Russian Launch Vehicles and their Spacecraft: Thoughts & News

Seems like a much more robust structure than Musk's barn cistern called Starship.

https://www.militarynews.ru/story.asp?rid=1&nid=557610&lang=RU

The Scientific and Technical Council of "Roscosmos" recommended to present the concept of a new orbital station to the government of the Russian Federation

21.09.2021 20:59:26

Moscow. September 21st. INTERFAX - The Scientific and Technical Council of Roscosmos and the Space Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences approved the concept of the new station and recommended that it be submitted to the Russian government, the state corporation reported.
"Following the meeting, the Presidium and Bureau recommended the Roscosmos State Corporation to submit to the Russian government proposals on the need to develop ROSS, continue operating the Russian segment of the International Space Station during the creation of the Russian Orbital Service Station and on the procedure for negotiating with partners in the ISS project on issues related to ensuring the final stage of the functioning of the Russian segment of the ISS, "the message says.
On June 5, 2021, the head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, and the new head of NASA, Bill Nelson, held telephone conversations. According to Roscosmos, Nelson accepted the invitation of the head of the Russian state corporation to visit Russia and proposed to extend the operation of the ISS until 2030. Rogozin then noted that discussion of the future fate of the ISS is possible only after the lifting of American sanctions against Roscosmos enterprises.
On July 31, the scientific and technical council of Roscosmos approved the creation of a new Russian orbital station.
The completion of the ISS is scheduled for 2028, by which time Roskosmos is to launch a new Russian space station.
As the head of Roscosmos reported earlier, the scientific and technical council of the state corporation must decide how the appearance of the new Russian orbital station will be formed. "Either by building up the Russian segment and the subsequent possible separation or a high-latitude station," Rogozin noted.
Russia, as reported, has decided to build its own orbital station, the exit from the ISS project is being considered, and this is due to the deterioration of the technical condition of the Russian segment of the station.
Rogozin reported that about 80% of the equipment of the Russian segment of the ISS has reached its end of life and the cost of its maintenance after 2025 will be comparable to the cost of creating a new station.
It was reported that Russia could withdraw from the ISS project from 2025, transferring responsibility for its segment to its partners in the station. At the same time, it was noted that Russia can continue to support its segment with the financial participation of the United States.
An alternative would be the creation of a national orbital station, the first module of which is planned to be launched in 2025 and completed in 2035.

Putin urged to master a new generation of launch vehicles, 29/09/2021.

Russia has a leading position in the space launch market, but competition is growing. It is necessary to maintain the reliability of domestic technology and master the next generation of launch vehicles. This was stated by the President at a meeting on the development of the space industry, which he held in the format of a video conference.

Last year, all 17 launch vehicles were successfully launched, over the past months of this year - all 15, and the program has not yet been completed, but continues. But international competition in this segment is growing. “To succeed in this competitive struggle, it is necessary to maintain a high level of reliability of domestic equipment, both in the field of manned space exploration and for the delivery of cargo into orbit,” Putin said. “And of course, we need to master the next generation of launch vehicles that meet all the requirements. on the part of customers both domestically and internationally."

The President asked to report on the work in these areas and on what Roscosmos is doing to increase the competitiveness of missiles. At the same time - separately comment on the work on the Angara complex, the launch pad for which is being built at the Vostochny cosmodrome. The first stage of the cosmodrome went into serial launches. Four of them have been produced since the beginning of the year. "For the development of orbital astronautics, an increase in launches of carrier rockets, it is necessary to strengthen the ground infrastructure," Putin said, asking to report on Vostochny's plans, taking into account the creation of a new manned system with a transport ship.

“Over the past years, we have made significant progress in the development of unique technologies for nuclear space energy,” the president also stated. According to experts, Russia is 6-7 years ahead of the whole world in this area, he said and urged to use this advantage, support breakthrough research in the field of cosmonautics, and accelerate the implementation of promising technological solutions.

https://rg.ru/2021/09/29/putin-prizval-osvaivat-novoe-pokolenie-raket-nositelej.html

RCC "Progress" has completed a series of static tests of the fuel tanks of the first stage of a promising launch vehicle #Soyuz5 :https://roscosmos.ru/33112/

Rocket During testing of prototypes of the oxidizer tank, the declared strength and rigidity of structural elements was confirmed.

The prototype of the Krylo-SV reusable stage will be created at the end of 2022

DUBAI, October 25. / TASS /. The prototype of the Krylo-SV reusable cruise light-class rocket will be created in late 2022, Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin said at a press conference at the 72nd International Astronautical Congress in Dubai on Monday.

"This project is called Krylo-SV. We plan to create a prototype of this device at the end of next year," Rogozin said.

He noted that the technology used by SpaceX is not suitable for Russia. "According to ballistic calculations, if we start from the Vostochny cosmodrome, the landing site of the rocket units is the border of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and our Far Eastern coast, the Khabarovsk Territory. This area is completely uninhabited, and the place to pick up our rocket module seems extremely difficult," he explained ...

