The MRKS-1 project is a partially reusable vertical take-off launch vehicle based on a reusable cruise first stage, booster blocks and disposable second stages. The first stage is performed according to the aircraft scheme and is reversible. It returns to the launch area in airplane mode and makes a horizontal landing at 1st class airfields. The winged reusable block of the 1st stage of the rocket system will be equipped with reusable cruise liquid propellant rocket engines (LPRE).

Currently, the State Research and Production Center named after Khrunichev, design and research work is in full swing on the development and justification of the technical appearance, as well as the technical characteristics of the reusable rocket and space system. This system is being created as part of the federal space program in cooperation with many related enterprises.

However, let's talk a little about history. The first generation of reusable spacecraft includes 5 Space Shuttle-type spacecraft, as well as several domestic developments of the BOR and Buran series. In these projects, both the Americans and Soviet specialists tried to build a reusable spacecraft itself (the last stage, which is directly launched into space). The objectives of these programs were as follows: the return from space of a significant amount of payloads, a reduction in the cost of launching a payload into space, the preservation of expensive and complex spacecraft for reusable use, the ability to carry out frequent launches of a reusable stage.

However, the 1st generation of reusable space systems was not able to solve their problems with a sufficient level of efficiency. The unit cost of access to space turned out to be approximately 3 times higher than that of ordinary single-use rockets. At the same time, the return of payloads from space did not increase significantly. At the same time, the resource of using reusable stages turned out to be significantly lower than the calculated one, which did not allow the use of these ships in a tight schedule of space launches. As a result, these days, both satellites and astronauts are delivered to near-earth orbit using disposable rocket systems. And there is nothing at all to return expensive equipment and vehicles from near-earth orbit. Only the Americans made themselves a small automatic ship X-37B, which was designed for military needs and has a payload of less than 1 ton. It is obvious to everyone that modern reusable systems should be qualitatively different from the representatives of the 1st generation.

In Russia, work is being carried out on several reusable space systems at once. However, it is clear that the most promising will be the so-called aerospace system. Ideally, a spacecraft would take off from an airfield like an ordinary plane, enter low-earth orbit and return back, consuming only fuel. However, this is the most difficult option, which requires a large number of technical solutions and preliminary research. This option cannot be quickly implemented by any modern state. Although Russia has a fairly large scientific and technical reserve for projects of this kind. For example, the "aerospace plane" Tu-2000, which had a fairly detailed study. The implementation of this project at one time was hampered by a lack of funding after the collapse of the USSR in the 1990s, as well as the absence of a number of critical and complex components.

There is also an intermediate version, in which the space system consists of a reusable spacecraft and a reusable booster stage. Work on such systems was carried out back in the USSR, for example, the Spiral system. There are also much newer developments. But even this scheme of a reusable space system presupposes a rather long cycle of design and research work in numerous areas.

Therefore, the main focus in Russia is on the MRKS-1 program. This program stands for Stage 1 Reusable Rocket and Space System. Despite this "first stage", the created system will be very functional. It's just that within the framework of a fairly large general program for creating the latest space systems, this program has the closest deadlines for its final implementation.

The system proposed by the MRKS-1 project will be a two-stage one. Its main purpose is to launch into near-earth orbit absolutely any spacecraft (transport, manned, automatic) weighing up to 25–35 tons, both already existing and in the process of creation. The payload weight put into orbit is greater than that of the Protons. However, the fundamental difference from existing carrier rockets will be different. The MRKS-1 system will not be disposable. Its 1st stage will not burn up in the atmosphere or fall to the ground in the form of a collection of debris. Having accelerated the 2nd stage (which is a one-time use) and the payload, the 1st stage will land, like the space shuttles of the 20th century. Today, this is the most promising way of developing space transport systems.

In practice, this project is a stage-by-stage modernization of the Angara single-use launch vehicle that is currently being created. Actually, the MRKS-1 project itself was born as a further development of the GKNPTs im. Khrunichev, where together with NPO Molniya a reusable 1st stage booster of the Angara launch vehicle was created, which received the designation Baikal (for the first time the Baikal model was shown at MAKS-2001). Baikal used the same automatic control system that allowed the Soviet space shuttle Buran to fly without a crew on board. This system provides support for the flight at all its stages - from the moment of launch to the landing of the device at the airfield, this system will be adapted for the MRKS-1.

Unlike the Baikal project, the MRKS-1 will not have folding planes (wings), but rigidly installed ones. This technical solution will reduce the likelihood of emergency situations when the vehicle enters the landing trajectory. But the recently tested design of the reusable accelerator will still undergo changes. As Sergei Drozdov, head of the aerothermodynamics department of high-speed aircraft at TsAGI, noted, the specialists were surprised by the high heat fluxes in the wing center section, which will undoubtedly entail a change in the design of the aircraft. In September-October this year, the MRKS-1 models will undergo a series of tests in transonic and hypersonic wind tunnels.

At the second stage of the implementation of this program, it is planned to make the second stage reusable, and the mass of the payload launched into space will have to grow to 60 tons. But even the development of a reusable accelerator of only the 1st stage is already a real breakthrough in the development of modern space transport systems. And the most important thing is that Russia is moving towards this breakthrough, while maintaining its status as one of the world's leading space powers.

Today MRKS-1 is considered as a universal multipurpose vehicle designed to launch spacecraft and various payloads, manned and cargo ships into low-Earth orbit, under the programs of human exploration of near-earth space, exploration of the Moon and Mars, as well as other planets of our solar system. ...

The composition of the MRKS-1 includes a reusable rocket unit (VRB), which is a reusable stage I booster, a stage II disposable booster, as well as a space warhead (RGC). VRB and stage II accelerator dock with each other in a batch scheme. Modifications of the MRCS with different carrying capacity (the mass of the cargo delivered to a low reference orbit from 20 to 60 tons) is proposed to be built taking into account unified stage I and II accelerators using a single ground complex. That in the long term will allow to ensure in practice a decrease in the labor intensity of work in a technical position, maximum serial production and the possibility of developing an economically effective family of space carriers on the basis of basic modules.

