Today, space flights are not considered science fiction stories, but, unfortunately, a modern spaceship is still very different from those shown in films.
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Russian spaceships and
Spaceships of the future
Spaceship: what is it like?
On
Spaceship, how does it work?
The mass of modern spacecraft is directly related to how high they fly. The main task of manned spacecraft is safety.
The Soyuz descent module became the first space series Soviet Union. During this period, there was an arms race between the USSR and the USA. If we compare the size and approach to the issue of construction, the leadership of the USSR did everything for the speedy conquest of space. It is clear why similar devices are not being built today. It is unlikely that anyone will undertake to build according to a scheme in which there is no personal space for the astronauts. Modern spaceships are equipped with crew rest rooms and a descent capsule, the main task of which is to make it as soft as possible at the moment of landing.
The first spaceship: history of creation
Tsiolkovsky is rightly considered the father of astronautics. Based on his teachings, Goddrad built a rocket engine.
Scientists who worked in the Soviet Union became the first to design and be able to launch an artificial satellite. They were also the first to invent the possibility of launching a living creature into space. The States realize that the Union was the first to create an aircraft capable of going into space with a man. Korolev is rightly called the father of rocket science, who went down in history as the one who figured out how to overcome gravity and was able to create the first manned spacecraft. Today, even kids know in what year the first ship with a person on board was launched, but few people remember Korolev’s contribution to this process.
The crew and their safety during the flight
The main task today is the safety of the crew, because they spend a lot of time at flight altitude. When building a flying device, it is important what metal it is made of. The following types of metals are used in rocket science:
- Aluminum allows you to significantly increase the size of the spacecraft, since it is lightweight.
- Iron copes remarkably well with all loads on the ship’s hull.
- Copper has high thermal conductivity.
- Silver reliably binds copper and steel.
- Tanks for liquid oxygen and hydrogen are made from titanium alloys.
A modern life support system allows you to create an atmosphere familiar to a person. Many boys see themselves flying in space, forgetting about the very large overload of the astronaut at launch.
The largest spaceship in the world
Among warships, fighters and interceptors are very popular. A modern cargo ship has the following classification:
- The probe is a research ship.
- Capsule - cargo compartment for delivery or rescue operations of the crew.
- The module is launched into orbit by an unmanned carrier. Modern modules are divided into 3 categories.
- Rocket. The prototype for the creation was military developments.
- Shuttle - reusable structures for delivering the necessary cargo.
- Stations are the largest spaceships. Today, not only Russians are in outer space, but also French, Chinese and others.
Buran - a spaceship that went down in history
The first spacecraft to go into space was Vostok. Afterwards, the USSR Rocket Science Federation began producing Soyuz spacecraft. Much later, Clippers and Russ began to be produced. The federation has great hopes for all these manned projects.
In 1960, the Vostok spacecraft proved the possibility of manned space travel. On April 12, 1961, Vostok 1 orbited the Earth. But the question of who flew on the Vostok 1 ship for some reason causes difficulty. Maybe the fact is that we simply don’t know that Gagarin made his first flight on this ship? In the same year, the Vostok 2 spacecraft went into orbit for the first time, carrying two cosmonauts at once, one of whom went beyond the ship in space. It was progress. And already in 1965, Voskhod 2 was able to go into outer space. The story of the ship Voskhod 2 was filmed.
Vostok 3 set a new world record for the time a ship spent in space. The last ship series became Vostok 6.
The American Apollo series shuttle opened new horizons. After all, in 1968, Apollo 11 was the first to land on the Moon. Today there are several projects to develop spaceplanes of the future, such as Hermes and Columbus.
Salyut is a series of interorbital space stations of the Soviet Union. Salyut 7 is famous for being a wreck.
The next spacecraft whose history is of interest is Buran, by the way, I wonder where it is now. In 1988 he made his first and last flight. After repeated dismantling and transportation, Buran's route of movement was lost. The known last location of the spacecraft Buranv Sochi, work on it is mothballed. However, the storm around this project has not yet subsided, and the further fate of the abandoned Buran project is of interest to many. And in Moscow, an interactive museum complex has been created inside a model of the Buran spaceship at VDNKh.
Gemini is a series of ships designed by American designers. They replaced the Mercury project and were able to make a spiral in orbit.
American ships called Space Shuttle became a kind of shuttles, making more than 100 flights between objects. The second Space Shuttle was Challenger.