The preliminary design of the Krylo-SV reversible stage was prepared and defended at the Advanced Research Fund (FPI) on May 29, 2019. The development was carried out by the design bureau them. V.M. Myasishcheva. In the magazine of the United Aircraft Corporation "Horizon" it was specified that after the rocket reached a given altitude, the project involves opening the wing and turning on the jet engine. This will bring the first stage back.

source

NPO Energomash sent the world's most powerful liquid-propellant rocket engine # RD171MV to the Progress RCC for assembly as part of the first stage of the # Soyuz5 launch vehicle . The engine passed firing tests, which confirmed the quality of the design and technological solutions of the engineers.

Link to NPO Energomash website news

NPO Energomash (part of the Roscosmos State Corporation), in accordance with contractual obligations, sent the RD-171MV rocket engine to the Progress RCC, where it arrived on October 25, for assembly as part of the first stage of the Soyuz-5 launch vehicle.

“This engine has already passed firing tests in the scientific testing complex NPO Energomash, which confirmed the quality of design and technological solutions of our engineers. And now a number of tests will take place as part of the first stage of the launch vehicle. By releasing this technologically sophisticated engine, the enterprise has once again confirmed the high professional level of specialists in production and testing departments , ”commented Igor Arbuzov , General Director of NPO Energomash JSC.

RD-171MV is the world's most powerful liquid-propellant rocket engine developed, manufactured and tested at NPO Energomash. The engine uses kerosene and oxygen as fuel components.

The promising two-stage medium-class Soyuz-5 launch vehicle is being developed to ensure launches of unmanned spacecraft into sun-synchronous, highly elliptical, geostationary and geostationary orbits, including using a booster block, as well as launches of manned transport vehicles.

source

Hmmm...  came across an old tweet from Rogozin (from a year ago) with some interesting pics of the under-development Oryol next-generation crewed vehicle.

Not convinced however that the 1st pic is related to Oryol, its just not the right general arrangement for the expected service module... wrong photo?

Russia to end Proton-M launch vehicles production in 2022

https://tass.com/defense/1387937

Two Soyuz-2.1a rockets and one Soyuz-2.1v rocket, built by the space rocket center Progress under state contracts, have been accepted by the Defense Ministry’s commission, Progress CEO Dmitry Baranov has reported to Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu.

https://tass.com/defense/1391001

What moronic snark by this Ukr. Her beloved Banderastan has lost the ability to launch any rocket and needs to live vicariously
through corrupt ventures with Americans that are suppressed by the US government.

There was never any problem with SeaLaunch as a concept and in realization. Jealous, sniveling haters and their opinions do not matter.

What do you mean? As far as I can see, she's pro Russian Space Program as f. In fact she's like my go to source about Roscosmos. What she wrote here was exactly what Rogozin said.

Production of the Soyuz-5 flight model will begin in the coming weeks

source

SAMARA, 25 January. /TASS/. The Progress Rocket and Space Center (RKC) will begin manufacturing the first Soyuz-5 flight model in the coming weeks, Dmitry Baranov, general director of the enterprise, told reporters on Tuesday.

“I think that in the next few weeks, not even months, we will start manufacturing the first flight model,” he said.

Baranov also noted that in the first quarter it is planned to send two tanks - one oxidizing and one fuel - for testing at TsNIIMash in Korolyov. They are currently in various stages of assembly. The fourth tank will also be sent to Korolev for testing in the second quarter of this year.

"In the summer, we must receive all the test results and begin a bulkhead, at the end of the year send the firing machine for testing at the Research Center of the Russian Communist Party," the general director of the enterprise added.

In 2019, the Industrial Development Fund (VEB.RF Group) provided RCC Progress with a concessional loan under the special Conversion program in the amount of 750 million rubles for the creation of the production of Soyuz-5 launch vehicles. The total budget of this project is 1.6 billion rubles. The first launch is scheduled for 2023.

kvs wrote:What moronic snark by this Ukr.   Her beloved Banderastan has lost the ability to launch any rocket and needs to live vicariously
through corrupt ventures with Americans that are suppressed by the US government.  

There was never any problem with SeaLaunch as a concept and in realization.   Jealous, sniveling haters and their opinions do not matter.

Its possible Roskosmos might be sounding out foreign participation to share costs and to develop working relationships with other nations.  Roskosmos has plenty of irons in the fire so to speak, and saving cash on returning SL to service would be a worthy goal.  This might be attractive to equatorial Asian nations like Malaysia or Indonesia, maybe Vietnam.  Arab regimes like the UAE, Egypt or Algeria could be another possibility.  Basing the SL infrastructure at a port facility at one of these locations could be advantageous from a vessel transit POV.

Russia doesn't really need SL but they have the asset and it would be a shame not to use it, especially if it can be used to strengthen relations with others.

(A nice side benefit would be the political statement - returning the asset to service when the Murkans and Ukropistanis did their best to scuttle the project once they lost interest, and the sight of seeing a modernised Zenit-replacement flying from it would cause much gnashing of teeth in Kiev )

Vostochny Cosmodrome prepared for Soyuz launches on new fuel. March 17, 2022.