Development and construction of the MRKS-1 family of different carrying capacities based on unified disposable and reusable stages, which will meet the requirements for advanced space transport systems, and are capable of solving the tasks of launching both unique expensive space objects and serial ones with very high efficiency and reliability. spacecraft can become a very serious alternative in a number of new generation launch vehicles that will be in operation for a long time in the 21st century.

At present, TsAGI specialists have already managed to assess the rational multiplicity of the use of the first stage of the MRKS-1, as well as the options for demonstrators of the returned missile units and the need for their implementation. The returned 1st stage of the MRKS-1 will ensure a high level of safety and reliability and completely abandon the allocation of areas where detachable parts fall, which will significantly increase the efficiency of the implementation of promising commercial programs. The aforementioned advantages for Russia seem to be extremely important, as for the only state in the world with a continental location of existing and promising cosmodromes.

TsAGI believes that the creation of the MRKS-1 project is a qualitatively new step in the design of promising reusable space vehicles for launching into orbit. Such systems fully meet the level of development of rocket and space technology of the XXI century and have significantly higher indicators of economic efficiency.

Rearmament of the navy and army is not only about supplying the troops with modern technology. New types of weapons are constantly being created in the Russian Federation. Their future development is also being addressed. Consider further the latest military developments in Russia in some areas.

Strategic intercontinental missiles

This type is an important weapon. The basis of the missile forces of the Russian Federation are liquid-propellant heavy ICBMs "Sotka" and "Voevoda". The service life has been extended three times. At present, a heavy complex "Sarmat" has been developed to replace them. It is a hundred-ton-class missile, which carries at least ten separable warheads in the head element. The main characteristics of the "Sarmat" have already been assigned. Serial production is planned to begin at the legendary Krasmash, for the reconstruction of which 7.5 billion rubles have been allocated from the Federation budget. Promising combat equipment is already being created, including individual reconnaissance units with promising means of overcoming missile defense (ROC "Inevitability" - "Breakthrough").

Installation "Avangard"

In 2013, the commanders of the Strategic Missile Forces conducted an experimental launch of this middle-class ballistic intercontinental missile. This was the fourth launch since 2011. Three previous launches were also successful. In this test, the rocket flew with a mock combat unit. It replaced the previously used ballast. Avangard is a fundamentally new rocket, which is not considered a continuation of the Topol family. The command of the Strategic Missile Forces calculated an important fact. It lies in the fact that Topol-M can hit 1 or 2 anti-missiles (for example, the American type SM-3), and one Avangard will need at least 50. That is, the effectiveness of a missile defense breakthrough has increased significantly.

In the installation of the "Avangard" type, the already familiar missile with a multiple head element of personal guidance has been replaced by the latest system, which has a controlled warhead (UBB). This is an important innovation. The blocks in the MIRV are located in 1 or 2 tiers (in the same way as in the Voevoda installation) around the engine of the dilution stages. By the command of the computer, the stage begins to unfold towards one of the targets. Then, with a small impulse of the engine, the warhead released from the mounts is sent to the target. Its flight is carried out along a ballistic curve (like a thrown stone), without maneuvering in height and course. In turn, the controlled unit, in contrast to the specified element, looks like an independent rocket with a personal guidance and control system, an engine and rudders resembling tapered "skirts" in the lower part. It is an efficient device. The engine can allow him to maneuver in space, and in the atmosphere - "skirt". Due to this control, the warhead flies 16,000 km from a 250-kilometer height. In general, the range of the "Vanguard" can be more than 25,000 km.

Bottom missile systems

The latest military developments of Russia are also present in this area. There are also innovative implementations here. Back in the summer of 2013, tests were carried out in the White Sea of ​​such weapons as a new ballistic missile "Skif", which is capable of waiting on the ocean or seabed at the right time to shoot and hit a land and sea object. She uses the ocean floor as the original mine plant. The location of these systems at the bottom of the water element will provide the necessary invulnerability to the weapon of retaliation.

The latest military developments in Russia - mobile missile systems

A lot of work has been invested in this direction. In 2013, the Russian Ministry of Defense began testing a new hypersonic missile. Its flight speed is approximately 6 thousand km / h. It is known that today in Russia hypersonic technology is being studied in several developing areas. Along with this, the Russian Federation also produces combat railroad and naval missile systems. This significantly modernizes the armament. In this direction, experimental design latest military developments in Russia are being actively pursued.

The so-called test launches of Kh-35UE missiles were also successful. They were released from installations housed in a cargo-type container of the Club-K complex. The X-35 anti-ship missile is distinguished by its flight to the target and stealth at an altitude not exceeding 15 meters, and at the final stage of its trajectory - 4 meters. The presence of a powerful warhead and a combined homing system allows one unit of this weapon to completely destroy a paramilitary ship with a displacement of 5 thousand tons. For the first time, a mock-up of this missile system was shown in Malaysia in 2009, in a military-technical salon.

He immediately made a splash, since the Club-K is a typical cargo twenty and forty-foot containers. This military equipment of Russia is transported by rail, on sea vessels or trailers. Command posts and launchers with multipurpose missiles such as Kh-35UE 3M-54E and 3M-14E are placed in this container. They can hit both land and surface targets. Every container ship that Club-K carries is, in principle, a missile carrier with a devastating salvo.

This is an important weapon. Absolutely any echelon with these installations or a convoy, which includes heavy truck container ships, is a powerful missile unit that can appear in any unexpected place. Successful tests have proven that Club-K is not a fiction, it is indeed a combat system. These new developments in military equipment are a confirmed fact. Similar tests are also being prepared with the 3M-14E and 3M-54E missiles. Incidentally, the 3M-54E missile can completely destroy an aircraft carrier.

Latest generation strategic bomber

Currently, the Tupolev company is developing and improving a promising airline complex (PAK DA). It is Russia's latest generation strategic missile bomber. This aircraft is not an improvement of the TU-160, but will be an innovative device based on the latest solutions. In 2009, the RF Ministry of Defense and the Tupolev company signed a contract for R&D on the basis of PAK DA for a period of three years. In 2012, an announcement was made that the preliminary design of the PAK DA had already been completed and signed, and then the latest military development projects would begin.