One cannot help but be interested in the history of the planet Nibiru, which is recognized as a supervisory ship. Nibiru has already approached the Earth at a dangerous distance twice, but both times a collision was avoided.
Dragon is a spacecraft that was supposed to fly to the planet Mars in 2018. In 2014, the federation, citing specifications and the condition of the Dragon ship, delayed the launch. Not long ago, another event occurred: the Boeing company made a statement that it had also begun development of a Mars rover.
The first universal reusable spacecraft in history was to be an apparatus called Zarya. Zarya is the first development of a reusable transport ship, on which the federation had very high hopes.
The possibility of using nuclear installations in space is considered a breakthrough. For these purposes, work has begun on a transport and energy module. In parallel, development is underway on the Prometheus project, a compact nuclear reactor for rockets and spacecraft.
China's Shenzhou 11 launched in 2016 with two astronauts expected to spend 33 days in space.
Spacecraft speed (km/h)
The minimum speed with which one can enter orbit around the Earth is considered to be 8 km/s. Today there is no need to develop the fastest ship in the world, since we are at the very beginning of outer space. After all, the maximum height that we could reach in space is only 500 km. The record for the fastest movement in space was set in 1969, and so far it has not been broken. On the Apollo 10 spacecraft, three astronauts, having orbited the Moon, were returning home. The capsule that was supposed to deliver them from the flight managed to reach a speed of 39.897 km/h. For comparison, let's look at how fast the space station is traveling. It can reach a maximum speed of 27,600 km/h.
Abandoned spaceships
Today, a cemetery in the Pacific Ocean has been created for spaceships that have fallen into disrepair, where dozens of abandoned spaceships can find their final refuge. Spaceship disasters
Disasters happen in space, often taking lives. The most common, oddly enough, are accidents that occur due to collisions with space debris. When a collision occurs, the object's orbit shifts and causes crash and damage, often resulting in an explosion. The most famous disaster is the death of the American manned spacecraft Challenger.
Nuclear propulsion for spacecraft 2017
Today, scientists are working on projects to create a nuclear electric motor. These developments involve the conquest of space using photonic engines. Russian scientists plan to begin testing a thermonuclear engine in the near future.
Spaceships of Russia and the USA
Rapid interest in space arose during the Cold War between the USSR and the USA. American scientists recognized their Russian colleagues as worthy rivals. Soviet rocketry continued to develop, and after the collapse of the state, Russia became its successor. Of course, the spacecraft that Russian cosmonauts fly on are significantly different from the first ships. Moreover, today, thanks to the successful developments of American scientists, spaceships have become reusable.
Spaceships of the future
Today, projects that will allow humanity to travel longer are of increasing interest. Modern developments are already preparing ships for interstellar expeditions.
Place from where spaceships are launched
Seeing a spacecraft launch at the launch pad with your own eyes is the dream of many. This may be due to the fact that the first launch does not always lead to the desired result. But thanks to the Internet, we can see the ship take off. Given the fact that those watching the launch of a manned spacecraft should be quite far away, we can imagine that we are on the take-off pad.
Spaceship: what is it like inside?
Today, thanks museum exhibits, we can see with our own eyes the structure of ships such as the Soyuz. Of course, the first ships were very simple from the inside. The interior of more modern options is designed in soothing colors. The structure of any spaceship necessarily frightens us with many levers and buttons. And this adds pride to those who were able to remember how the ship works, and, moreover, learned to control it.
What spaceships are they flying on now?
New spaceships appearance confirm that fiction has become reality. Today, no one will be surprised by the fact that spacecraft docking is a reality. And few people remember that the first such docking in the world took place back in 1967...
