Russian Space Program: News & Discussion #1

TR1 wrote:As always, human stupidity is a far bigger threat than mechanical failure.

Austin wrote:Why dont they probe for sabotage as well , It can be a simple human stupidity or a deliberate one.

Most of stupidity I have seen happens only when the military launches its satellite.

A version that someone has mixed up the “plus” with “minus” is annoying and makes experts shrug their shoulders,” the vice-premier told journalists.

He explained that the technology of making such systems is “meant for fools”. “First, one has to be color-blind to make a mistake in connecting the wires because the wires which need to be connected have one color,” Rogozin said.

“Second, one of the wires is short in order to have access to a connection. The second wire is long in order to have access to another tab,” Rogozin said. He added that the technology had been tested for decades.

The Russian vice-premier concluded that since investigators were not considering a subversive act as a possible version, then the outpour of that kind of information was nothing more than “red herring”.

George1 wrote:Russian Space Center Delays ‘Sabotage’ – Official

MOSCOW, August 21 (RIA Novosti) – Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin slammed the slow progress of construction at Russia’s Vostochny cosmodrome during a visit to the facility Wednesday, saying the delays amounted to “sabotage.”

Rogozin, who oversees the defense and aerospace sectors, said two key instructions regarding construction of the cosmodrome had been issued, but even though one had a July 30 deadline, neither have so far been fulfilled.

Both instructions he mentioned related to setting project construction costs and performance indicators for the site, which covers over 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles).

“I will view any deviation from the plan as sabotage,” Rogozin said at a meeting with representatives of agencies involved in building the cosmodrome. “I have no intention of being one of those public servants who accept failure to deliver on instructions.”

Rogozin reminded those involved of the project’s importance, and demanded they explain the hold-ups.

“I would like to hear the reasons why these problems arose and proposals to ensure the necessary number of specialists are involved in all stages of the construction work,” Rogozin said.

Rogozin acknowledged the recent severe flooding in the local Amur Region recently had caused problems. “The region is currently actively battling the floods. Workers in the region will be worth their weight in gold,” he said.

In July, five builders, aged between 25 and 50 working at the cosmodrome site were fired for illegal marijuana use, Russia’s Federal Drug Control Service said at the time.

The space center is scheduled for completion by 2020, and is to due to make initial rocket launches as soon as 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting on the space sector in April 2013.

“The site will become a major link in Russia’s aviation and space sector and a powerful innovative center for developing the whole country and the Far East,” he said.

Vostochny is intended to replace Baikonur in Kazakhstan as Russia’s main launch facility, although in April Putin stressed Russia’s continued commitment to Baikonur. According to space agency Roscosmos, Vostochny will host 45 percent of Russia’s space launches and all its manned flights from 2020, while Baikonur’s share will fall from 65 percent to 11 percent, with the remainder going to Plesetsk in Russia’s far north.

Russia and Kazakhstan have been in dispute in recent years over the amount Russian pays for use of the site, prompting Astana to limit the number of rockets Russia launches from it.

With 20 million horsepower output, the Soviet-era RD-170 was about 5 percent more powerful, yet 1.5 times smaller, than American’s F-1 first stage rocket engine made for the Saturn V booster of the Apollo lunar program.

Reportedly, when the Energia booster with the Buran space shuttle was launched in November 1988, the massive concrete bays paving the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan were flying around like dry leaves, due to the immense power coming from the four RD-170 engines, which blasted the 2,400-ton rocket booster into space.  

milky_candy_sugar wrote:Would it be sensible for Russia to purchase some of their spacerafts from a private company like SpaceX? You know, to perform maybe smaller tasks.