In 2013, this was approved by the command of the Russian Air Force. PAK DA is famous as modern nuclear missile carriers TU-160 and TU-95MS.
Of several options, we settled on a subsonic stealth aircraft with a "flying wing" scheme. This military equipment of Russia is not able to overcome the speed of sound due to the peculiarity of the design and the huge wingspan, but it can be invisible to radars.

Future missile defense

Work continues on the creation of the S-500 missile defense system. In this latest generation, it is proposed to use separate execution of tasks to neutralize aerodynamic and ballistic missiles. The S-500 differs from the S-400, designed for air defense, in that it is created as an anti-missile defense system.

She will also be able to fight against hypersonic weapons that are actively developing in the United States. These new Russian military developments are important. The S-500 is an aerospace defense system that they want to design in 2015. It will have to neutralize objects that fly at altitudes above 185 km and at a distance of more than 3500 km from the launch site. At the moment, the draft sketch has already been completed and promising military developments in Russia are being carried out in this direction. The main purpose of this complex will be the defeat of the latest air-type assault weapons, which are produced in the world today. It is assumed that this system will be able to perform tasks both in the stationary version and when moving into the combat zone. which Russia should start producing in 2016, will be equipped with a shipborne version of the S-500 anti-missile system.

Combat lasers

There are many interesting things in this direction. Russia, before the United States of America, began military development in this area and has in its arsenal the most prototypes of high-precision chemical warfare lasers. The first such installation was tested by Russian developers back in 1972. Then, already with the help of a domestic mobile "laser cannon", it was possible to successfully hit a target in the air. So in 2013, the Russian Ministry of Defense demanded to continue work on the creation of combat lasers that are capable of striking satellites, aircraft and ballistic missiles.
This is important in modern weapons. New military developments of Russia in the field of lasers are carried out by the Almaz-Antey air defense organization, the Taganrog Aviation Scientific and Technical Concern named after Beriev and the company "Khimpromavtomatika". All this is controlled by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. began to modernize again the flying laboratories A-60 (based on the Il-76), which are used to test the latest laser technologies. They will be based at an airfield near Taganrog.

Perspectives

In the future, with successful development in this area, the Russian Federation will build one of the most powerful lasers in the world. This device in Sarov will occupy an area equal to two football fields, and at its highest point will reach the size of a 10-storey building. The facility will be equipped with 192 laser channels and a huge laser pulse energy. For the French and American counterparts, it is equal to 2 megajoules, while for Russia it is approximately 1.5-2 times higher. The superlaser will be able to create colossal temperatures and densities in matter, which are the same as on the Sun. This device will also simulate the processes observed during the testing of thermonuclear weapons in laboratory conditions. The creation of this project will be estimated at about 1.16 billion euros.

Armored vehicles

In this regard, the latest military developments were also not long in coming. In 2014, the Russian Ministry of Defense will start purchasing the main effective battle tanks based on a single platform for heavy armored vehicles "Armata". On the basis of a successful batch of these vehicles, they will conduct controlled military operation. The release of the first prototype of a tank based on the Armata platform, in accordance with the current schedule, took place in 2013. The specified military equipment of Russia is planned to be supplied to military units from 2015. The development of the tank will be carried out by Uralvagonzavod.

Another avenue of the Russian defense industry complex is the Terminator (Object - 199). This combat vehicle will be designed to neutralize air targets, manpower, armored vehicles, as well as various shelters and fortifications.

"Terminator" is capable of being created on the basis of the T-90 and T-72 tanks. Its standard equipment will consist of 2 30-mm cannons, ATGM "Attack" with laser guidance, Kalashnikov machine gun and 2 AGS-17 grenade launchers. These new developments in Russian military equipment are significant. The capabilities of the BMPT allow the implementation of fire of significant density at 4 targets at once.

Precision weapons

The Air Force of the Russian Federation will adopt missiles to carry out strikes against surface and ground targets with GLONASS guidance. At the test site in Akhtubinsk, the Chkalov GLITS tested the S-25 and S-24 missiles, which are equipped with special kits with seeker and control surfaces. This is an important improvement. GLONASS guidance kits began to arrive en masse at air bases in 2014, that is, Russian helicopter and front-line aviation completely switched to high-precision weapons.

Unguided rockets (NUR) S-25 and S-24 will remain the main weapon of the bomber and attack aircraft of the Russian Federation. However, they hit squares, which is an expensive and ineffective pleasure. The GLONASS homing heads will convert the S-25 and S-24 into a high-precision weapon capable of hitting small targets with an accuracy of 1 meter.

Robotics

The main priorities in the organization of promising types of military equipment and weapons have almost been determined. Emphasis is placed on the production of the most robotic combat systems, where a safe operator function will be assigned to a person.

In this direction, a set of programs is planned:

• Organization of power armor, familiar as exoskeletons.
• Work on the development of underwater robots for a wide variety of purposes.
• Design of a series of unmanned aerial vehicles.
• It is planned to establish technologies for They will allow the implementation of the ideas of Nikolai Tesla on an industrial scale.

Russian experts relatively recently (2011-2012) carried out the creation of the SAR-400 robot. It is 163 cm high and looks like a torso with two "manipulator arms" equipped with special sensors. They allow the operator to feel the object being touched.

SAR-400 is capable of performing several functions. For example, fly into space or perform remote surgery. And in military conditions, it is generally irreplaceable. He can be a scout, a sapper, and a repairman. In terms of its working capabilities and performance characteristics, the SAR-400 android surpasses (for example, in terms of squeezing the brush) foreign counterparts, and American ones too.

Weapon

The latest military developments in Russia are currently also being actively pursued in this direction. This is a confirmed fact. Izhevsk gunsmiths began developing the latest generation of small arms. It differs from the Kalashnikov system, which is popular all over the world. This implies a new platform that allows you to compete with analogues of the latest models of small arms in the world. This is important in this area. As a result, the law enforcement agencies can be provided with fundamentally the latest combat systems that correspond to the rearmament program of the Russian army until 2020. Therefore, at the moment, significant developments are underway in this regard. Future riflemen will be of a modular type. This will simplify subsequent upgrades and production. In this case, a scheme will be used more often in which the weapon magazine and the percussion mechanism will be located in the butt behind the trigger. Ammunition with innovative ballistic solutions will also be used to develop the latest small arms systems. For example, increased accuracy, significant effective range, more powerful penetration ability. The gunsmiths were tasked with creating a new system from scratch, not based on obsolete principles. To achieve this goal, the latest technologies are involved. At the same time, Izhmash will not renounce work on the modernization of the 200-series AK, since the Russian special services are already interested in the supply of this type of weapon. Further military developments in this direction are currently being carried out.