Manned spaceflight- Manned space flight is a human journey into space, into Earth’s orbit and beyond, carried out using manned spacecraft. Delivery of a person into space is carried out using spaceships. Long-term... ... Wikipedia
Spaceship- Spacecraft (SV) is a technical device used to perform various tasks in outer space, as well as conduct research and other types of work on the surface of various celestial bodies. Delivery means... ... Wikipedia
Spacecraft "Voskhod-1"- Voskhod 1 three-seater spaceship. It was launched into orbit on October 12, 1964. The crew consisted of the ship's commander Vladimir Komarov, researcher Konstantin Feoktistov and doctor Boris Egorov. Voskhod 1 was created at OKB 1 (now... ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers
Manned space flight- The request “Orbital space flight” is redirected here. A separate article is needed on this topic. Manned space flight is a human journey into space, into Earth's orbit and beyond, carried out with the help of ... Wikipedia
Manned spacecraft- Russian PKA Manned spacecraft space app... Wikipedia
Reusable spacecraft- First flight of NASA's space shuttle Columbia (Designation STS 1). The external fuel tank was painted white only in the first few flights. Now the tank is not painted to reduce the weight of the system. Reusable transport spacecraft... ... Wikipedia
Spaceship- a spacecraft designed for human flight (manned spacecraft). Distinctive feature K.k. the presence of a sealed cabin with a life support system for astronauts. K.K. for flight on... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
Spacecraft (SC)- manned spacecraft. A distinction is made between spacecraft satellites and interplanetary spacecraft. It has a sealed cabin with a life support system, on-board motion and descent control systems, a propulsion system, power supply systems, etc. Removal of spacecraft... ... Glossary of military terms
spaceship- 104 spaceship; KKr: A manned spacecraft capable of maneuvering in the atmosphere and outer space with a return to a given area and (or) descent and landing on a planet.
TASS-DOSSIER /Inna Klimacheva/. April 12, 2016 marks the 55th anniversary of the first human flight into space. This historic flight was made by USSR citizen Yuri Gagarin. Having launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on the Vostok satellite, the cosmonaut spent 108 minutes in space and returned safely to Earth.
"East"- the world's first manned spacecraft. Created in the USSR for flights in low-Earth orbit.
Project history
On May 22, 1959, a resolution was issued by the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR, which provided for the development and launch of a satellite to carry out human flight into space. OKB-1 (now RSC Energia named after S.P. Korolev) headed by chief designer Sergei Korolev was appointed the lead organization for the project.
One of the main developers of the ship was the head of the design department sector, Konstantin Feoktistov (later a cosmonaut), the ship's control system was developed under the leadership of Deputy Chief Designer Boris Chertok, the orientation system was created by designers Boris Raushenbakh and Viktor Legostaev.
Two versions of the ship were created, designated: 1 TO(experimental unmanned version) and 3KA(intended for manned flights). In addition, based on the experimental version, an automatic reconnaissance satellite was developed - 2K.
In total, more than 100 organizations were involved in the program for preparing human space flight, called “Vostok”.
Characteristics
Vostok was a satellite ship, that is, unlike modern spacecraft, it could not perform orbital maneuvers.
The length of the ship is 4.3 m, the maximum diameter is 2.43 m, the launch weight is 4 tons 725 kg. Designed for one crew member and flight duration up to 10 days.
It consisted of two compartments - a spherical descent vehicle (volume - 5.2 cubic meters) to accommodate the astronaut and a conical instrument compartment (3 cubic meters) with the apparatus and equipment of the main systems of the ship, as well as the braking propulsion system.
It was equipped with automatic and manual control systems, automatic orientation to the Sun and manual orientation to the Earth, life support, and temperature control. Equipped with radio telemetry equipment to monitor the condition of a person and ship systems. Two television cameras were installed in the ship's cabin to monitor the astronaut. Two-way radiotelephone communication with the Earth was carried out using equipment operating in the ultrashort-wave and short-wave ranges. Some major systems have been duplicated for reliability.
The sealed descent vehicle (DA) had three windows: one technological and two with lids that could be separated using pyrotechnic devices for ejecting the seat with the astronaut and ejecting the SA parachute.
For safety reasons, the astronaut was in a spacesuit during the entire flight. In case of depressurization of the cabin, the suit had a supply of oxygen for four hours; it provided protection for the astronaut during ejection of the seat at an altitude of up to 10 km. The SK-1 spacesuit and chair were created by pilot plant number 918 (now the Zvezda Research and Production Enterprise named after Academician G.I. Severin, Tomilino village, Moscow region).
When inserted into orbit, the ship was covered with a disposable nose fairing, which had a hatch for emergency ejection of the astronaut. After the flight, the descent vehicle returned to Earth along a ballistic trajectory. At a height of seven kilometers, an ejection was carried out, then the astronaut in the spacesuit separated from the chair and descended independently by parachute. In addition, it was possible to land the spacecraft with an astronaut on board (without ejection).
