Russian Space Program: News & Discussion #4

US wants to buy new rocket engines from Russia, 16.07.2021.

US wants to buy new rocket engines RD-181M from Russia.

MOSCOW, July 16 - RIA Novosti. The Roscosmos enterprise, NPO Energomash , was allowed to negotiate with the American company Orbital Sciences on the supply of RD-181M rocket engines to the States . The government decree was published on the official portal of legal information.

The proposal was made earlier by Roscosmos. They want to use the RD-181M liquid-propellant rocket engine in the Antares launch vehicle, which delivers cargo to the International Space Station and launches research and commercial spacecraft.

As noted in the order, a contract for the supply of a new engine can be concluded if a number of conditions are met: including after receiving guarantees from the American side that Antares missiles with Russian engines will not be used "to launch military payloads."

There is no information on the RD-181M engine on the Energomash website.

Previously, Russia supplied the United States with two engines - RD-180 and RD-181. The RD-180 engine is used in the first stage of the Atlas-5 rocket. In total, according to Energomash, 122 engines have been sent to the States since 1999, of which 93 have already been used.

The last batch of Russian RD-180 rocket engines was delivered to the United States in April. Washington told RIA Novosti that it intends to end the operation of Atlas missiles with RD-180s in the mid-2020s. To replace Atlas, they create a Vulcan rocket with American BE-4 engines from Blue Origin.

The RD-181 engine is placed on the first stage of the Antares rocket (two each). In total, 22 engines have been delivered to the United States since 2015, of which 18 have already been used.

https://ria.ru/20210716/roskosmos-1741616585.html

The 14 RD-171MV rocket looks like a rehash of the UR-900

http://www.astronautix.com/u/ur-900.html

Instead of a larger inner core, a nested 1-4-8 cluster of identical single RD-171MV modules is used. That leaves one RD-171MV
on the second stage. This removes the potential issue of wasted fuel load spent on the second stage.



Not quite the same since it has a larger inner core. With computerized control and tighter build tolerances, it is likely possible
to have this cluster not shake itself to pieces on liftoff. But I think it is rather ugly.

Russia allocates nearly $ 50 million to create a Hubble-like telescope, 16.07.2021.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)-Russia allocated 3,680 million rubles, or almost 50 million dollars, to develop the Spektr-UF space telescope that is analogous to Hubble, according to documents published on the public tenders website.

According to the materials, on July 8 the Russian space corporation Roscosmos and its subsidiary NGO Lavochkin signed a contract to "develop effective design documentation for the components of the space complex, including spacecraft components, manufacture and testing of its components and scientific equipment in the years 2021-2025".

Construction must be completed by 2025.

The World Space Observatory - Ultraviolet, also known as Spektr-UF, is a telescope dedicated to observing the Universe in the ultraviolet range. Its capabilities resemble those of the American Hubble telescope.

Spektr-UF is expected to be launched into space on the Angara-A5M rocket from the Vostochny cosmodrome in eastern Russia in October 2025.

Yandex Translate

https://mundo.sputniknews.com/20210716/rusia-asigna-casi-50-millones-de-dolares-para-crear-un-telescopio-similar-a-hubble-1114153916.html

The rocket with the Nauka module for the ISS was installed on the launch pad, 17.07.2021.

The Proton-M rocket with the Russian scientific module Nauka for the ISS was installed on the launch pad.

MOSCOW, July 17 - RIA Novosti. The Proton-M launch vehicle with the Nauka multifunctional laboratory module was removed and installed at the launch complex of the Baikonur cosmodrome , Roskosmos reported.

"After supplying the service unit, our specialists will start work according to the schedule of the first launch day," added the state corporation.

The launch itself is scheduled for July 21 at 17:58 Moscow time. This will be the first module that Russia will send to the ISS since 2010, when the Rassvet small research module docked to the station, and the first heavy domestic module since 2000, when the Zvezda service module was launched.

The Russian segment of the ISS now includes the Zarya functional cargo block, the Zvezda service module, the Pirs docking compartment, and the Poisk and Rassvet small research modules.

Docking of "Science" with the International Space Station is scheduled for July 29 at 16:26. The operation is planned in automatic mode, but it can be carried out remotely manually by Russian cosmonauts from the ISS.

