Friday, June 17, 2011

On the "Angara", "Rus", and "Bulava"…


Last week, the Russian Space Agency head Anatoly Perminov, briefed members of the Federation Council on the status and prospects of development of the domestic space industry. MIC publishes excerpts of the speech.

Claims against the department Kudrin

In particular, Perminov criticized the Finance Ministry. "Today we conquer the markets mainly due to its technologies, the policy pursued by the Ministry of Finance does not allow us to carry out projects to conquer foreign markets", - stated the head of the Federal Space Agency. As an example, which should be equal, he cited China. "In this country the task: in the five years to conquer all the markets in South America and Asia, and to invest in these markets in terms of the financial component, China, the task, even to the detriment of the national economy", - said Perminov.

"The conquest of markets always win the financial component. We are now cooperating with countries in South America, particularly Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Cuba will create a spacecraft ", - said Head of the agency, adding that there should be formed by a system of control and measurement system. At the same time, he explained, it is solely about the objects of civil purpose. "Such cooperation is still two or three years ago, gave 1/3 of the official budget amount is allocated to Roscosmos from the federal budget on the development of space industry", - said Perminov. He noted that commercial activity Roscosmos can receive annually about 0.7 billion dollars, and the Agency's budget for 2011 amounts to three billion dollars.

 

While "Proton needs

Russia will be able to gradually decommission heavy-lift launch vehicle Proton, using poisonous fuel. This will happen in the event of a successful flight test of new rocket Angara, which uses environmentally friendly fuels. Its first launch is scheduled for 2013.

According to Anatoly Perminova, the leading space powers have not yet found components the same thrust as fuel, which is seasoned with Proton. "Worldwide in heavy missiles is used dimethylhydrazine and its variations, UDMH. The whole world operates these heavy rockets, said Anatoly Perminov."If Proton rockets, launch vehicles will stop military and dual-use and commercial launches stop at 50 percent," he said.

 

First, without astronauts

Telling the senators about the prospects of tests developed in Russia a new spacecraft, "Rus", Anatoly Perminov, said: "It will take at least 15 accident free launches unmanned.Only then can I send a crew. "

Judging by the words of the head of Russian Space Agency, to conduct such unmanned test flights will take about two years. The first launch of "Rus" from the Baikonur East is scheduled for 2015, and start with the crew - to 2018th. Head space agency also said that East after its completion will be operated in parallel for some time from the Baikonur and Plesetsk.

 

Let's wait until 2035

An expedition to Mars could become a reality after a quarter century, convinced Anatoly Perminov. "Of course, should be ready for flight. This process is gradual. But we do not fly on anything. This is absurd - to fly to Mars on those vehicles and engines that we have today ", - says head of Russian Federal Space Agency.

"We are talking about what we need to build a new ship with a nuclear-megawatt class, and only then fly to Mars. This flight will take a month, but it's really only after 2035 "- said Perminov. He believes that only by 2019 we can expect a motor vehicle and 2025 - itself a spaceship.

"All of these types of empty talk let me go to Mars one way - just nonsense. What is the scientific result will be of such a flight? No "- said the head of the Federal Space Agency.

 

Allowances, Russia

The United States appealed to the Russian Federation with a request for new supplies to the U.S. domestic industry rocket engine, said Anatoly Perminov, and added: "Now they are offering to purchase another type of engine.

Head of Russian Federal Space Agency said that the U.S. has already delivered one of the Russian RD-180 engines, which is used in missiles Atlas. What kind of the second type of engine in question, Perminov did not elaborate.

 

Trouble came ...

The upper stage, due to the overflow of fuel which had not been put into orbit in December last year, three satellites Glonass-M "temporarily withdrawn from service, although it is" wonderful ", said Anatoly Perminov.

According to him, an error occurred due to the fact that the design bureau of rocket-space corporation "Energia" made a mistake in the calculations. After that six of the Bureau were dismissed, including the chief designer of the upper stage. In Roskosmos same fate deputy head of the agency. "I myself have been punished," - said Perminov, stressing: that such an accident is not repeated in the future, adopted by an entire program to test and improve new systems and work on admissions.

 

Cannot make too many ‘shoots’

The Federation Council was also made deputy head of Russian Space Agency Vitaly Davydov, who told senators about the trials of the marine strategic missile "Bulava". He said: "It seems to be a difficult period of the Bulava has passed, now we got out of the gaps that have been, and, in general, share the optimism of developers that work will be completed."

The problem was solved thanks largely to the support measures. In particular, prior to the approval of the program of military-industrial complex in the budget had been set aside funds for ongoing projects, including those earmarked for the preparation of production associated with "Bulava".

At the same time, Davydov said, for the full and timely implementation of the state defense enterprise space industry requires a federal target program of development of DIC and the appropriate allocation of funds. "As long as we do not settle until the end of the questions related to this program, we can not say with certainty that everything will be fine with the implementation of the state program of armament," - said Deputy Perminov.

He noted that the development of the Bulava has changed the usual order of testing missile technology. "If before we were to shot dozens of missiles, before taking them into service, it is now very large share of the work associated with working off the land - a serious simulation, using computer technology”, - said Vitaly Davydov. - On the one hand, it is cheaper, but much more difficult technically. Oddly enough, adequate simulation is a task more complicated.Sometimes it is easier "shoot" and to understand what happened. But then you have too much to shoot. We now cannot afford it "

Davydov said that the state program of armament-2020 rocket and space technology is a priority, funding for it increased.


According to correspondents, "MIC"
ARMS-TASS news agencies and the Interfax-AVN

The Rus-M family of rockets, employing the RD-180 engine on the first stage and the RD-0146 engine on the second stage as of April 2009. Variant 1 would use three inseparable boosters on the first stage. Variant 2 would use five boosters, with four strap-on boosters separating earlier in flight, while the central core booster would burn longer by thrusting less than its full capability during the initial phase of the flight and throttling up to the full thrust upon the separation of four strap-on boosters. Variant 3 would employ stretched first stage for a larger propellant load. The fourth variation of the vehicle with a single first stage booster and an upper stage borrowed from the Soyuz 2 rocket would also be possible (not shown). It could deliver six tons to the low-Earth orbit. All four variations would use the same launch facility in Vostochny.

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Have a say...