Launches
The Vostok spacecraft were launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome using a launch vehicle of the same name.
At the first stage, unmanned launches were carried out, including with animals on board. The experimental ships were given the name "Sputnik". The first launch took place on May 15. On August 19, the dogs Belka and Strelka made a successful flight on the satellite ship.
The first ship intended for manned flights (3KA) launched on March 9, 1961, in its descent module there was a dog Chernushka in a container, and a human dummy in the ejection seat. The flight program was completed: the aircraft with the dog landed successfully, and the dummy was ejected as usual. Following this, on March 25, a second similar launch was carried out with the dog Zvezdochka on board. The animals completely covered the path that lay ahead of the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin: takeoff, one orbit around the Earth and landing.
On March 30, 1961, in a note to the CPSU Central Committee, signed by the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers (CM) of the USSR Dmitry Ustinov and the heads of departments responsible for rocket and space technology, it was proposed in TASS messages to call the manned spacecraft "Vostok" (according to documents: "Vostok- 3KA").
On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin on the Vostok satellite made a flight lasting 108 minutes (1 hour 48 minutes) and returned safely to Earth.
After him, the following people flew on the Vostok spacecraft: German Titov (1961), Andriyan Nikolaev and Pavel Popovich (1962; the first group flight of two spacecraft - Vostok-3 and Vostok-4), Valery Bykovsky (1963; the longest flight on ships of this type - almost 5 days) and the first female cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (1963).
A total of 13 Vostok spacecraft were launched: 6 manned and 7 unmanned (including 5 experimental launches - two successful, one emergency, two abnormal).
Vostok launch vehicle
The launch vehicle was used to launch the first automatic lunar stations, manned satellites (Vostok), and various artificial satellites.
The project was launched by a resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR dated March 20, 1958, which provided for the creation of a space rocket based on a two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM) R-7 (“seven”, index 8K71) with the addition of a 3rd stage block.
Work on the rocket was carried out by the developer of the "seven", OKB-1 (now RSC Energia named after S.P. Korolev) under the leadership of chief designer Sergei Korolev.
The preliminary design of the third stage of the R-7 ICBM, designated "Block E", was released in the same 1958. The launch vehicle was given the designation 8K72K. The launch vehicle had three stages. Its length was 38.2 m, diameter - 10.3 m, launch weight - about 287 tons.
Engines of all stages used kerosene and liquid oxygen as fuel. The control system for block E was developed by NII-885 (now the Research and Production Center for Automation and Instrumentation named after Academician N.A. Pilyugin, Moscow) under the leadership of Nikolai Pilyugin.
It could launch a payload weighing up to 4.5 tons into space.
The launch vehicle was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The first test launches were carried out as part of the lunar program.
The rocket first launched on September 23, 1958 with the E1 lunar station, but the launch ended in an accident at the 87th second of flight (the reason was the occurrence of increasing longitudinal vibrations). The next two starts were also emergency ones. The fourth launch on January 2, 1959 with the Luna-1 automatic interplanetary station (AMS) was crowned with success. In the same year, the rocket successfully launched the Luna-2 and Luna-3 spacecraft into space.
On May 15, 1960, a prototype of the manned spacecraft "Vostok" - experimental product 1K (open name - "Sputnik") was launched using a rocket. The next launches in 1960 were carried out with 1K ships, on board which there were dogs in special containers. On August 19, a satellite ship with dogs Belka and Strelka was launched.
On March 9 and 25, 1961, two successful launches took place with spacecraft designed for manned flight (3KA), also with dogs on board. The animals Chernushka and Zvezdochka completely covered the path that lay ahead of the first cosmonaut: takeoff, one orbit around the Earth and landing.
On April 12, 1961, a launch vehicle launched the Vostok satellite spacecraft with Yuri Gagarin into space.
The first public demonstration of a rocket prototype took place in 1967 at the Le Bourget Air Show in France. At the same time, for the first time, the rocket was called “Vostok”; before that, in the Soviet press it was simply called a “heavy-duty launch vehicle”, etc.
In total, 26 launches of the Vostok rocket were carried out - 17 successful, 8 emergency and one abnormal (during the launch on December 22, 1960, due to a malfunction of the rocket, the satellite ship with dogs flew along a suborbital trajectory, the animals survived). The last one took place on July 10, 1964 with two Electron scientific satellites.