Before the arrival of the laboratory unit on July 23 at 16:17 Moscow time, the Pirs module will be undocked with the help of the Progress MS-16 cargo vehicle and on the same day the Pirs module will be flooded in the Pacific Ocean. Now it occupies the docking station required for Nauka.

His example is "science".

Nauka is an almost complete copy of the first module of the ISS Zarya. It began to be built in 1995 as a ground backup for this module. In 2004, they decided to expand the Russian segment, and to save money, the "backup" was converted into a full-fledged flight module. Its launch was scheduled for 2007, but the production was not completed on time and for many years the start was postponed.

In 2013, when Nauka was practically prepared for shipment to the cosmodrome, foreign particles were found while checking the fuel system. This threatened with big problems, since after launching into orbit, the module had to reach the ISS on its own engines. In the event of a blockage, they could stall, and an uncontrollable 20-ton object would remain in near-earth orbit. However, if the unit had reached the station on its own, foreign particles could have disabled the station's propulsion system, since Nauka had to be connected to the fuel system of the Russian segment.

The module was returned to the manufacturer for revision. As part of the revision, its pipelines were replaced with new ones, the tanks were cleaned to the maximum, and an external platform was added for placing the scientific equipment outside. After modernization "Science" received a new name - MLM-U, where "U" is an improved one. In 2020, the segment was sent to Baikonur, where it passed all pre-launch tests.

https://ria.ru/20210717/raketa-1741642768.html

the tanks were cleaned to the maximum

Actually the tanks were replaced as cleaning efforts were deemed inadequate.  The tanks were an expandable bellows type and the original manufacturer had long been disbanded.  Unable to clean & repair and certify them for flight, it was decided to replace them entirely (leading to yet more delay).

Its been a long and winding path to get this far.  Lets wish for a successful launch and flight to ISS and to finally put this shitty, sad episode well into the rear-view mirror...

GarryB wrote:I don't care how long it takes, taking short cuts like just cleaning tanks instead of replacing them is the sort of thing that leads to more problems.

Do it right... even if it takes longer and some precious deadline is missed.

I am sure the first US space shuttle crew killed would think their lives were worth more than a frozen o ring worth a few cents...

Indeed, but that was a major management fail as well. Instead of knowing the properties of this vital seal, they just assumed that
temperature does not matter and did the usual management spasm of running to beat a deadline. There is also political pressure
to meet those deadlines. As we see on this forum, all sorts of panties get in a bunch when some launch schedule slips.

The O-ring story is something else. The designers should have provided an operational temperature range. You see such
specifications for electronics for both temperature and humidity.

The "rubber" stiffens and shrinks under freezing conditions. Even a tiny air leak will result in the flame front burrowing in that direction.
The engineers had better recognized this in their design as it is hardly some obscure issue. That is why they used these gaskets in the
first place. It did not require an inquiry after deaths to determine operational parameters for these gaskets. That was the job of
the engineers. I am still not clear as to the chain of events. Did they really never produce any guidelines on the operational atmospheric
temperature range or were they lost in the bureaucracy. Managers are hardly going to look for such missing details and would probably
assume that Florida always is warm. None of these people have any education in atmospheric physics and even realize that the temperature
drops quickly with height, especially at night when the surface boundary layer becomes very shallow or non-existent. So the tower
that is the Shuttle sitting on its mobile launch pad will freeze late into the night through thermal radiation even in Cape Canaveral under
the right weather conditions.

kvs wrote:The "rubber" stiffens and shrinks under freezing conditions.  Even a tiny air leak will result in the flame front burrowing in that direction.
The engineers had better recognized this in their design as it is hardly some obscure issue.   That is why they used these gaskets in the
first place.   It did not require an inquiry after deaths to determine operational parameters for these gaskets.   That was the job of
the engineers.   I am still not clear as to the chain of events.   Did they really never produce any guidelines on the operational atmospheric
temperature range or were they lost in the bureaucracy.   Managers are hardly going to look for such missing details and would probably
assume that Florida always is warm.   None of these people have any education in atmospheric physics and even realize that the temperature
drops quickly with height, especially at night when the surface boundary layer becomes very shallow or non-existent.    So the tower
that is the Shuttle sitting on its mobile launch pad will freeze late into the night through thermal radiation even in Cape Canaveral under
the right weather conditions.    