Outcome

All of the above emphasizes the successful modernization of the weapons of the Russian Federation. The main thing is to keep up with the times and not be satisfied with what has already been achieved, implementing the latest improvements in this area. Along with the above, there are also secret military developments of Russia, but their publication is limited.

The reusable first stage booster "Baikal" as part of the launch vehicle / Photo: www.gazeta.ru

Roskosmos is ready to start creating a flight prototype of the recoverable first stage of the launch vehicle. For this, the Khrunichev Center has assembled a team of specialists who have developed the Energia-Buran system, Izvestia writes with reference to Alexander Medvedev, general designer of Roskosmos for missile systems.

Alexander Medvedev / Photo: so-l.ru

“By the order of the director general of the Khrunichev Center, the department for reusable launch vehicles has been restored at the enterprise,” said A. Medvedev. “This happened just a month ago. We invited people who created Buran at one time. from the designers of the Energia-Buran system.

As the newspaper notes, Russian engineers were not inspired by the experience of Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, who lands the first stages of a Falcon 9 rocket on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean. Khrunichev is designing a "winged" first stage that can return to the cosmodrome like an airplane and land on the runway.

“I am convinced that for Russian conditions the recoverable first stage with protruding wings is the best option,” A. Medvedev noted. “The scheme used by SpaceX to land the first stage is not suitable for us, since rockets from our cosmodromes do not fly over the sea and here there is no way to fit the barge to the right place. Even if there was such an opportunity, it is not a fact that this is the optimal way: at sea, the side wind and rolling almost always interfere with it. "

Energia - Buran is a Soviet reusable transport space system. The "Buran" spacecraft made its first and only space flight in unmanned mode on November 15, 1988. The program was launched in 1976, in 1992 it was decided to terminate it, reports TASS.

Technical reference

"Baikal" was designed by JSC "NPO" Molniya "" by order of GKNPTs im. M.V. Khrunicheva. In an interview with the correspondent of the Military News Agency, the head of the sector of international programs and projects of the State Research and Development Space Center, Oleg Alekseevich Sokolov, said that work on similar accelerators is being carried out in the United States, European countries and, according to some reports, China, but in metal a full-size model has been created only in Russia.

Russian reusable accelerator (MRU) "Baikal" / Photo: www.objectiv-x.ru

NK spoke in detail about the MRU project two years ago, when a small model of "Baikal" was exhibited at the 43rd Le Bourget showroom. Since then, the project has undergone a number of changes; There also appeared new data both on the accelerator itself and on the Angara-V all-azimuth launch vehicle family based on it.

According to the developers, the concept of a two-stage launch vehicle with a reusable "atmospheric" first stage makes it possible to provide flexibility in the use of various upper stages, among which there can and should be reusable spacecraft.

Photo: www.objectiv-x.ru

Such a system will have significantly smaller dimensions and weight than a single-stage reusable system, which has similar mass indices for payloads (PN) launched into orbit and delivered to Earth, and, consequently, higher technical indicators. With regard to the total cost of development and operation, the development of the system "in parts" can be cheaper than bringing a larger and more complex single-stage carrier to work. From the point of view of the designers, the operation of separating a two-stage system is a well-established procedure in the world practice and should not require significant costs.

The use of a reusable "atmospheric" stage for removing disposable PN can be carried out not only within the framework of the concept of a two-stage carrier. The load for the reusable first stage can also be a combination of the final (target) launch vehicle with disposable upper stages and upper stages, which should be included in the launch vehicle of any class. It is possible to combine reusable modules with disposable steps starting from the Earth's surface (modularity principle).

This concept of reusable module stages is the basis for promising developments carried out by the State Research and Production Center together with the NPO Molniya within the framework of the Baikal project. The use of module stages with a rocket engine for launch and acceleration and an air-jet engine (VRM), a rotary wing, aerodynamic controls and a landing gear for return and landing is envisaged both in the form of the first stages of light launch vehicles, and in the form of bundles or attachments. accelerators in medium and heavy rockets.

Three projections of MRU "Baikal" / Image: www.buran.ru

The peculiarity of "Baikal": not only landing the MRU on the ground, but also returning it to the launch point using the means of return flight, including the WFD and the control system worked out on the "Buran" orbital spacecraft. According to the developers' calculations, the use of "Baikal" on the launch vehicle of the "Angara" family will allow 2-3 times to reduce the cost of launching the launch vehicle into orbit.

The product, shown in Paris, was equipped with mock-ups of the RD-191M rocket engine and the RD-33 turbojet bypass engine with an afterburner (TRDDF) used on the MiG-29 fighter.

RD-191M with a thrust at the ground of 196 tons, a specific impulse at the ground for 309 sec and in a vacuum of 337.5 sec, was developed at NPO Energomash named after V.P. Glushko. The rocket engine weighing 2.2 t runs on kerosene and liquid oxygen and is mounted in the tail section of the MRU in a gimbal with a swing angle of plus / minus 8º for pitch and yaw control. TRDDF RD-33 was developed by the St. V.Ya. Klimov, has a thrust of 8.3 tf and a mass of 1050 kg. Its dimensions: length 4.3 m, width 2.0 m, height 1.1 m. When operating in cruise mode (height 11 km and flight speed 0.8 M), the specific fuel (kerosene) consumption is 0.961 kg / tf. Hour. RD-33 is equipped with protection systems and early detection of malfunctions.

In addition, the project considers the possibility of installing the RD-35 engine developed for the Yak-130 on the MRU.

The accelerator landing gear was taken from the Yak-42 and Su-17 aircraft. According to Oleg Sokolov, the Baikal MRU is designed for 25 launches, but in the future it is planned to increase their number to two hundred.