On the basis of the Vostok rocket, other modifications were subsequently created: Vostok-2, Vostok-2A, Vostok-2M, which were produced at the Kuibyshev Progress plant (now the Progress Rocket and Space Center, Samara) .
Launches were carried out both from Baikonur and from the Plesetsk cosmodrome. With the help of rockets, satellites of the Cosmos, Zenit, Meteor, etc. series were launched into space. The operation of these space carriers ended in August 1991 with the launch of the Vostok-2M rocket with the Indian Earth remote sensing satellite IRS-1B (" Ai-ar-es-1-bi").
Results of the program
Manned flights on the Vostok spacecraft provided an opportunity to study the influence of orbital flight conditions on the condition and performance of a person; on the ships of this series, the basic structures and systems and principles of spacecraft construction were worked out.
They were replaced by the next generation of ships - Voskhod (two manned launches in 1964 and 1966). In 1967, manned spacecraft of the Soyuz type began to operate.
The initial stage of space exploration (flights on the Vostok and Voskhod spacecraft) included issues of designing spacecraft and their systems, testing ground-based flight control systems, methods for lowering ships from orbit, searching for and meeting cosmonauts on the ground.
The world's first human flight into space took place on April 12, 1961. At 6:07 a.m., the Vostok-K72K launch vehicle was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome from launch pad No. 1, which launched the Soviet spacecraft Vostok into low-Earth orbit.
The spacecraft was piloted by Yuri Gagarin (the call sign of the first cosmonaut on Earth is “Kedr”). The backup was German Titov, the reserve cosmonaut was Grigory Nelyubov. The flight lasted 1 hour 48 minutes. After completing one revolution around the Earth, the spacecraft's descent module landed on the territory of the USSR in the Saratov region.
First daily space flight was accomplished by cosmonaut German Stepanovich Titov from August 6 to August 7, 1961 on the Vostok-2 spacecraft.
First formation flight of two ships- Vostok-3 (cosmonaut Andriyan Nikolaevich Nikolaev) and Vostok-4 (cosmonaut Pavel Romanovich Popovich) took place on August 11-15, 1962.
World's first female space flight carried out by Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova from June 16 to June 19, 1963 on the Vostok-6 spacecraft.
On October 12, 1964, the first multi-seat spacecraft, Voskhod, was launched. The crew of the ship included cosmonauts Vladimir Mikhailovich Komarov, Konstantin Petrovich Feoktistov, Boris Borisovich Egorov.
The first human spacewalk in history carried out by Alexey Arkhipovich Leonov during the expedition on March 18-19, 1965 (spaceship Voskhod-2, crewed by Pavel Ivanovich Belyaev). Alexey Leonov moved away from the ship to a distance of 5 meters and spent 12 minutes 9 seconds in outer space outside the airlock.
The next stage of Russian manned cosmonautics is the creation of the multi-purpose Soyuz spacecraft, capable of performing complex maneuvers in orbit, approaching and docking with other spacecraft, and long-term orbital stations Salyut.
First flight on the new Soyuz-1 spacecraft was performed on April 23-24, 1967 by cosmonaut Vladimir Mikhailovich Komarov. At the end of the flight program, when the main parachute of the descent vehicle did not come out during descent to Earth, Vladimir Komarov died.
First joint flight of three ships: Soyuz-6, Soyuz-7 and Soyuz-8 took place from October 11 to October 18, 1969. The crews of the ships included cosmonauts Georgy Stepanovich Shonin, Valery Nikolaevich Kubasov, Anatoly Vasilyevich Filipchenko, Vladislav Nikolaevich Volkov, Viktor Vasilyevich Gorbatko, Vladimir Alexandrovich Shatalov, Alexey Stanislavovich Eliseev.
From 1 to 19 June 1969 first long-duration autonomous space flight carried out by Andriyan Nikolaevich Nikolaev and Vitaly Ivanovich Sevastyanov on the Soyuz-9 spacecraft.
First long-term work in space orbit on the Soyuz-11 spacecraft was carried out from June 6 to June 30, 1971 by cosmonauts Georgy Timofeevich Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Nikolaevich Volkov, Viktor Ivanovich Patsaev. When returning to Earth, the descent module depressurized and the ship's crew died.
January 11, 1975 began first expedition to the Salyut-4 space station(crew: Alexey Aleksandrovich Gubarev, Georgy Mikhailovich Grechko, Soyuz-17 spacecraft), which ended on February 9, 1975.
