased by the US) making US rockets essentially Russian ones. In that view we can safely conclude that Russian space market hold under its

grip 70-80% of all world launches. So lets not panic immediately

The docu "Engines that came in from the Cold" about russian engines that were used on american rockets, translated by BitnikGr.

grip 70-80% of all world launches. So lets not panic immediately

Viktor wrote:Still take a look at the overall launches:


- 2007 - 26 launch (1 failed)
- 2008 - 27 launch (1 failed)
- 2009 - 32 launch (1 failed)
- 2010 - 31 launch (1 failed)
- 2011 - 35 launch (5 failed)
- 2012 - 29 launch (2 failed)
- 2013 - 18 launch (2 failed) - in progress

That makes 198 launches in almost 7 year time with 93.44% success rate - which is overall very good score but still there are plenty of room to improvement

Viktor wrote:But if we want to be mean we can  remember that many US rockets and S.Korea rockets use Russian engines

SOC wrote: 

Enterprises of the Russian space industry will be consolidated within one company. This was announced on July 2, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin

According to the vice-premier in charge of defense, the organization, is to be called "Joint Rocket and Space Corporation" into which will be transferred state-owned shares of the respective companies.

...

"In it's current form, the  space rocket industry, we will not move forward," - said Deputy Prime Minister, commenting on the fall of the carrier rocket "Proton-M".

Rogozin said that the accident will result in "very severe outcomes" in personnel and organizational terms.


Full report: http://vpk-news.ru/news/16610

Strategic Rocket Forces command centers equipped with the control system of the 5th generation

The automated system will address not only the usual tasks - bringing orders, collection of reports and monitoring readiness of launchers - but also to make use of the automated change of plans and operational retargeting missiles.

LINK

In particular, presently, development is complete and introduction of the fourth generation ASBU into troop echelons has begun,’ Colonel Koval said.”

“The new system supports automated exchange of employment plans and operational retargeting of missiles, along with the resolution of traditional missions of transmitting orders, gathering reports and monitoring the combat readiness of launchers.”

“‘And the transmission of combat command and control orders directly to launchers, without intermediate echelons, is supported, including under nuclear effects and radioelectronic suppression,’ Koval noted.”

“He noted that each of the system’s stations, which are made using a new domestic component base, is provided with triple reserve communications and data transmission systems and malfunction scanning which precisely identifies the individual element needing replacement.”

“Further improvement of the ASBU is connected, first and foremost, with improving the RF Armed Forces command and control system as a whole, and also with the command and control requirements of new generation nuclear missile weaponry.”

The crash of a Proton-M rocket shortly after take off on July 2 was due to a human error, a source close to experts probing the accident told Interfax-AVN.

"The angular velocity sensors were wired up with the wrong polarity. Therefore, the rocket was orientated incorrectly," he said.