The model, shown at Le Bourget, will later be used for static strength and other ground tests. According to some representatives of GKNPTs, at present there are several "Baikals" in production, which are intended for flight tests. However, according to unofficial statements of others, it is still a long way to the manufacture of flight products, and the model presented at the exhibition was made in a "hurry" and is far in appearance and design from the real "Baikal", which will be launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome.

Flight tests of the MRU will be carried out in several stages.

On the first- "Baikal" is installed on the fuselage of a specialized carrier aircraft VM-T "Atlant". After takeoff and climb, the MRU is separated from the carrier and lands in autonomous mode.

On the second stage "Baikal" without the second stage is launched from the launch complex of the "Angara" LV.

Third the LCI stage provides for the launches of Angara A1-V in the standard configuration: MRU plus the second stage Briz-KM.

Launch vehicle "Angara A1-B" using MRU "Baikal" / Image: www.buran.ru

Characteristics of the Baikal reusable accelerator

Characteristics of the "Angara A1-V" LV with the use of the "Baikal" MRU

According to the most optimistic statements of representatives of the Khrunichev Center, the first launch of Angara A1-B with the Baikal accelerator is planned for 2-3 years. The same period was called two years ago, at the previous salon in Le Bourget. Consequently, the pace of work is not yet high, or the developers are faced with serious technical and technological difficulties.

Oleg Sokolov emphasized that the unified Baikal accelerator can be used on launch vehicles of various classes, incl. American shuttles, French Ariane 5 and other carriers. On the "Angara" LV of the light class "Baikal" will be the first stage. However, the market for lightweight carriers is currently not wide enough to cover the cost of creating such an expensive reusable stage.

In the first half of the 90s, the world talked about the brilliant prospects of light-class missiles in connection with the predicted sharp increase in the number of small spacecraft designed to operate in low orbits and the deployment of a whole series of low- and medium-orbit global satellite communications systems.

However, the number of small spacecraft projects funded and underway has declined in recent years. Communication systems based on "non-stationary" groups of small spacecraft have not yet confirmed their economic return, and therefore have not become widespread. In this regard, a lot of launches of the light class LV were not actually required; the resource of 200 flights in the version of a light rocket, laid in "Baikal", may simply not be developed by the time of the moral "aging" of the carrier and the end of the service life of systems and assemblies. The creation of an MRU can, perhaps, pay off only when it is used in the carriers of the medium and, above all, heavy classes, which are more in demand on the market.

Layout diagrams of missiles / Image: www.buran.ru

All-azimuth launch vehicles "Angara-V" of medium and heavy classes are obtained by replacing lateral universal rocket modules (URM) with "Baikal" boosters. Thus, it is planned to install two MRUs on the "Angara-A3" of the middle class (the "Angara A3-B" version), and from the launch vehicle of the heavy class "Angara-A5" by replacing four lateral URMs with four MRUs, "Angara A5-B" is obtained. The option of using accelerators on the heavy "Angara-A4" with an oxygen-hydrogen second stage ("Angara A4-B") is also being worked out. However, the use of 2-4 MRUs on one launch vehicle can create a number of problems. The layout of the "Angara A5-B" and "Angara A4-B" variants has already required folding horizontal tail fins in two of the four boosters. In addition, serious difficulties may arise with the simultaneous return to the airfield of four MRUs, separated from the launch vehicle, at once.

The Khrunichev Center and NPO Molniya are also exploring the option of launching the Angara LV with the Baikal MRU from the An-124 Ruslan carrier aircraft, which, as mentioned above, is also a development of the concept of reusable "atmospheric" stages.

In addition, within the framework of promising studies of the State Research and Development Center, fully reusable systems are being studied, consisting of "Baikal" and a reusable second stage. However, their implementation is a matter of the more distant future and is not currently in the foreground of the Center's work.

According to the staff of the State Research and Production Space Center, the consistent development of "atmospheric" stages should inevitably lead to the creation of hypersonic aircraft-carriers of "space" stages. Before reaching the level of a single-stage aerospace reusable launch vehicle, such aircraft will only have to go through the stage of equipping with a highly efficient combined propulsion system. For their creation, obviously, more advanced technologies will be required than those currently available not only at the Khrunichev Center, but in the world in general.

Separation of shanks of the "Angara3-V" LV / Image: www.buran.ru

Characteristics of the Angara-V LV family with the use of the Baikal MRU

PH	A1-B	A3-B	A5-B	A4-B
Launch weight, t	168.9	446	709	700
The number of MRU at the first stage	1	2	4	4
Fuel components:
first stage	O2 + RG-1	O2 + RG-1	O2 + RG-1	O2 + RG-1
second stage	AT + UDMH	O2 + RG-1	O2 + RG-1	О2 + H2
Payload mass when launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome:
into low orbit, t	1.9	9.3	18.4	22.0
to the geotransfer orbit, t	-	1.0 4	4.4	5.66
to geostationary orbit, t	-	-	2.5	3.2

Based on the materials of the prospectuses of the State Research and Production Center named after MV Khrunicheva, NGO Molniya, reports from Interfax and the Military News Agency.

This article will touch upon such a topic as the spaceships of the future: photo, description and technical characteristics. Before moving on directly to the topic, we offer the reader a short excursion into history, which will help assess the current state of the space industry.

Space during the Cold War was one of the arenas in which the confrontation between the United States and the USSR was fought. The main stimulus for the development of the space industry in those years was precisely the geopolitical confrontation between the superpowers. Huge resources have been devoted to space exploration programs. For example, on the implementation of the project called "Apollo", the main goal of which is to land a person on the lunar surface, the United States government spent about $ 25 billion. This amount for the 1970s was simply gigantic. The budget of the Soviet Union, the lunar program, which was never destined to come true, cost 2.5 billion rubles. The development of the Buran spacecraft cost 16 million rubles. At the same time, he was destined to make only one space flight.

Space shuttle program

Its American counterpart was much more fortunate. The Space Shuttle made 135 launches. However, this "shuttle" did not last forever. Its last launch took place on July 8, 2011. During the implementation of the program, the Americans have released 6 "shuttles". One of them was a prototype that never carried out space flights. The other 2 suffered a disaster altogether.