First international space flight- July 15-21, 1975. In orbit, the Soyuz-19 spacecraft, piloted by Alexei Leonov and Valery Kubasov, was docked with the American Apollo spacecraft, piloted by astronauts T. Staffor, D. Slayton, V. Brand. Mutual transitions of cosmonauts and astronauts, joint and autonomous scientific and technical research were carried out. According to Alexei Leonov, then, in the 1970s, the two superpowers managed to prove that cooperation in solving such a global problem as space exploration was possible.
The first expedition to the Salyut-5 station carried out on the Soyuz-21 spacecraft by Boris Valentinovich Volynov and Vitaly Mikhailovich Zholobov. The expedition lasted from July 6 to August 24, 1976.
The first expedition to the Salyut-6 station took place from December 10, 1977 to March 16, 1978 (96 days, crew - Yuri Viktorovich Romanenko, Georgy Mikhailovich Grechko, spacecraft Soyuz-26 (launch) and Soyuz-27 (landing).
From March 2 to March 10, 1978, the first international crew visited Salyut-6 - cosmonaut Alexey Aleksandrovich Gubarev and Vladimir Remek, a citizen of Czechoslovakia Socialist Republic. In total, nine international space expeditions visited Salyut-6.
The first expedition to the Salyut-7 orbital station took place from June 24 to July 2, 1982. Vladimir Aleksandrovich Dzhanibekov, Alexander Sergeevich Ivanchenkov, and French citizen Jean-Loup Chrestien worked at the station at that time. Total on Salyut-7 in different time 10 expeditions worked.
The Salyuts were replaced by the third generation of near-Earth laboratories - the Mir station, which was the base unit for the construction of a multi-purpose permanent manned complex with specialized orbital modules of scientific and national economic importance. Subsequently, the Kvant, Kvant-2, Kristall, and Spectrum modules were docked to the station and began operating. The construction of the permanently inhabited orbital complex was fully completed on April 26, 1996, when the fifth and final retrofitting module, Priroda, with sophisticated scientific equipment, which made it possible to carry out comprehensive studies of land, ocean and atmosphere, was docked to Mir.
Orbital complex "Mir" was in operation until June 2000 - 14.5 years instead of the five envisaged. During this time, 28 space expeditions were carried out on it, a total of 139 Russian and foreign space researchers visited the complex, 11.5 tons of scientific equipment of 240 items from 27 countries were deployed.
During space expeditions, new methods were developed for assembling large-sized structures in space using thermodynamic compounds from materials with a shape memory effect - future elements of the new International Space Station; nature study was carried out noctilucent clouds, aerosol layers in the atmosphere and mesosphere, research of interstellar gas, scientific information was obtained on the relationship of physical processes occurring in the Universe and near-Earth space, as well as many other experiments in space medicine, biotechnology, astro- and geophysics, materials science and others.
The Russian space complex has set world records for duration of orbital flight, duration of stay in space, and spacewalks.
Thus, doctor-researcher Valery Polyakov spent 437 days and 18 hours in space as part of three space expeditions in a row.
Cosmonaut Sergei Avdeev set an outstanding record for the total duration of stay in space - a total of 742 days in space over three flights.
In total, during Mir's operation in manned mode, cosmonauts and astronauts made over 75 spacewalks - a total of about 15 days spent outside.
The Mir space complex was replaced in orbit by the International Space Station (ISS), in the construction of which 16 countries participated. When creating the new space complex, Russian achievements in the field of manned space flight were widely used. The operation of the ISS is designed for 15 years.
The first long-term expedition to the ISS began on October 31, 2000. Currently, the 13th international expedition is operating on the International Space Station. The crew commander is Russian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov, the flight engineer is NASA astronaut Jeffrey Williams. The first Brazilian cosmonaut, Marcos Pontes, arrived to the ISS with the crew of Expedition 13. After completing the week-long program, he returned to Earth along with the crew of the 12th ISS Expedition: Russian Valery Tokarev and American William MacArthur, who had been working at the station since October 2005.
One of the space sensations of MAKS is a new manned spacecraft: a full-scale design and layout model of its return vehicle was presented for the first time at the air show. The President and General Designer of RSC Energia named after A.N. told an RG correspondent about what the new “starship” will be like. S.P. Queen, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vitaly Lopota.