The Vostochny Cosmodrome (Amur Region) is fully prepared for launches of Soyuz launch vehicles on a new fuel - naphthyl, the press service of the Center for the Operation of Ground-Based Space Infrastructure (TsENKI, part of Roscosmos) reported.

“The transfer of the complex from kerosene to naphthyl began in October 2021, and was carried out by specialists from the branches of TsENKI JSC - the Vostochny Space Center and the Research Institute of Launch Complexes named after V.P. Barmin (part of the state corporation Roscosmos)”, - leads text of the message of the press service of TsENKI TASS .

According to the Center for the Operation of Ground-Based Space Infrastructure, in order to switch to the new fuel, the specialists drained and sent all the kerosene to the supplying enterprises, purged fuel storage tanks with nitrogen and air, connected the necessary technological equipment to the filling system, and also conducted autonomous tests on systems Naphthyl refueling of the third stage of the launch vehicle, the “package” fueling system (the assembled first and second stages of the launch vehicle), the fuel cooling system and the automatic control system for technological equipment.

“After carrying out autonomous tests, it can actually be considered that the launch complex has been converted to naphthyl. However, to complete the full cycle, it is necessary to pass comprehensive tests,” the TsENKI said, explaining that this type of test is carried out directly during the preparation of the launch vehicle for launch, when it is installed in the launch system and has gone through a full cycle of preparation before refueling.

During the preparation of the launch vehicle for launch, it will be necessary to refuel it, and then drain the fuel. “According to the results of this operation, a final decision is issued on the complete transition of the launch complex to a new type of fuel,” the press service added.

Recall that on October 14, 2021, Roscosmos launched the last Soyuz kerosene rocket from Vostochny. In March 2019, Rostec reported that the first engines of the RD-107A / RD-108A series were successfully tested on a new type of fuel - naphthyl. As Oleg Yevtushenko, Executive Director of Rostec, noted, the transition to naphthyl will reduce harmful emissions and significantly increase the payload put into orbit.

https://vz.ru/news/2022/3/17/1148960.html

Soyuz-5 update (with Soyuz-6 in background):



Soyuz-6 update (with Soyuz-5 in background):

Roscosmos is "chipping away" it seems ....

definitely momentum growing here .... lots of satellites coming in the future you would think

https://kosmosnews.fr/2022/04/18/rks-produit-des-composants-pour-les-systemes-de-navigation-inertielle/

I think de-globalisation
centralisation of key tech industries will accelerate
and shortening of supply lines will set in quite quickly

key technologies will be jealously guarded in geographically secure empires ....

what Russia is doing is what everyone will be doing in the near future
so the "restructure cost" for Russia .... will just happen later elsewhere .... it is nonsense as a "Russia only" cost

I think Japan and South Korea are history ... their populations are just too small
they will need to move their key industries to the US or Canada to survive

actually ..... that's interesting
if EU de-industrialises ..... re energy costs (and being too close to Russia .... and unstable Africa and ME)
it will most likely relocate to Canada ? or the US

interesting.... countries too close to Russia or China ....
high tech industries will be moved ?

de-industrialisation of the EU and NE Asia ..... is very much on the cards
China of course dominates NE Asia .....

re-industrialisation of Russia and North America .... tick

there is something in all this ..... geographic tech hubs are coming .... no doubt about it

gone off topic a bit ... yes

GarryB wrote:The US creating the current conflict and not stepping back from going full retart clears up what sort of future for cooperation Russia will have with the US led west... none at all.

Makes planning easier.

Agreed, and it brings into sharp focus how absurd it was for Roskosmos' critics to keep sledging it over lack of a "commercial" focus. Russia could have invested massively in commercial launch systems, only to have the Murkans and their Eurofaggot slaves sanction the industry whenever they felt like it on trumped up charges (or as it turns out, on a war they engineered and pushed as part of their civilizational attack on Russia).

Screw the international launcher industry. It's not a level playing field, and never will be while Western hegemons keep playing Master of the Universe with the rest of the planets people.

US has that ticking bomb of banning any satellite being launched on Russian rockets that has any component in it that uses US technology.
Comes into effect January 2023 I think.
Such a convenient date ... for Russia to finish placing the entire Oneweb satellite group into orbit first ....

.... Roscosmos set off its own bomb instead .....

"The first phase of OneWeb’s Global Connectivity Platform - a 648-strong constellation of LEO satellites providing coverage across North America, Europe and the Arctic - will be available in November 2021"

something tells me reindeer aren't too interested in having internet coverage .....
Oneweb is technically bankrupt .... again ....

Other thing is Russia has a total of 167 satellites in orbit and they plan to get to 4-500 by 2030
so they will need the rockets for themselves anyway

Reshetnev will be joined by that new Gazprom Space satellite factory near Moscow soon

other thing re Oneweb satellites they all use Fakel ion drives made in Kalinigrad ..... oops

Rogozin is becoming a bit of a star lately ......
he is such a hardcore socialist .... he loathes capitalists ....
he said recently "the Americans will come back to Russia .... the money to be made is too attractive for them"