Russian Launch Vehicles and their Spacecraft: Thoughts & News

Big_Gazza wrote:Orders for launcher services for the Proton-Medium launch vehicle  

The subsidiary of the Khrunichev Center, International Launch Services, one of the leading suppliers of commercial launch services, received orders for several launches ........

Several as in 2 or 3 or several as in 8 or 9?

Big_Gazza wrote:... presentation of this media in the autumn of 2016 to the market and placement of the first solid order for launch, Proton-Medium continues to strengthen its positions and cause interest in the market....

Se even though they were under orders to put new rocket into service (Angara) they were still peddling this piece of shit as late as autumn 2016? These assholes from Krunichev deserved everything that happened to them and then some. Fucking insubordinate criminals.

Big_Gazza wrote:...Customers continue to search for the best-in-class media for the new generation of programs, which at the same time have an attractive price.....

Apparently not otherwise they would not waste time on these criminal clowns and their Soviet leftover scam...

Draft design of new carrier rocket "Soyuz-5" sent back for revision

https://ria.ru/science/20180322/1516980575.html

PapaDragon wrote:
Draft design of new carrier rocket "Soyuz-5" sent back for revision

https://ria.ru/science/20180322/1516980575.html

Reading the article, it seems that the issue is not related to any technical errors or design shortcomings but the decision to evaluate both the Soyuz-5 launcher and the ground facilities as a single package, not separate deliverable. To be perfectly fair, that's a good approach.

Big_Gazza wrote:

PapaDragon wrote:
Draft design of new carrier rocket "Soyuz-5" sent back for revision

https://ria.ru/science/20180322/1516980575.html

Reading the article, it seems that the issue is not related to any technical errors or design shortcomings but the decision to evaluate both the Soyuz-5 launcher and the ground facilities as a single package, not separate deliverable. To be perfectly fair, that's a good approach.

Yeah, it's about adding ground infrastructure into the mix, wasn't sure about accuracy of translation so I wasn't going too much into it

GunshipDemocracy wrote:...Source: VEB may enter the capital of JSC Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
Economics and business 5 March, 10:21 updating date: 5 March, 19:19 UTC + 3

It is noted that the issue is that creditors become serious complicit in the process of restoring production....

Never thought I'd say this but having bunch of bankers in the equation might actually benefit those clowns and get them to start actually getting at least some of the job done because current approach is road to nowhere

Contract for the development of a draft design of the space rocket complex of the super-heavy class



The first details of the future space rocket complex of the super-heavy class appeared (KRK STK). On the site of state procurement on March 27, a contract for the creation of such a complex was published. The fact that the contract is concluded between Roskosmos and RSC Energia was announced back in February, the press service of the agency reported. But now the Internet community has opened access to more detailed information, which I will try to chew.

For a long time in the RSC Energia, the future lunar carrier was connected with the Angara. Anyway, the developers were going to devote a lot of tasks to this rocket. This launches PTK NP "Federation", interorbital nuclear tugs, the moon was to go to a heavy version of the "Angara-A5." But nothing was fated to come true. Perfectly understanding that the carrier is not suitable for carrying out the assigned tasks, Roskosmos slowly and quietly deduced it from all projects. And the projects had to be postponed until better times, until a new family of rockets was ready. By inertia, Russia began to lag behind in the creation of its superheavy complex, erroneously orienting itself for years on a pacifier. But the created reserve in creation of novelties has helped the Russian enterprises for 2-3 years completely to be reoriented.

While the Angara were still trying to reanimate the Energia, the Progress missile and space center in 2015 began working on a new missile, which was put in hopes of becoming a universal substitute for everything. Soon the space agency saw the potential of a new development and quickly transferred it to "Energia" as the parent company, and "Progress" remained co-executor. By the way, initially the new family was to take some of the developments from the offspring of Energia, but to this day it was completely abandoned due to the sudden appearance of S7 Space on the market. The space company signed a cooperation agreement with Roskosmos, and the new Soyuz-5 missile had to be recycled urgently, taking into account launches from the Sea Launch.

A few days ago, at last, the first outlines of the plan for the super-heavy complex appeared. The agency decided on its tasks and needs. And therefore, in terms of open access, the technical assignment for the SC R & D (a component part of the experimental design work) fell into it. For some reasons, I will not use snapshots of the task, but the document itself can be found on the website of state purchases and it is not hidden.