Vitaly Alexandrovich, what is the new ship?
Vitaly Lopota: It is different from the current Soyuz. The launch weight of the ship when flying to the Moon is about 20 tons, when flying to a station in low Earth orbit - about 14 tons. The ship's regular crew is four people, including two cosmonaut pilots. The dimensions of the return vehicle are about 4 meters in length (height), excluding the deployed landing legs, and the maximum diameter is about 4.5 meters. The length of the entire ship is about 6 meters, the transverse size of the deployed solar panels is about 14 meters.
Is the model of the return vehicle close to the “real” one?
Vitaly Lopota: I will say this: it is close to the standard product. After all, what is the purpose of the layout? Check and work out technical solutions for the placement and installation of instruments and equipment, the interior of the pressurized cabin, ensuring flight safety, ergonomics, convenience and comfort for the accommodation and work of the crew. MAX visitors will be able to compare this model with the descent module of the modern Soyuz TMA spacecraft that returned from space (height about 2.2 meters, maximum diameter about 2.2 meters).
At what stage is work on the new ship project today?
Vitaly Lopota: Everything is going according to schedule. The examination of the ship's technical design has been completed. At a meeting of the Scientific and Technical Council of Roscosmos, the project was approved. Now the next step is the release of working documentation and the production of material parts, including mock-ups for experimental testing and a standard product for flight testing.
How is our ship different from, say, American “pilots”?
Vitaly Lopota: Of the American ships being created, the Dragon and Orion are the most ready. In the near future, the cargo Cygnus may join them. The Dragon spacecraft is intended only for servicing the ISS. Due to the fact that space technologies for solving this problem have been sufficiently developed, Dragon was created relatively quickly and has already made several flights in an unmanned cargo version.
The tasks for the Orion spacecraft are more ambitious than those of the Dragon spacecraft, and in many respects coincide with the tasks of the Russian spacecraft being created: the main purpose of the Orion spacecraft is flights beyond near-Earth orbits. Both of these American ships and the new Russian ship have similar layouts. These ships consist of a capsule-type reentry vehicle and an engine compartment.
Is the similarity coincidental?
Vitaly Lopota: Of course not. This is a consequence of the unity of views of American and Russian specialists to ensure maximum reliability and safety of flights at the existing level of technology.
Tell me, what changes have been made to the project in connection with the manned flight to the Moon?
Vitaly Lopota: The main change is related to the need to ensure thermal regime of the return vehicle upon re-entry into the atmosphere at the second escape velocity. If previously calculations were made for a speed of about 8 km/sec, now - at 11 km/sec. The new requirement for the flight mission led to a change in the thermal protection of the device. In addition, to ensure the ship's flight to the Moon, new navigation instruments, a propulsion system with two main engines with a thrust of 2 tons each and an increased fuel supply are installed on it. Onboard radio systems will ensure the ship's communications up to a range of approximately 500 thousand kilometers. It should be noted that when flying in low Earth orbits, the altitudes of which are no more than 500 kilometers, the radio communication range is two to three orders of magnitude less.
Is it true that an option for collecting space debris is being developed?
Vitaly Lopota: The ship is designed for flights to the Moon, transport and technical maintenance of near-Earth orbital stations, as well as for carrying out scientific research during an autonomous flight in low-Earth orbit. The program of such research will be developed by the country's leading scientific organizations. It may also include issues of space debris disposal. But in general this is a separate task that requires appropriate detailed study.
Will the new ship be able to fly to Mars and asteroids?
Vitaly Lopota: It is possible that the ship will be used for transport and technical maintenance of interplanetary expeditionary complexes, delivering crews to them and returning them to Earth when these complexes are in low-Earth orbits. Including tall ones.
Will the new ship be more comfortable for the crew than the Soyuz?
Vitaly Lopota: Undoubtedly. Just this example: the free volume of the return vehicle per cosmonaut will almost double compared to the Soyuz!
When will ground testing of ship models begin?
Vitaly Lopota: Already in next year, after concluding a government contract with RSC Energia for the production of working documentation.
What new materials and technologies will be used to create the new ship?
