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Prospective Reusable Rocket and Space System MRKS

In August 2016 it became known that the corporation "Roscosmos" in 2018 will begin to study the Prospective Reusable Rocket and Space System [Perspektivnoy Mnogorazovoy Raketno Kosmicheskoy Sistemi - MRKS], the results of which will be drawn up the concept of development of the domestic launch vehicles until 2035.

The MRKS-1 program is officially deciphered as a "reusable rocket-space system of the first stage". Despite the "first stage", the system will be fully functional. Just within the framework of a large general program for the creation of new space systems, it has the closest time frame for implementation. The system will be two-stage. It is designed to bring to Earth orbit any spacecraft (automatic, manned, transport) weighing 25-35 tons, both existing and only created. This is more than the "Protons". But this is not the main difference from the current carrier rockets. And that MRKS-1 will not be disposable. The first stage (shown in the picture published by TsAGI) will not fall to the ground in the form of debris or burn in the atmosphere. Having dispersed the second stage (one-time) and the payload, it will make a landing, like the space shuttles of the last century. For today, this is the most promising way to improve space transportation systems.

Russian engineers were "not inspired" by the experience of Elon Musk, who put the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean. Russian experts believe that the head of the company, may exaggerate the size of the economy, but acknowledge that the repeated use of accelerators will provide a major economic effect. The cost of manufacturing the rocket will need to divide by the number of possible re-starts, it will be added to the cost of fuel for the expedition to return to the starting stages. "In addition, the costs will be in the recovery stages, certification, evaluation of performance, refueling and re-start.

According to RBC research weighted average number of launches 2010-2015, the market value of delivering a maximum payload into low support orbit (LEO) using Russian rockets to $ 6,3-8,9 thousand. / Kg. In the United States, this figure - $ 12,5-18,8 thousand / kg, in Europe -. $ 11,0-13,6 thousand / kg. In China Shipping cargo LEO close to the Russian level, at $ 8,1-10,8 thousand. / Kg. The market value of cargo delivery to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) has less varies by country and is about $ 21-27 thousand. / Kg in Russia and $ 21-32 thousand. / Kg in the United States. The minimum delivery cost of 1 kg of cargo into low orbit for the support of the Falcon 9 rocket is now about $ 4.3 thousand By reducing this figure to use US carriers will be more profitable than the Russian:. Now the cost of the launch of "Proton" of $ 80-100 million, the missile can bring the low reference orbit 23 tons of cargo ($ 3,4-4,4 thousand. per 1 kg)

By mid-2016 "Roskosmos" was ready to begin creating the flight sample returned by the first stage of the launch vehicle. To this end, the Center Khrunichev assembled a team of specialists to develop system "Energia-Buran", the newspaper "Izvestia" reported 29 June 2016. "Khrunichev" designs "catch" the first stage, which will be able to return to the launch site as the plane and land on a runway. The idea of the first stage with wings "Khrunichev" working on a long time - models of aircraft rockets in different versions, the company has repeatedly shown at exhibitions in Russia and abroad. The first stage of the rocket - the most expensive in the production: it cost boosters defining missile capabilities. Cost motors installed in the first stage is between $10 to $70 million depending on the particular product.

A May 2016 order of the General Director of Khrunichev Center at the company restored the Department of reusable launch vehicles, Alexander Medvedev, general designer of "Roscosmos" Space defense systems - told "Izvestia". Work is where we invited people who created the "Buran" in due time. The Department is head by Pavel Anatolievich Lehov, one of the designers of the system "Energiya-Buran".

"I am convinced that the conditions for the Russian returned the first step to facing wings - is the best option," said Alexander Medvedev. "The pattern that puts the first stage of SpaceX, does not suit us, since our space launch missiles do not fly over the sea, and we are not able to fit in the right place barge. Even if such an opportunity was not the fact that this is the best path: the sea is almost always interferes with crosswinds and pitching."

"Khrunichev" worked for a long time on the idea of the first stage with wings. Models of aircraft rockets in different versions, the company has repeatedly shown at exhibitions in Russia and abroad. "The theme returned in the first stage, we are conducting the Khrunichev Center has about 20 years" said Alexander Medvedev. "In 2001, I first presented the prototype stage returned - "Baikal" system - in the Air Show in Le Bourget. For many years, we have charted the projects built layouts, making them blowing in the TsAGI (Central Aero-Hydrodynamic Institute imeni after Zhukovsky -. "Izvestiya") and received positive results. The time has come from projects on paper to pass for the real thing. I'm talking about creating a flight demonstrator. And I agree with that Igor Komarov, general director of "Roscosmos". The concrete proposals we have prepared for them is to talk in detail too early."