Part I

What is the KRK STK. The whole complex is not only a superheavy booster rocket, but also a multitude of other components. Apart from the fact that these are production facilities and a new launch pad, STK are 3 main parts. The carrier, a new upper stage, created specifically for it, and ... an interorbital tug.

Part II

The technical task itself is the development of a draft outline of the superheavy complex, which must be delivered in October 2019. The timing was stretched due to the transfer of the delivery of the draft project "Soyuz-5". In the publication Notes. The first flimsy steps of Soyuz-5 can be read in more detail about the reasons for the transfer, but in brief - the draft received many comments from the scientific and technical council of Roskosmos and representatives of S7 Space. To eliminate the defects, additional time was allocated. The project on STK, based on the steps of the new missile, also apparently decided to shift. The allocated funds amounted to 1.6 billion rubles. A third of the funding is for 2018 and another billion will be spent in 2019.

Part III

The objectives of the implementation of the MF ROC are, as a matter of fact, the creation of the appearance of the complex with characteristics, the development of technological and technical solutions for the production of the complex. The main tasks are: the conclusion of a payload (payload) of not less than 80 tons per LEO (low Earth orbit) and at least 20 tons per low polar okolununnuyu orbit. Additional tasks: development of such solutions, in which a modified version of the launch vehicle will output up to 140 tons of DOE, and 27 tons, respectively, to the lunar orbit. As well as deducing spacecraft (space vehicles) and space station modules (!!!) to Mars, Jupiter and other promising for the exploration of the celestial bodies of the solar system.

Flight testing of individual components of the complex should begin in 2028th year. The place of testing and dislocation of the complex is the "Vostochny" cosmodrome.

Part IV

It is finally confirmed that the launch vehicle will become an analog of Falcon Heavy in its modularity. It will be collected from the "Union-5". Modularity should be a good help, and in the TOR to the developer specifies that the carrier must understand and assemble in the shortest possible time with the start failed. The performance of the SRK SRC should be at least 2 starts a year. In this we win the United States twice. The American SLS plans to start only once a year.

Part V

The development of a nuclear tug was also confirmed, which was hampered and stopped due to some problems. Now, in the terms of reference for RSC Energia, a direct instruction has been issued. Part of the complex should be such a tug. Its main task at this stage will be the transportation of goods and the Federation between the orbits of the Earth and the Moon. Since the near-moon station will be at an altitude of 70-100 thousand km, the tug will also be responsible for the delivery of spacecraft and PTK "Federation" to the polar orbit of the Moon at an altitude of only 200 km. The tug's capabilities should allow transporting up to 20 tons.

The launch from Earth will be carried out in the fairing of a new superheavy rocket, which is confirmed by my recent words - the developers could not meet the 22 tons of tugboat that Angara was supposed to take out. A new carrier can lift from 80 tons and more.

This is all that was important and interesting in the annex to the contract for RSC Energia. As cherry on the cake, in those. specification - to monitor the development and take the results of the work will be the Ministry of Defense. Therefore, no one can make any shoals. Considering that S7 plans to submit a program to accelerate the work on the inter-orbit tug at Roskosmos by the end of this year, it can be argued that the deadlines and developments are serious. In the next 10 years, astronautics will turn upside down.



https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3152572.html

Can anyone clean up translation of this? Looks good overall but can't make out finer details...

George1 wrote:

WTF is that unholy mongrel cross of a Soyuz 5 with a Muskian refurbishable phallus?

Why would a manned soyuz 5 (with its shroud and AES still attached) have landing legs extended??? Surely its ascending?.....

How would a core with a single RD-171M be able to throttle down sufficiently to land a near-empty core in a vertical landing? AFAIK the RD-171M can throttle down to 40% but that is grossly excessive for the job.

Why would the Russians want to adopt Musks recovery method of scorching the living shit out of the cores propulsion compartment by spending vertically through its own exhaust plume?  and compell a significant refurb cycle to the heat-affected engine hardware?

No, this is just silly BS...

That's just fanart

Can someone clarify nuclear engine part and involvement of S7, they mention it as some big deal or something?

Roscosmos to buy three Soyuz-2.1 rockets from Progress Rocket Space Center

One rocket costs 1.218 billion rubles

MOSCOW, April 11. /TASS/. The Samara-based Progress Rocket Space Center has signed a $58-million contract with the Russian space agency Roscosmos to deliver three Soyuz-2.1a carrier rockets, according to information published by the database of state contracts on Tuesday.

The three rockets will be used in missions to take Progress-MS spacecraft into orbit.

