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Further Reading

RUS-M [PTK NP]

New Launch Vehicle Family

Being Developed by Russia for new Medium to Heavy Lift Operational Capability

07-21-10

On October 22, 2005, the Russian Federation government approved FSP 2006-2015 expanded spaceflight development decision was based on the re appearance of the Soviet era like Five Year Plan (2006-2010) and the next five year plan called the five year Forecast Plan (2011-2015) cycle to Russian Federal Space Agency developments. Soon the Russian Federal Space Agency will replace the present FYP with the 2011-2015 five year plan followed by the 2016-2020 forecast plan.

With in that plan was the requirement for the development of the RUS-M booster family of medium to heavy lift boosters. The request for proposals for the new booster for the new PTK-NP (RUS) spacecraft replacement of the Soyuz spacecraft finally was released in February 2009 after several years wait. Obviously the teams competing for the contract were working on their designs from October 2007 until their finalization by March 16, 2009. The contract was won on March 19, 2009 the Samara based TsSKB Progress, S. P. Korolev, Rocket Space Corporation Energiya, of Korolev, Moscow region and the KB Makeyev of Miass organizations. The draft plan is to be completed during 2009-2010 with the preliminary design due in August 2010 for approval. S. P. Korolev Corporation Energiya has already been endowed with 800 million Rubles ($28.5 million) budget funding for the project.

The new launch vehicle design for crewed and un-crewed flight to earth orbit and lunar, planetary missions is being designed with a payload capacity of 24 metric tons t 50-60 metric tons and finally in excess of 100-150 metric tons to low earth orbit depending on its mission specific configuration. Initial test of the booster will be launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome rented through 2050 as early as 2015but its full size versions will not be ready until 2018 with launches out of the Vostochniy Cosmodrome funding provided. It performance requirement specified it must be capable of a 51.7 degree 200 kilometer circular orbit with a minimum of 23.8 metric tons and a geostationary transfer orbit up to 7.0 metric tons and a geostationary orbit capacity of 4.0 metric tons. The two stage un crewed future crewed booster first comes after 2015 with manned missions starting in 2020. After that development becomes operational it is to be up graded to 50-60 metric tons capacity and that will be followed with the super heavy lift version of 100-150 metric tonnes orbital capacity after 2030. It had to be capable of being launched from the Vostochniy Cosmodrome to service inclinations of 98, 83, 73.2, 72, 63 and 51.7 or 51.8 degrees respectfully.

The highly modularized RUS-M booster’s present tailor made design specifications require it to consist of modules no larger in diameters than 4.1 meters for a two stage vehicle with tandem staging configuration. The clustered first stage modules will all use RD-180 closed cycle two chambered engines of NPO Energomash of Khimki, Moscow region utilizing kerosene, and liquid oxygen propellants. It can fly with but one core first stage as well as a two strap-on triple barrel design or up to a full five barrel of four strap-ons and perhaps seven barrel with up to six strap-on first stage booster design. The RUS-M will have a maximum diameter of 11.6 meters with a general variable height in the 61 meter range depending on the design configuration.

It second stage is to be a liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen propellant stage utilizing four KBKhA [Chemical Automatics Design Bureau (KB)] of Voronezh, RD-0146 expander cycle engines. The possibility of a third stage being added for certain missions was also required. In all manned rated operations it is to be flown with an crewed spacecraft launch abort escape system and various engine out failure modes for crew safe landing or abort to orbit of the crew for return. Payloads capacities of 3-23.8-50-100-120 metric tons to low earth orbit are built into the design that is now being developed in greater detail.

This program is not a revival of the Soviet Buran era space shuttle, Energiya booster projects combined because of the unfavorable economic in viability and safety of flight danger issues as confirmed by the Russian, Federal Space Agency, (“Roskosmos”) administrator Anatoly Perminov.

The launch infrastructure with its two launch pad requirement must eventually be capable of supporting 15-20 launches of the vehicle yearly. One of the launch pads must also be capable of being utilized as a static test stand for the various clustered first stage configurations. Most of the elements of the system must be capable of being shipped to the launch site infrastructure via the Russian railroad system with horizontal assembly rollout and erection on the pad. The facilities infrastructure must be capable of supporting the assembly of any design configuration up to 50-metric tons with few if any modifications. There is little doubt the design for 100-120 metric tons payload capacity are being developed as a part of those requirements.

Whether these new ambitious launch vehicle programs and its new launch infrastructure come to fruition depends in large part on the economic reality of the Russian economy to support its fulfillment in the face of the present world economic crisis. These decisions now being prepared will be critical to the real things that will get funded to happen in the next five year planning cycle 2011-2015.