The Space Shuttle program can hardly be considered successful from an economic point of view. Disposable ships turned out to be much more economical. In addition, the safety of the shuttle flights raised doubts. As a result of two disasters that occurred during their operation, 14 astronauts were killed. However, the reason for such ambiguous travel results lies not in the technical imperfection of the ships, but in the complexity of the very concept of reusable spacecraft.

The value of the Soyuz spacecraft today

As a result, Soyuz, a single-use spacecraft from Russia that was developed back in the 1960s, became the only spacecraft currently performing manned flights to the ISS. It should be noted that this does not mean that they are superior to the Space Shuttle. They have a number of significant disadvantages. For example, their carrying capacity is limited. Also, the use of such devices leads to the accumulation of orbital debris, which remains after their operation. Soon, space flights on the Soyuz will become history. As of today, there are no real alternatives. Spacecraft of the future are still under development, photos of which are presented in this article. The huge potential inherent in the concept of reusable use of ships often remains technically unrealizable even in our time.

Barack Obama's statement

Barack Obama announced in July 2011 that the main goal of astronauts from the United States for the coming decades is to fly to Mars. The space program "Constellation" has become one of the programs that NASA is carrying out in the framework of the flight to Mars and the exploration of the Moon. For these purposes, of course, new spaceships of the future are needed. What about their development?

Orion spacecraft

The main hopes are pinned on the creation of Orion, a new spacecraft, as well as Ares-5 and Ares-1 launch vehicles and the Altair lunar module. In 2010, the United States government decided to curtail the Constellation program, but despite this, NASA still got the opportunity to further develop Orion. In the near future, it is planned to carry out the first test unmanned flight. It is assumed that the device during this flight will move away from the Earth by 6 thousand km. This is about 15 times greater than the distance at which the ISS is from our planet. After a test flight, the ship will head for Earth. The new device can enter the atmosphere, developing a speed of 32 thousand km / h. According to this indicator, Orion surpasses the legendary Apollo by 1.5 thousand km / h. The first manned launch is scheduled for 2021.

According to NASA plans, Atlas-5 and Delta-4 will act as carrier rockets of this spacecraft. It was decided to abandon the development of "Ares". For deep space exploration, in addition, the Americans are designing the SLS, a new launch vehicle.

Orion concept

Orion is a partially reusable ship. It is conceptually closer to the Soyuz than to the Shuttle. Most of the spacecraft of the future are partially reusable. This concept assumes that the ship's liquid capsule can be reused after landing on Earth. This will make it possible to combine the economic efficiency of Apollo and Soyuz operations with the functional practicality of reusable ships. This decision is a transitional phase. Apparently, in the distant future, all spacecraft of the future will become reusable. This is the trend in the development of the space industry. Therefore, we can say that the Soviet Buran is a prototype of the spacecraft of the future, just like the American Space Shuttle. They were well ahead of their time.

CST-100

The words "prudence" and "practicality" seem to characterize Americans as well as possible. The government of this country has decided not to shoulder all space ambitions on the shoulders of Orion. Today, commissioned by NASA, several private companies are simultaneously developing their spacecraft of the future, which are designed to replace the vehicles used today. Boeing, for example, is developing the CST-100, a partially reusable and manned spacecraft. It is designed for short trips into Earth orbit. Its main task will be the delivery of cargo and crew to the ISS.

Planned launches of CST-100

Up to seven people can make up the ship's crew. During the development of the CST-100, special attention was paid to the comfort of the astronauts. Its living space was significantly increased in comparison with the ships of the previous generation. The CST-100 is likely to be launched using Falcon, Delta or Atlas launch vehicles. At the same time, Atlas-5 is the most suitable option. The ship will land with the help of airbags and a parachute. According to Boeing's plans, the CST-100 will have a series of test launches in 2015. The first 2 flights will be unmanned. Their main task is to launch an apparatus into orbit and test security systems. A manned docking with the ISS is planned for the third flight. In case of successful tests, the CST-100 will very soon come to replace Progress and Soyuz, the Russian spacecraft that today have a monopoly on manned flights to the ISS.

Development of "Dragon"

Another private spacecraft, designed to carry out the delivery of crew and cargo to the ISS, will be a device developed by SpaceX. This is "Dragon" - a one-piece ship, partially reusable. It is planned to build 3 modifications of this device: autonomous, cargo and manned. Like the CST-100, the crew can be up to seven people. The ship in cargo modification can take on board 4 people and 2.5 tons of cargo.

They also want to use the "Dragon" for a flight to Mars in the future. For this, a special version of this ship, called the Red Dragon, is being created. The unmanned flight of this device to the Red Planet will take place, according to the plans of the US space administration, in 2018.

Design feature of the "Dragon" and the first flights

Reusability is one of the features of the "Dragon". After the flight, the fuel tanks and part of the energy systems will descend together with the living capsule to Earth. Then they can be used again for space travel. This design feature favorably distinguishes the "Dragon" from most other promising developments. "Dragon" and CST-100 in the near future will complement each other and serve as a "safety net". If one of these types of ship cannot, for some reason, complete the tasks assigned to it, then part of its work will be taken over by another.

The Dragon was first launched into orbit in 2010. A test unmanned flight has been successfully completed. And in 2012, on May 25, this device docked to the ISS. By that time, there was no automatic docking system on the ship, and it was necessary to use the space station's manipulator to implement it.

"Dream Chaser"

Dream Chaser is another name for the spaceships of the future. It is impossible not to mention this project of the SpaceDev company. Also, 12 partners of the company, 3 US universities and 7 NASA centers took part in its development. This ship is significantly different from other space developments. It looks like a miniature Space Shuttle and can land just like a regular plane. Its main tasks are similar to those facing the CST-100 and "Dragon". The device is designed to deliver the crew and cargo to the near-earth orbit, and it will be launched there with the help of Atlas-5.

What do we have?

And what can Russia answer? What are the Russian spaceships of the future? In 2000, RSC Energia began designing the Clipper space complex, which is a multipurpose one. This spacecraft is reusable, resembling something outwardly a "shuttle", reduced in size. It is designed to solve various problems, such as cargo delivery, space tourism, evacuation of the station's crew, flights to other planets. Certain hopes were pinned on this project.