"The value of the state contract is 3.65 billion rubles [about $58 million at the current exchange rate]," the document reads.

One rocket costs 1.218 billion rubles. The manufacturer will receive 2.444 billion rubles this year and 1.210 billion rubles next year.

The deal will expire on November 25, 2019.

Soyuz 2.1a is Russian-made carrier rocket of the Soyuz family, created on the basis of the first Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile, R-7 (first launded in 1957). It a modification of the Soyuz-2 rocket, designed in mid-1990s on the basis of the Soyuz-U rocket (in operation from 1973 to 2017). The first suborbital test flight of Soyuz 2.1a took place on November 8, 2004, from the Plesetsk launch facility. The first launch took place on October 19, 2006, from the Baikonur space center.

In total, 29 Soyuz 2.1a launches were held by February 17, 2018, including one failure (which led to the loss of the Progress M-27M spacecraft) and one partially successful launch to take the Meridian-2 satellite into orbit.

The rocket was launched 11 times from the Plesetsk space center in Russia’s north, 15 times from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan and twice from the Vostochny space center in Russia’s Far East.

The latest launch was held on February 13, 2018. The rocket, launched from the Baikonur space center, took the Progress MS-08 space freighter to the near-earth orbit.

According to Russia’s federal space program for 2016-2025, the rockets will be used for manned Soyuz-MS space missions, currently launched atop Soyuz-FG carrier rockets.


More:
http://tass.com/science/998933

Soyuz-5​ design has been approved

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3155917.html

https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/bmpd/38024980/5360578/5360578_original.jpg

So this name has nothing in common with the Zenit replacement that will serve as the building block of the SHLV.
I wish they would stop being so sloppy with the names.

This diagram looks like an Angara variant. Why do they need a new Angara?

kvs wrote:So this name has nothing in common with the Zenit replacement that will serve as the building block of the SHLV.
I wish they would stop being so sloppy with the names.

This diagram looks like an Angara variant. Why do they need a new Angara?

Diagram seems to be just reference, I posted it because it was in article, given the engine type they plan to use diagram is simply wrong (one nozzle instead of four)

Soyuz-5 is Zenit replacement and will serve as building block for super-heavy which is supposed to be called Fenix



EDIT:

And look at this, article has been updated with different picture already, this one fits description:

The confusion is that Roscosmos has "re-purposed" the Soyuz-5 name... there was an earlier methalox rocket series proposed that was called Soyuz-5 (with a single nozzle per engine), and it looks like the article incorrectly used graphics from the earlier concept. The methalox concept has now apparently been renamed Soyuz 7...

Methalox concept, from Zaks site:

OK, journalist fail. How typical.

Russia to develop cargo retrievable spacecraft in 2022

A Russian cargo retrievable spacecraft is expected to be developed for the needs of a new orbital station in 2022

MOSCOW, May 18. /TASS/. A Russian cargo retrievable spacecraft is expected to be developed for the needs of a new orbital station in 2022, Energia Rocket and Space Corporation, the spacecraft’s developer, said on Friday.

"The development of the Soyuz GVK [cargo retrievable spacecraft] is planned to be completed in 2022. A Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with a large lifting capacity is planned to be used for the spacecraft’s launch," the Energia press office said.

A cargo retrievable spacecraft will be able to deliver two tonnes of cargoes into orbit and return 500 kg to the Earth and the spacecraft’s detachable compartment will have a capacity to house about another tonne of disposable cargo, which will burn in the dense layers of the atmosphere, the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation said.

Energia First Deputy CEO, Chief Designer for Manned Space Systems Yevgeny Mikrin said that the company planned to develop a new cargo retrievable spaceship for resupplying a new orbital station that may appear after the operation of the ISS comes to a close.

He also announced plans to create a new orbiter that will consist of five modules with a total weight of 60 tonnes.

Today only US Dragon space vehicles can return cargoes from orbit. Russian Progress spacecraft deliver cargoes to the ISS but later bury them in remote areas of the Pacific Ocean after their service life expires.


More:
http://tass.com/science/1004964

Tests of the first Russian reusable rocket will be held in 2022



Tests of the first reusable returned space rocket are scheduled in Russia in 2022, told RIA Novosti the head of the project group of the Foundation for Advanced Studies (FPI) Boris Satovsky.

According to him, the program for creating a promising reusable multi-reusable rocket-space system of the ultralight class is being implemented jointly with Roskosmos and the United Aircraft Corporation. The advance design of the returned missile unit has already been completed.