"The first stage of the rocket is the most expensive in the production: it cost boosters defining missile capabilities. Cost motors installed in the first stage is between $ 10 million to $ 70 million depending on the particular product. Designs and experiments with the returned first step, of course, have to" said a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics Andrei Tsiolkovsky . "But is it worth such a product release in the series - is a matter of discussion, a lot depends on the frequency of starts. Reusable first stage it makes sense to use to carry out dozens of launches per year, if necessary. For example, if you develop the direction of mass space tourism, then, of course, you need a reusable carrier. We must look carefully at how the cost of establishing and operating a reusable stage will be economically viable, as the repeated use of the same engine will affect their reliability. After all, when you're doing the returned level, the effectiveness of the mass media in the output payload is reduced by at least 20% - must be provided to the wing, a separate control system, etc."

Chemical Automatics Design Bureau (KBKhA) is creating engines for advanced reusable launch vehicles running on compressed natural gas, said the NGOs "Energomash" press-service rep[orted 01 November 2016. The development is held in the framework of a contract between KBKhA with the state corporation "Roscosmos" to carry out part of the development work on "Creation of a new generation of rocket engines and propulsion elements of basic propulsion advanced launch vehicles". "Engines on oxygen and liquefied natural gas have good potential reuse".

Chemical Automation Design Bureau undertakes in 2016-2018 years to create a prototype of the engine with a thrust of 85 tons and test the experimental engine with a thrust of 40 tons and engine demonstrator thrust of 7.5 tonnes. All of them will work on a pair of fuel "oxygen liquefied natural gas." As part of the new Federal Space Program for these purposes it will be allocated about 809 million rubles. "It is worth noting that the engines on oxygen and liquefied natural gas have good potential reuse, so their use is possible within the framework of advanced reusable space-rocket complexes" - are reported words of the chief designer KBKhA Victor Gorokhov.

"This is the first contract, which will be implemented integrated structure rocket engine, and the first two design bureaus, NPO" Energomash "and KBKhA, will work as a unit. Each company has an impressive base developments on methane direction, and I am sure that all the commitments will be fulfilled and in time ", - said the general director of" NPO "Energomash" Igor Arbuzov.

Earlier it was reported that Roskosmos has allocated 809 million rubles for the development of KBKhA methane rocket engine.

According to the Chemical Automation Design Bureau, the company from 2002 to 2005, together with its European partners engaged in joint development of methane reusable rocket engine thrust of 200 tonnes ( "Volga" project). In addition, since 2006, KB is working on a domestic methane reusable RD-0162 203.9 tons of thrust for a reusable space-rocket system MRCA-1. This system was developed at the Khrunichev Center in 2012-2013. The project envisaged the creation of the first stage of cruise accelerators for "Angara" rocket able to return to the launch site launch, but later it was considered unwise to implement this project in the metal.

M.V.Khrunichev, together with NPO Molniya, proposed a reusable accelerator of the first stage of the Angara booster rocket, named Baikal, which was developed (the prototype was demonstrated at MAKS-2001). It used the same automatic control system that allowed the Buran to fly without a crew. It provides flight support at all stages - from the moment of launch to landing at the aerodrome. The same system will be adapted for MRKS-1. Unlike the "Baikal" MRKS-1 will have no folding planes (wings), but rather the wings would be installed rigidly. This will reduce the probability of abnormal situations when entering the trajectory of landing. However, the recently tested design of the reusable accelerator will still change. Sergey Drozdov, Head of Aerodynamics Department of High-Speed Aircraft of TsAGI, reported that "high heat fluxes on the center wing wing were a surprise, this undoubtedly entails a change in the design of the apparatus."

By 2013 the specialists of TsAGI had completed the next stage of research into the model of the reusable rocket-space system (MRKS). The tests were carried out in a subsonic wind tunnel T-103 TsAGI. Customer works - SCPP them. M.V. Khrunichev. The research program of the landing characteristics of the returned cruise unit MRKS included more than 40 launches and was aimed at studying its aerodynamic characteristics, controllability, stability and visualization of flow. Earlier, MRKS models were tested for visualization of flow and distribution of heat fluxes. The experiments were carried out in a shock tube UT-1M (for a number M = 6) and in a hypersonic tube T-117 (M = 7.5).