IIRC, the Morton Thiokol engineers who had the specialist knowledge advised that it was unsafe to fly, but their engineering managers chose to override their input due to pressure from their superiors (ie NASA flight managers).

So many disasters are caused when the people with authority chose to ignore the advice from the people with knowledge.

Prototype of new space suit will be presented on MAKS-2021

https://ria.ru/20210719/skafandr-1741782690.html



Also, scale model of Zeus from MAKS-2021:

Another piccie coutesy of Mr Zak:

Nobody seems to notice, but this is the future of space vehicles and it is happening. I guess since the way is not being paved by
the exceptional ones, then nobody cares. Musk's starship masturbation is way more interesting. Phobia of nuclear power is another
element.

kvs wrote:Nobody seems to notice, but this is the future of space vehicles and it is happening...

It will be happening when first section is on the launchpad

Let's not get ahead of ourselves lest we forget Rus-M and Klipper

Musk must BS 24/7 about low launch costs since that is what the magic of private space contractors is supposed deliver.
As if market "competition" (Space X is not in any competitive market) can reduce launch costs arbitrarily. This is the
market religion. Just as "economists" spout BS such as "if we run out of copper we will make more" (with alchemy I
suppose), we have the zero physics background lemmings all bleating that magic market rules trump reality. Musk has
been shown to have lied about his real launch costs so all his yammering about 2 million or less is BS for idiots.

He is, after all, doing the exact same BSing with hyperloop and the ludicrous Vegas loop.

I don't believe that Starship is intended to be an orbital vehicle, but a sub-orbital rapid reaction transport system for US military special forces.

Seriously, the idea that this large monstrosity is going to get into orbit and return safely is just nonsense. I simply cannot imagine how this wheat silo is going to survive an atmospheric re-entry with the comensurate level of friction heating. Shuttle was able to do so because of its highly engineering shaping and thermal protection systems, and yet it failed once with catastrophic (fatal) results. Only a fool would think that Musk can clad his silo in pissy little hexagonal tiles and survive re-entry. They will serve for a sub-orbital flight (more evidence that this is the intended service) but not a full orbital re-entry.

I think the Pentragram have rocks in their head if they will seriously entertain Musks nonsensical silo design and its absurd "tail-flip-make-it-at-all-costs-or-DIE" landing maneourve.

kvs wrote:Musk must BS 24/7 about...

Also can we go 3 posts without mentioning that clown?

I made a tread for that specifically to avoid this crap

Roscosmos Says US Greenlit Import of Russia’s New Space Rocket Engines, 20.07.2021.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United States has approved the purchase of a new batch of the Russian-made RD-181M space rocket engines, a spokesman for the Russian space agency Roscosmos, Vladimir Ustimenko, said on Tuesday.

"The US government has approved the contract between NPO Energomash [Roscosmos subsidiary] and US Orbital Sciences LLC company. This means that there will be new supplies of engines and new launches of American rockets with Russian ‘hearts’," Ustimenko said on Telegram.

The deal gives hope for the possible normalisation of relations between the countries, where business and efficiency will play a more important role than momentary decisions, which are not related to cosmonautics, Ustimenko added.

The RD-181M engine is an export variant of the RD-191M used in Russian carrier rockets. The RD-181M is used in the first stages of the American Antares expendable launch systems aimed at transporting Cygnus cargo spaceships to the International Space Station.

https://sputniknews.com/world/202107201083422635-roscosmos-says-us-greenlit-import-of-russias-new-space-rocket-engines/

The RD-181 is a two nozzle engine whereas the RD-191 is a single nozzle engine. Sputnik news writers need to try harder.

Also, why including the BS about normalization of relations. The only reason the yanquis are greenlighting this purchase is because
without these engines Orbital Sciences has to shut down.

PapaDragon wrote:
Prototype of new space suit will be presented on MAKS-2021

https://ria.ru/20210719/skafandr-1741782690.html
.....

And here it is:

Looks very slim compared to the existing model