Russian Space Program: News & Discussion #4

The Parliament of Kazakhstan ratified the protocol to the agreement on the creation of the Baiterek complex

source

Finally...

Satellite (red cone cover over antenna)

But which one?

https://tass.com/science/1361095

MOSCOW, November 14. /TASS/. Russia’s Energia Rocket and Space Corporation patented a suborbital spacecraft for flights of space tourists and high-altitude parachute jumps, the Federal Industrial Property Institute said in the invention patent (available with TASS).

"The group of inventions pertains to control and design of multiple-use spacecraft with the vertical takeoff and landing, which can be used for space tourism, high-altitude parachute jumping and other things," the document says.

The maximal spacecraft speed during descending will not be above 1 km per second owing to the design, developers say. "Therefore, thermal loads will be insignificant," they noted.

The developed spacecraft will also make possible to increase the altitude of parachute jumping to almost 100 km.

The designer's inspection and installation of the head fairing "Progress M-UM"

At the technical complex of the Baikonur cosmodrome, pre-flight preparation of the Progress M-UM transport cargo module (TGKM) with the Prichal nodal module (UM) of the Russian Segment of the International Space Station (ISS) is being completed.

Today, in hall 102 of the assembly and testing building of the site, 254 specialists from RSC Energia im. S.P. Korolev and specialized enterprises of Roskosmos conducted an author's inspection of the Progress M-UM TGCM, and then performed a set of technological operations to install the nose fairing (GO) as part of the assembly-protective block of the spacecraft-module spacecraft. After the installation and mechanical fixation of both fairing flaps, the electrical circuits of the pyrotechnic means of the HE release system were checked.

To launch the Progress M-UM TGKM, a standard head fairing with a diameter of 4.1 meters is used, which protects the module ship from aerodynamic and thermal loads when the launch vehicle passes through dense layers of the atmosphere at the initial launch site.

https://www.energia.ru/ru/news/news-2021/news_11-16.html

Hole wrote:Luna-25.

That is almost certainly a Fregat upper stage, maybe for the Luna-25 or some other launch. Luna-25 lander has not been sent to Vostochny yet.

The truth is finally revealed about the real intentions behind the Prichal node....            

The launch of a Progress M-UM spacecraft with the Prichal nodal module atop a Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan is targeted for 16:06 Moscow time on November 24

https://tass.com/science/1363877

The State Corporation Roscosmos transfers about 93 tons of liquid oxygen daily for the needs of medical institutions in Russia. This amount of oxygen is enough to save about 9,000 covid patients with lung damage.
https://ria.ru/20211112/roskosmos-1758706557.html

New Russian module to deliver 700 kg of supplies to orbital outpost

The upcoming Progress M-UM mission won't just deliver the new Prichal node to the ISS Russian segment. It will also carry a decent load of cargo.

MOSCOW, November 19. /TASS/. The Prichal nodal module scheduled for launch on November 24 will deliver supplies and food to the International Space Station (ISS), the federal space agency Roscosmos announced on Friday.

"The spacecraft-module is also due to deliver about 700 kg of various cargo to the ISS, including expendable equipment and consumables, water purification, medical control and sanitation means, maintenance and repair tools, as well as standard food rations for the 66th Main Expedition crew," the statement says.

The launch of a Progress M-UM spacecraft with the Prichal nodal module atop a Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan is targeted for 16:06 Moscow time on November 24. The cargo spacecraft-module’s docking with the Russian Nauka multi-purpose laboratory module that parked with the orbital outpost on July 29 is scheduled for November 26.

Roscosmos Chief Dmitry Rogozin said that the new module would boost the capabilities of Russian spaceships, including the latest Oryol spacecraft, to dock with the ISS.

https://tass.com/science/1363877

https://tass.com/science/1364209

Russia, US confirm their intention to send a joint mission to Venus - Roscosmos CEO
Dmitry Rogozin explained that this joint work will help to simplify this task from the point of view of economics, technology, and science

MOSCOW, November 21. /TASS/. Russia and the United States confirmed their intention to organize a joint mission to Venus, General Director of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin said in an interview to YouTube channel Soloviov Live.

"We agreed with the Americans on a joint mission to Venus. Venus was traditionally considered the Russian planet. It was the Soviet spacecraft that landed there," he said , adding "But we are going to put a mission there, it is called Venera-D - a joint Russian-American mission."

He explained that this joint work will help to simplify this task from the point of view of economics, technology, and science. "It is easier to solve such issues together, using the talents of our scientists, and at the same time it will be economically simpler, and more reliable in terms of the operation of technology, and so on. Therefore, the US is also interested in this," Rogozin said.

Venus program
In mid-May 2020, Scientific Director of the Russian Space Research Institute Lev Zeleny said that Russian scientists may prepare several own missions for the exploration of Venus.