And on 04 June 2018, Boris Satovsky, the head of the project group of the Foundation for Advanced Studies (FPI), stated: "The scheme of the system provides for the separation of the first stage of the launch vehicle at an altitude of 59-66 kilometers and its return to the launch area with landing on the usual runway. In the basic design of the returned block, a rotational rectangular wing of a large span and a classical tail unit will be applied. In case of a return flight, a modified serial turbojet engine is used to start the launch site". According to him, the pre-project of the returned missile unit has already been completed. Tests of the flight demonstrator of the first reusable returned space rocket are scheduled for Russia in 2022.

This is a joint project of the FPI, the Roskosmos corporation and the United Aircraft Corporation, according to the Foundation for Advanced Studies. It also reports that during the design process the technological back-up of the project of the Baikal reusable accelerator was used. This reusable accelerator was developed as a universal one for the Angara missile and other types of Baikal missiles in the OAO NPO Molniya, commissioned by the GKNPTS im. MV Khrunichev. "Baikal", whose prototype even went once to the air show in Le Bourget, had a typical aircraft tail unit, which, judging by the published sketches (assembled with a rocket), had to start. The new complex, judging by the words of the designer and the sketch, the classic rocket emplacement, but unfolding before the return flight is the main wing.

The new system is designed to output payloads up to 600 kilograms to the earth's solar-synchronous orbit (the satellites flying along it are visible from the same points on Earth at about the same time). Such orbits, if we talk about optimal for practical use, are located at distances of 500 - 1500 km above the Earth's surface. For these heights, 0.6 tons are quite a significant load, it is by half a ton on them and output. (Simply to compare - "Soyuz" carry a seven-ton load to the ISS, which flies at an altitude of 418 km).

It is reported that, according to preliminary calculations, the cost of launch will be one and a half to two times lower than that of conventional missiles of this class. Each controllable unit is designed for 50 flights without replacing main engines operating on liquid oxygen-liquefied methane cryogenic fuel. It is also planned to launch missiles in an unusual manner for civilian carriers, from mobile complexes.

The Foundation for Advanced Studies (FPI), directly responsible for the development of a new rocket and space system, is a defense fund. The purpose of his activity is: "to promote the implementation of scientific research and development in the interests of national defense and state security associated with a high risk of achieving qualitatively new results in the military-technical, technological and socio-economic spheres, including in the interests of modernizing the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Federation, development and creation of innovative technologies and production of high-tech military, special and dual-purpose products".

By 2015, After a 25-year pause since the death of Russia’s winged space shuttle program, known as Buran (Snowstorm) designed to serve as the Soviet counterpart to the US Space Shuttle, Russia was set to develop a new Reusable Space Rocket System, or MRKS in Russian. The idea is to reduce the cost of launching satellites and other equipment into space. The system, which is being developed under the Federal Space Program, is set to cost not less than 12.5 billion rubles ($185 mln). The program was set to get financing from 2021 and last until 2025. In 2019, a mission requirement package is slated to be worked on. The program envisions a partially reusable launch vehicle equipped with a winged booster stage. After lifting the second, expendable stage of the MRKS vehicle into the stratosphere, the reusable booster would separate and glide back to Earth to be prepared for its next mission.

The competition for the creation of a space-rocket system of multi-time system Stage 1 (OCR MRKS-1) was won by the GKNPTS Khrunichev. The development budget of the project system, according to preliminary estimates of Roskosmos, was about 250 million rubles, and the target date for its implementation was indicated until September 2013. The total number of applications submitted by enterprises wishing to participate in the mentioned competition was three - TsSKB "Progress" (Samara), Makeyev GC (Miass) and Khrunichev State Research and Production Center (Moscow). However, the Samara center was rejected, because "the submitted application was filed in violation of the deadlines for fulfilling the contract."

And on 16 December 2013, it became known that the commission, set up to consider competitive bids of participants, at its meeting decided to give preference to the Khrunichev Space Center. The objective was to replace the side-mounted universal rocket modules with "Baikal" reusable accelerators .