It was assumed that the spaceships of the future of Russia would soon be constructed. However, due to the lack of funding, we had to say goodbye to these hopes. The project was closed in 2006. The technologies that have been developed over the years are planned to be used for the design of the PPTS, also known as the "Rus" project.

Features of PPTS

The best spaceships of the future, as experts from Russia believe, are PPTS. It is this space system that is destined to become a new generation of spacecraft. It will be able to replace Progress and Unions, which are rapidly becoming obsolete. Today RSC Energia is engaged in the development of this spacecraft, as in the past Clipper. PTK NK will become the basic modification of this complex. Its main task, again, will be to deliver the crew and cargo to the ISS. However, in the distant future is the development of modifications that will be able to fly to the moon, as well as carry out various research missions, long in time.

The ship itself should be partially reusable. The liquid capsule will be reused after landing, but the engine compartment will not. An interesting feature of this ship is the ability to land without a parachute. The reactive system will be used for braking and landing on the earth's surface.

New cosmodrome

Unlike the Soyuz, which take off from the Baikonur cosmodrome located in Kazakhstan, the new ships are planned to be launched from the Vostochny cosmodrome under construction in the Amur Region. 6 people will make up the crew. The device can also take loads of up to 500 kg. The ship in the unmanned version can deliver cargo up to 2 tons in weight.

Challenges facing PPTS developers

One of the main problems facing the PTS project is the lack of launch vehicles with the required characteristics. The main technical aspects of the spacecraft have been worked out today, but the lack of a launch vehicle puts its developers in a very difficult position. It is assumed that it will be close in characteristics to the "Angara", which was developed back in the 90s.

Another serious problem, oddly enough, is the purpose of the PPTS design. Today, Russia can hardly afford to carry out ambitious programs for the exploration of Mars and the Moon, similar to those being implemented by the United States. Even if the space complex is successfully developed, most likely, its only task will remain the delivery of the crew and cargo to the ISS. The start of testing the PPTS has been postponed until 2018. By this time, promising vehicles from the United States will most likely already take over the functions performed today by the Russian Progress and Soyuz spacecraft.

Hazy space flight prospects

It is a fact that the world today remains devoid of the romance of space travel. This, of course, is not about space tourism and the launch of satellites. There is no need to worry about these areas of astronautics. Flights to the ISS are very important for the space industry, but the duration of stay in orbit of the ISS itself is limited. It is planned to liquidate this station in 2020. And manned spaceships of the future are an integral part of a specific program. It is impossible to develop a new apparatus in the absence of ideas about the tasks facing it. Not only for the delivery of ISS crews and cargo, new spacecraft of the future are being designed in the United States, but also for flights to the Moon and Mars. However, these tasks are so far removed from everyday earthly concerns that we can hardly expect significant breakthroughs in the field of astronautics in the coming years. Space threats remain a fantasy, so there is no point in designing warships of the future. And, of course, the powers of the Earth have many other concerns besides the struggle with each other for a place in orbit and other planets. The construction of such devices as warships of the future is therefore also impractical.

That the country is going to spend 1.6 trillion rubles on various space programs by 2020. First of all, they talked about the continuation of the construction of the Vostochny cosmodrome - the first launch of the launch vehicle from this launch pad is scheduled for the end of 2015. At the same time, it was announced plans to create by 2030 some systems to counter the use of weapons from space and in space, plans to send astronauts beyond the Earth's orbit in the future, including the creation of a permanent lunar base, which can then be used as an intermediate point in flights to Mars (however, it is planned to start the implementation of this program closer to 2030).

How does Russia look at the prospects for the development of the space industry today, a year later? Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Olegovich Rogozin, who is in charge of the defense and rocket and space industries, wrote about this for Rossiyskaya Gazeta in the article “Russian Space”. Under the slogan “We are moving from space romanticism to earthly pragmatism,” he noted that Russia now faces three strategic tasks in the study and exploration of outer space: expanding its presence in low Earth orbits and moving from their exploration to use; development with the subsequent colonization of the Moon and near-lunar space; preparation and beginning of the exploration of Mars and other objects of the solar system.

First, he touched upon the problems that the Russian space industry has faced in recent decades: the collapse of the USSR and the subsequent severe tests of the rocket and space industry of the former Soviet Union, thoughtless "eating up" of scientific and technical groundwork. In many ways, the industry has been set back decades. Although today Russia is still the leader in manned space programs and the stable operation of the world's second satellite navigation system GLONASS has been ensured, the general state of the industry cannot be called safe.

Guaranteed access to space from its territory

In order to improve the state of affairs until 2030, the Russian Federation is going to provide guaranteed access to space from its territory: launches of defense and dual-purpose spacecraft will be gradually transferred from the Baikonur cosmodrome to the Plesetsk and Vostochny cosmodromes. However, Russia will not leave Kazakhstan: the launch sites will be used within the framework of international programs and with the more active participation of the Kazakh side. For example, within the framework of the Baiterek project for the creation and operation of a middle class space complex.

Currently, work on the construction of the Vostochny cosmodrome is in full swing: the launch and technical complexes for the Soyuz-2 family of launch vehicles are being built, design and survey work is being carried out on the objects of the Angara heavy missile complex. The supporting infrastructure of the cosmodrome is being built. At the same time, the creation of promising launch vehicles of light, medium and heavy classes is being completed.

Space communications and Earth remote sensing

The Federal Space Program of Russia for 2006-2015 provides for the development and creation of a whole series of communication satellites on a modern technological basis. By the end of 2015, the domestic constellation of communication and broadcasting satellites will be almost completely updated. The problem is that the electronic component base (EEE), which makes up 90% of each spacecraft, is highly dependent on foreign suppliers. Onboard relay systems of communication satellites created in recent years are either entirely manufactured by foreign companies or created at industry enterprises on the basis of foreign components. Therefore, the Federal Space Agency took on the role of a system integrator and an actual customer for the domestic industry of radiation-resistant EEE.

The currently popular direction of remote sensing of the Earth (ERS) from space includes hydrometeorology, cartography, search for minerals, information support of economic activities, detection and monitoring of emergencies, environmental conditions, forecasting earthquakes and other destructive natural phenomena. In order to meet these needs of Russia, an updated domestic remote sensing system will be created. And the minimum required number of a constellation of its satellites should be 28 spacecraft, which is planned to be achieved within the next 7-10 years.