"The scheme of the system provides for the separation of the first stage of the carrier rocket at an altitude of 59-66 km and its return to the launch area with landing on the usual runway. In the basic design of the return block, a large-swing large-winged swing wing and a classical tail unit will be used. return flight to the place of start using a modified serial turbojet engine, "- said the scientist.

The system is designed to output a payload of up to 600 kilograms to the solar-synchronous orbit. According to preliminary calculations, the cost of withdrawal will be one and a half to two times lower than that of conventional missiles of this class. Each controllable unit is designed for 50 flights without replacing marching engines operating on cryogenic fuel "liquid oxygen-liquefied methane". It is planned to launch missiles from mobile complexes.
When designing the system, the technological back-up of the project of the reusable Baikal accelerator was used. The developers analyzed the backlog for the returned stages, compared the alternative aerodynamic layouts and calculated the gas dynamics and heat transfer on the return trajectory. "Engineering and design studies showed sufficient technological readiness to create a demonstrator," the scientist concluded.

The Foundation for Advanced Studies was established in 2012 to promote research and development for the defense and security of the country. The activity is carried out in three main directions - chemical-biological and medical, physical-technical and information. At the end of 2015, the National Center for the Development of Technologies and Basic Elements of Robotics was established in the FPI structure. Today the fund works on more than 50 projects, for them more than 40 laboratories have been created in leading universities, research institutes and defense enterprises.

Hopefully this comes to fruition.  The Baikal re-usability scheme was always a good concept.

https://ria.ru/science/20180604/1521978476.html

Angara turned out to be dead-end project and future belongs to Soyuz-5 now. Original plans were different but for this turn of events you have only Krunichev to blame.

Angara was conceived in the 90's and was supposed to be in use in early 00's but Krunichev never planned to complete the project in the first place. They just took the money and continued peddling Proton-M while time, requirements and technology moved on.

They were literally forced by the government to bring project to completion 2 decades later but by then entire Angara concept was obsolete.

There was initially plan for Angara-7 heavy rocket with larger central core for deep space manned flights but that never went beyond concept art.

Now good news is that with switch to Soyuz-5 Russia will have much more powerful and useful platform but that is in no way achievement of Krunichev. It was simple case of Energia seizing the opportunity (Ka-50/Mi-28 situation repeat)

Added bonus is that Soyuz-5 super-heavy (project Fenix) will be based on standard Soyuz-5 central core instead of specialized one that Angara-7 was supposed to use which will make it pretty much budget-cut-proof unlike specialized platforms like Angara-7 which are usually first things on the chopping block the moment state budget is couple of bucks short (just look at vultures in USA circling around SLS and also what happened to Energia/Buran)

Since Soyuz-5 is platform requested by military nobody will dare to touch it (and by extension Fenix super-heavy) lest they want VKS to cut their balls off and feed it to service dogs.

Angara A1 and A5 will be in use but only as backups for Soyuz series since military insists on having 2 platforms in each class they use (light and medium). But that is it.

Soyuz-2 and Soyuz-5 will be doing majority of the work while Angara rides the bench.

Can Soyuz-5 be launched from Vostochny? Current available information suggest it is intended to be launched from Baikonur. Russia needs to cut its dependence on Kazakhstan in its space program unless Kazakhstan becomes a Russian republic. 

Nibiru wrote:Can Soyuz-5 be launched from Vostochny? Current available information suggest it is intended to be launched from Baikonur. Russia needs to cut its dependence on Kazakhstan in its space program unless Kazakhstan becomes a Russian republic. 

Launchpad and facilities for Soyuz-5 and it's super-heavy derivative (Fenix) will be built on Vostochniy

Initial testing of Soyuz-5 will be done on Baikonur

PapaDragon wrote:

Launchpad and facilities for Soyuz-5 and it's super-heavy derivative (Fenix) will be built on Vostochniy

Initial testing of Soyuz-5 will be done on Baikonur

So shit will go on Kazakhstan in case of failure after testing on them proven project will go back to Russia

PapaDragon wrote:
Angara turned out to be dead-end project and blah blah blah blah....

Stopped reading at that point. Fuck me, but its like rmf has returned to this forum....

Big_Gazza wrote:

PapaDragon wrote:
Angara turned out to be dead-end project and blah blah blah blah....

Stopped reading at that point. Fuck me, but its like rmf has returned to this forum....