Vitaly Lopota: The ship's design contains many innovative materials: aluminum alloys with increased strength by 1.2-1.5 times, heat-shielding materials with a density that is 3 times less compared to those used on Soyuz TMA ships, carbon fiber reinforced plastics and three-layer structures, laser means for ensuring docking and mooring, etc. The return vehicle of the ship is created reusable as a result of the implementation of adopted technical solutions, including through vertical landing on landing supports.
Have specialists abandoned the development of winged spaceships completely? What are the advantages of a load-bearing hull?
Vitaly Lopota: The creation of the ship according to the “capsule” design is determined by the technical specifications of Roscosmos. At the same time, after the completion of the Shuttle program, the “winged” theme is again actively developing in the United States and several countries around the world (for example, in the United States, the unmanned X-37B spacecraft carried out several months-long flights in low-Earth orbit). In this regard, RSC Energia does not exclude the possibility of continuing work on “winged” topics in the future.
A serious study of the “load-bearing hull” scheme was carried out at RSC Energia on instructions from Roscosmos within the framework of the “Clipper” theme. Potential advantages of the "carrying body" include greater lateral maneuver during deorbit than a capsule, as well as slightly lower levels of g-forces. However, the “payment” for this is the design complexity associated with the need for aerodynamic control surfaces in addition to reactive system control, as well as the difficulty of ensuring braking in the Earth's atmosphere upon entry at escape velocity 2. At the same time, the “load-bearing body,” like the capsule, needs a parachute-jet landing system.
How many ships will be built and when might the first launch of such a ship take place?
Vitaly Lopota: We assume that it is sufficient to build five return vehicles, taking into account their reusability and the intended flight program. The ship's engine compartment is disposable, so it will be manufactured separately for each flight. If appropriate funding is available, the first unmanned development launch could take place in 2018.
What will the new ship be called?
Vitaly Lopota: The name is currently being selected. Everyone can propose their own option, of which the most successful one will subsequently be accepted.
There are calls to reconsider the budget for Russian manned space exploration. They say that too much is spent on it - up to 40-50 percent of the Roscosmos budget. Your opinion?
Vitaly Lopota: Spending on manned space flight is an “investment in the future”, accessible only to the most developed countries peace. In addition, let's take a closer look: if we compare the Russian and American budgets for manned programs, ours is an order of magnitude smaller. Moreover, Russia’s expenses in this regard are inferior not only to the total expenses of various US departments, but also to the expenses of Western European countries. However, manned astronautics is not only about launches and flights of manned spacecraft and stations. This is largely also the maintenance of ground-based space infrastructure in an operational, highly reliable state and its operation. This is the maintenance and development of rocket and production technologies. This is research, design and exploration work to ensure the effective implementation of existing and the formation of future space programs, including fundamental work that is applied in other areas of human activity.
For example, many of the results of the work of the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems, obtained in solving the problems of ensuring long-term human flights into space, are used to treat diseases and postoperative rehabilitation of patients. Therefore, if we analyze everything, then the “net” share of manned cosmonautics in Russia’s total space budget is no more than 15 percent.
It’s always easy to brake, and our competitors will only say “thank you.” Moreover, in Russia, manned astronautics already brings considerable foreign currency to the budget: it is the Russian Soyuz spacecraft that ensures the delivery of foreign astronauts to the ISS and their subsequent return to Earth.
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Vitaly Aleksandrovich Lopota heads the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation named after S.P. Korolev since July 2007, now being its president and general designer. He is also the technical director for flight testing of manned space systems and deputy chairman of the State Commission for such tests.
Born in 1950 in Grozny. He graduated from the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute (LPI, now a university) and graduate school there. There, as a junior researcher, his career as a researcher and scientist began: he headed the department, an industry research laboratory, and the Center for Laser Technology. In 1991, he became director and chief designer of the Central Research and Development Institute of Robotics and Technical Cybernetics (CNII RTK).
With his arrival at RSC Energia, the corporation's work aimed at creating automatic space systems and world-class launch vehicles received impetus. For Russian and foreign customers, promising developments of specialized satellites based on a universal space platform are underway. A new generation of rocket and space complexes are being developed, including the ultra-light class, based on the enterprise’s groundwork on the topic “Energia-Buran” and others. The project of a transport space module with a nuclear power plant is being implemented.
V.A. Lopota is a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Technical Sciences. He has over 200 scientific papers, about 60 patents for inventions. He is a member of the Presidential Council on Science, Technology and Education, as well as the Council of General and Chief Designers.