The development of the GLONASS navigation system will also continue: the Glonass-M spacecraft will be replaced by a new generation of Glonass-K navigation vehicles with improved technical characteristics, which will expand the scope and improve the quality of navigation support. Work continues to promote GLONASS navigation services on the world market.

Scientific directions

Russia is also looking to expand its efforts to build scientific spacecraft for space exploration. In 2011, the Russian space radio telescope Spektr-R with an antenna 10 meters in diameter was successfully launched into orbit; it became the basis for the ongoing international project of radio interferometric research “RadioAstron”. In the same 2011, the launch of the Phobos-Grunt interplanetary station ended in failure.

In the spring of 2013, the Bion-M1 spacecraft flew with animals and microorganisms on board. During the flight, more than 70 experiments in the field of space biology, physiology and radiation biology were successfully carried out. In the near future, the launch of a new Russian scientific satellite "Foton-M" is to take place, with the help of which the Russian program of microgravity research in fluid physics, space technology and biotechnology will continue.

Finally, this year the small spacecraft "MKA-FKI" - "RELEK" will be launched, which is supposed to carry out experiments on the study of cosmic rays, as well as several technical experiments. Work on the ExoMars project is being intensively developed. Projects of large astrophysical observatories of the “Spectrum” series - “Spectr-RG” and “Spectr-UF” are being prepared. Work continues on the creation of promising observatories Spektr-M (Millimetron) and GAMMA-400.

Pragmatism in the development and use of near-earth orbits

Competition in the development and use of near-earth orbits is intensifying today. Dmitry Olegovich notes: “On January 12, the unmanned spacecraft Cygnus docked to the ISS, delivering 1.5 tons of equipment, food and satellites of the CubeSat standard to the near-earth orbit. The total carrying capacity of this ship is 2.7 tons. Our Progress-M is capable of lifting a little more than 2 tons into orbit. It is important that Cygnus, like its Antares launch vehicle, was not created by a state corporation, but by a small private American company Orbital Sciences, which employs only 4 thousand people. In addition, the Dragon spacecraft, created by SpaceX and capable of delivering 6 tons of cargo into orbit, flew to the ISS last year for the third time. In addition to the spacecraft of these two companies and our Progress, the European Space Agency's ATV (7.7 tonne payload) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's HTV (6 tonne) launch vehicles act as unmanned cabs to the ISS.

But it is not only and not so much in the payload capacity. The Soyuz manned spacecraft and the Progress transport ship are veterans of astronautics. SpaceX was founded in 2002. It employs 3,800 employees. This is 12 times less than, for example, in the GKNPTs im. MV Khrunichev, where another veteran of Russian space is being assembled - the Proton heavy launch vehicle. This is also the reason why flights of domestic launch vehicles and ships are more expensive than those of our western competitors. Comparison of the cost of space technology between Russia and China, in which the space program is raised to the rank of state priority, also turns out to be not in our favor. "

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, space has practically ceased to be just a matter of pride and prestige of the state, having become a production sector with its own norms of profitability, depreciation and profit. Therefore, all existing and promising space programs should be considered through the prism of their profitability, including the program of scientific work on the Russian segment of the International Space Station. Russia seeks to increase the economic efficiency of manned flights, to speed up (up to 1–2 years) the adaptation of ships to new tasks, to shorten the development time for new modules, to complete “space long-term construction” and to adapt to the needs of the customer.

Moon and deep space exploration

Also, Russia is going to seriously and for a long time tackle the issue of the development of the moon. The first manned landings on the moon are planned to take place in 2030, after which the deployment of the visited lunar base with a laboratory will begin. There, according to Mr. Rogozin, it is planned to place a toolkit for studying the depths of the Universe, a laboratory for the study of lunar minerals, meteorites, a pilot production of useful substances, gases, water from regolith. Then will be placed test sites for the accumulation and transmission of energy over a distance, for testing new engines. The task, according to Mr. Rogozin, is daunting, daunting and ambitious, but at the same time realizable. It will testify to the technological maturity of Russia, the creation of a strategic intellectual and industrial reserve for future generations.

For the exploration of the Moon, it is necessary to create a promising manned transport system based on a super-heavy rocket and a promising habitat system. In addition, design work is underway to create powerful interorbital (interplanetary) tugs, without which the exploration of the Moon and the study of the planets of the Solar System is impossible. The emergence of such means will make it possible to reach not only the Moon, but also to realize in the future flights to asteroids and to Mars. The moon can become an intermediate base in the exploration of deep space, solving scientific problems and problems such as combating the asteroid-cometary danger for the Earth. The key areas of development within the framework of the national project "Exploration of Deep Space" will be the creation of nuclear power plants and plasma technologies for energy conversion, the development of biotechnology, robotics and new materials.

As Dmitry Rogozin notes, most Russian scientists believe that the Moon is the most important object for fundamental scientific research. Its origin in many ways sheds light on the most complex issues of cosmogony: the birth of the solar system, its development and future. In addition, the Moon is the closest source of extraterrestrial matter, minerals, minerals, volatile compounds, and water. The moon is a natural platform for technological research and testing of new space technology. The opinion about the need to master the Moon is also shared by the united Europe, China, Japan, India.

“We do not position the mission of flights to the moon as a program limited in time and resources. The moon is not an intermediate point at a distance; it is an independent and even self-sufficient goal. It is hardly advisable to make 10-20 flights to the Moon, and then, leaving everything behind, fly to Mars or asteroids. This process has a beginning, but no end: we are going to come to the moon forever. In addition, flights to Mars, to asteroids, in our view, not only do not contradict the exploration of the Moon, but largely imply this process ”,- emphasized Mr. Rogozin.

Cooperation with NASA

Due to the events in Ukraine, cooperation between the Russian Federation and NASA was called into question: the Americans announced sanctions, which, however, should not have affected joint work on the ISS (Russia has accumulated unique experience in this area). But already now Roskosmos has reported that the position of the State Department on cooperation between Russia and NASA has softened considerably. Deputy Head of the Federal Space Agency Sergei Savelyev noted: “No damage has been done to international projects. You can work in almost all areas of interaction between our agencies ".