"Earlier we talked about only one mission, ‘Venera-D’, now Roscosmos recommends that we move ahead. Taking into account the importance of Venus for science, we may have several missions to Venus. We are discussing it now, there may be two or even three of them," he said.

In the middle of May, the scientist told TASS that Russia would develop a new Venus exploration program, which would include sending at least three research vehicles to the planet. According to him, the first expedition within the program will be the ‘Venera-D’ planned for the late 2020s.

...Venus was traditionally considered the Russian planet....

Really?

By whom exactly?

PapaDragon wrote:

...Venus was traditionally considered the Russian planet....

Really?

By whom exactly?

this expression was known long before Rogozin. "Venus is a Russian planet" approximately from the moment of landing of the AMS "Venus-8", that is, about 50 years.

Russian Soyuz-2.1b rocket with new module launches to orbital outpost from Baikonur

The flight to the ISS will take two days

BAIKONUR COSMODROME /Kazakhstan/, November 24. /TASS/. A Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with the Progress M-UM space freighter and the Prichal nodal module blasted off from Launch Pad No. 31 (‘Vostok’) of the Baikonur spaceport to the International Space Station (ISS), a TASS correspondent reported from the scene.

In about nine minutes, the head unit comprising the space freighter and the module separated from the upper stage of the carrier rocket and embarked on its autonomous flight to the orbital outpost.

The flight to the ISS will take two days. The docking with the Russian Nauka multi-purpose laboratory module is expected at 18:25 Moscow time on November 26. Currently, the Progress MS-17 space freighter is parked at the Nauka module’s docking port. It is scheduled to undock from the orbital outpost at 14:18 Moscow time on November 25.

A total of 8.18 tonnes of payload will be delivered into orbit. Cosmonautics historian Alexander Zheleznyakov told TASS on Tuesday that the Soyuz-2 carrier rocket would deliver a record payload weight to the ISS.

Roscosmos Chief Dmitry Rogozin said that the new module would boost the capabilities of Russian spaceships, including the latest Oryol spacecraft, to dock with the ISS. Overall, the new module will have five docking ports. The first docking of a manned spacecraft with the Prichal module is scheduled for March 18.

The spacecraft-module is also due to deliver about 700 kg of various cargo to the ISS, including equipment and consumables, water purification, medical control including sanitary and hygienic supplies, maintenance and repair tools, as well as standard food rations for the 66th Main Expedition crew.

https://tass.com/science/1365693

Russia’s Proton-M carrier rocket to orbit Ekspress telecoms satellites on December 12

(The Ekspress-AMU3 and Ekspress-AMU7 telecoms satellites)

https://tass.com/science/1365439

George1 wrote:Russia’s Proton-M carrier rocket to orbit Ekspress telecoms satellites on December 12

(The Ekspress-AMU3 and Ekspress-AMU7 telecoms satellites)

https://tass.com/science/1365439

According to information from open sources, Russia has 5-6 more space launches before the end of the year. On November 25, the Soyuz launch vehicle is expected to be launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, then there will be one manned launch of the Soyuz with space tourists, then the Proton launch on December 12 from Baikonur, another launch of the Soyuz from Baikonur under the OneWeb program, the launch of the GLONASS satellite from Plesetsk and, probably, the launch of Angara-A5 from Plesetsk at the end of December. Maybe there will be another previously unannounced launch from Plesetsk, but this is unlikely. In addition, there should be two Soyuz launches from the Kourou cosmodrome, but these are no longer purely Russian launches. One thing I can say for sure: today Russia has 19 successful space launches in 2021, and the devil-knows-how many a long series of trouble-free space launches, lasting since October 2018.

If we count only Russian launches, then from 01.01.2016 Russia has 3 accidents for 109 space launches. Or 3 accidents for 121 space launches, if you include launches from the Kourou cosmodrome here.

GarryB wrote:When it comes to landing and operating on Venus no other country has anywhere near a comparable record on Venus to Russia.

And on the contrary Mars seems to be cursed when it comes to Russia

Venus it is (and it's a more interesting planet anyhow)

flamming_python wrote:

GarryB wrote:When it comes to landing and operating on Venus no other country has anywhere near a comparable record on Venus to Russia.

And on the contrary Mars seems to be cursed when it comes to Russia

Venus it is (and it's a more interesting planet anyhow)

I dont thinks so. Does Venus have portals to hell like Mars? I think not.

miketheterrible wrote:
I dont thinks so.  Does Venus have portals to hell like Mars?  I think not.

Venus is hell itself and it's a lot more convincing than an old game

There was discussion of sending a 24 hour lander mission to Venus. I think Russia should do this before any other space mission like
a trip to Jupiter, etc. The 24 hour mission will require use of silicon nitride electronics and an active cooling system and is a good
avenue for tech development. Maybe they could even make the lander mobile. A rover is out of the question since it has to be
relatively light and will not last long.