Oh really? So you are telling me that Angara has some big things ahead of it? What bright future does this almost-three-decades-late-to-the-party platform has ahead of it?

Light rocket? Soyuz-2.1 has that spot

Medium rocket? Soyuz-5 has that one

Heavy rocket? Soyuz-5 again

Super-heavy rocket? Fenix is in the works (not that Angara even had a horse in that race)

Reusable rocket? Baikal derivative is already announced

So what is it? Face it, Angara is now MoD mandated backup for Soyuz series. That is it for them.

Only way they do something more with it is if they make Angara available for sale to private companies. But even there Soyuz-5 is in the lead (S7)

PapaDragon wrote:

Big_Gazza wrote:

PapaDragon wrote:
Angara turned out to be dead-end project and  blah blah blah blah....

Stopped reading at that point.  Fuck me, but its like rmf has returned to this forum....  

Oh really? So you are telling me that Angara has some big things ahead of it? What bright future does this almost-three-decades-late-to-the-party platform has ahead of it?

Light rocket? Soyuz-2.1 has that spot

Medium rocket? Soyuz-5 has that one

Heavy rocket? Soyuz-5 again

Super-heavy rocket? Fenix is in the works (not that Angara even had a horse in that race)

Reusable rocket? Baikal derivative is already announced

So what is it? Face it, Angara is now MoD mandated backup for Soyuz series. That is it for them.

Only way they do something more with it is if they make Angara available for sale to private companies. But even there Soyuz-5 is in the lead (S7)

Angara and Soyuz-5 (and "legacy" Soyuz) are complimentary and their capabilities overlap, ie

Soyuz 2.1v leverages the existing Soyuz infrastructure to add a 2.8T LEO capability, replacing Strela (2.0T), Rockot (1.9T) and Kosmos 3M (1.5T).
Angara A2 delivers 3.8T to LEO replacing Tsyklon (3.0T), and (partly) replacing Dnepr (4.5T)
Soyuz 2a & b continue to deliver 7.0T & 8.2T to LEO
Soyuz-5 will deliver 17T to LEO and replaces Ukropi Zenit. Will carry the Federation CV.
Angara A5 delivers 25T to LEO and replaces hypergolic Proton. Not sure why you think Angara is backup for Soyuz when the lift capabilities are leagues apart...
Angara A5V (if developed) will deliver 35T or so.
Soyuz-5 stacks will deliver SHLV configurations, 80-100T to LEO

BTW the Baikal fly-back booster will be a natural fit for Angara, so its a positive development.

Maintaining multiple manufacturers and competing (but overlapping) launcher options gives the required safeguard against systemic issues denying access to space, (ie like the Energomash QA/QC debacle that had grounded Proton). If you were not so frigging obsessive with your hate for Khrunichev you might just understand this...

Big_Gazza wrote:

Maintaining multiple manufacturers and competing (but overlapping) launcher options gives the required safeguard against systemic issues denying access to space, (ie like the Energomash QA/QC debacle that had grounded Proton)..  

+1

Dima@work

The Moscow Arbitration Court granted the claim of Roskosmos and collected 578 million rubles from the Khrunichev Center, developer and producer of Proton rockets,

РИА Новости https://ria.ru/space/20180621/1523129841.html

Roskosmos began to review the development program of the Khrunichev Center

MOSCOW, June 20 (RIA Novosti). The new leadership of Roscosmos created an operational headquarters for the development of a development program for the Khrunichev Center - the Proton and Angara missile manufacturer, the director general of the center Alexey Varochko told journalists.

Earlier it was reported that the Khrunichev Center in 2017 received a net loss of more than 23 billion rubles. The enterprise has requested additional financing in the amount of more than 30 billion rubles for the improvement of production. The center spends 4.5 billion rubles annually on servicing bank loans. The company plans to sell the land in the Filevskaya floodplain in the center of Moscow to cover losses.

"In the near future, the measures and proposals developed by the staff will be discussed by specialists of state corporation. After a comprehensive review of the draft program, Roscosmos management will make decisions aimed at developing the design and production potential of the company for the near and longer term, "he said.
Operational headquarters was headed by the first deputy general director of Roskosmos Nikolai Sevastyanov, explained Varochko.

According to the head of the company, at present Roskosmos continues to provide the necessary financial support to the Khrunichev Center to ensure its daily production activities. "The financial and economic state of the Khrunichev Center is under full control," he said.

https://ria.ru/space/20180620/1523057176.html

the real argument made, the US having more pull in the field.