Cosmonautics
By Dennis Newkirk
COPYRIGHT 1995 by CSPACE PRESS INC. All rights reserved
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July/August 1995
International Space Station
The first NASA mission on Mir this spring has set a standard
for future flights but before NASA's next long duration missions,
Mir will host other foreign guests. In October, the ESA EuroMir 95
mission lasting 135 days will begin. The ESA astronauts are now
finishing their extensive 3500 hour training program which began
in August 1993. This will be followed in March by the second NASA
long duration mission.
NASAıs third mission to Mir will carry Shannon Lucid to Mir
for a 4 month stay until the Atlantis returns to pick here up in
late July or early August. Lucid and backup Blaha arrived in
Zvezdnyy Gorodok in February and started a month of additional
language training followed by technical training. The training is
concentrating on Mir complex and Spectr operations with only minor
attention to Soyuz training since they will only have to use it in
an emergency, drop-off and pick-up will be done with Atlantis. In
April they trained in the IL-76MDK weightlessness trainer
aircraft, and in May trained for water recovery of the Soyuz in
nearby lakes. In September, they join their crew mates for
detailed crew mission specific training, and in January they will
go through routine survival training in a forest near Moscow.
In June 1996, the French will begin a short 16 day flight
dubbed Cassiopeia. The flight was finalized this past spring and
will generate $13.7 Million for RKK Energia. The French will
develop 300 kg. of equipment worth $18.5 million to be flown to
Mir on a Progress flight later this year in preparation for the
mission. Despite the continuing flights to Mir, no new cosmonauts
were to be selected in 1995. This follows the cutting of many
cosmonauts from the program last year.
International space flights continue to be a valuable
political tool, in a speech to 15,000 Ukrainians at Shevchenko
State University in Kiev on May 12, President Bill Clinton said an
agreement was reached during wide ranging discussions with the
Ukrainian leadership including that a Ukrainian cosmonaut will
take part in a space shuttle mission in October 1997.
RSA officials expect NASA's missions to Mir, International
Space Station work, and launch of satellites and equipment on
Russian boosters will generate up to $1 Billion by the end of
century. To ease some of these projects the Duma ratified the
agreement signed by US Vice President Gore and Prime Minister
Chernomyrdin in late 1994 which eliminates customs duties on
equipment used in cooperative space projects including research
equipment and associated software. President Yeltsin signed the
legislation in to law on June 28.
Vice President Al Gore was in Moscow with NASA Administrator
Dan Goldin during late June (during the STS-71 mission) for
another meeting of the Chernomyrdin-Gore commission. Gore toured
Khrunichev and saw the mockup of the FGB being manufactured for
NASA and the first launch of the International Space Station. He
also spent 10 minutes in the Mir mockup at Khrunichev, looked at
the Priroda module scheduled for launch in December, and toured
the Proton assembly line. During the tour Gore voiced support for
lifting the US limitations on Russian launch of western
geostationay satellites when talking with the press.
Launches of modules and spacecraft to the International Space
Station from Baykonur may take place from the Energia/Buran launch
pads if current plans proceed according to complex director
Aleksandr Gevorkyan. The pad that launched Buran will be modified
for Soyuz and Progress launches, presumably the new Rus variant
now being prepared. Such changes would require extensive
modifications to the massive launch pad, but using Energia/Buran
assembly buildings could free up needed space for assembly of many
boosters at the same time.
Launch Systems
The failed launch of a Start-2 on March 28 was attributed to
a new control system developed for the space booster version of
the Topol ICBM. The Start-2 uses the first 3 stages of the Topol
and 2 additional upper stages. The control system prematurely
ignited the fourth stage 12 seconds early and the 5th stage was
never fired. Officials at the Votkinskiy Zavod production
association plant said that the trajectory had been incorrectly
calculated. The plant is the only one still producing ICBMıs in
Russia and even so it has lost 1500 workers in the last few years.
Orders are slow for new missiles but work is expected to continue
as the need arises to replace 7 types of old ICBMıs over the next
several years as they reach the end of their service life. The
plant is now producing the Topol-M and the second flight of the
new variant was being prepared for launch at Kapustin Yar in May
1995. Complex designer Yuri Solomonov said that there have been
over 400 tests of the Topol ICBM. Despite the failure, the
Complex branch of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology said
none of the 10 contracts for future launches had been called into
question. Contracts are reportedly in place for customers in the
US, Germany, Australia, and Sweden, and more deals were in the
works even after the failure. In late May, the Complex subsidiary
of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology, makers of the
Start boosters, and representatives of the Kosmos Group scouted
for launch sites in Australia. They were joined by members from
the Australian Space Office which funded the trip, and government.
They covered area in South Australia, Northern Territory, Western
Australia, and Queensland.
Following on a similar flight a year ago, the Russian Navy
Missile and Artillery Armaments Directorate launched a RSM-50 (SS-
N-18) ICBM on a sub-orbital flight carrying a science payload for
the German Center for Applied Space Technology and Microgravity on
June 7. The Makeyev Design Bureau constructed recovery and landing
systems for the reentry capsule that housed German geophysical
experiments investigating the Earths crust. The payload was sealed
onto the booster in the presence of the customer and the missile
was shipped to the Kalmar (Delta 4) class sub in Yagelnaya Bay for
loading. The launch was delayed 24 hours on June 6 due to weather
but took place at 2:00 AM Moscow time for its 30 minute flight to
Kamchatka.
On June 10, Lockheed Martin, Khrunichev State Research and
Production, and RKK Energia formed a new company to market Proton
and Atlas boosters worldwide. The new company was needed due to
Lockheedıs merger with Martin Marietta. One of the stranger
reports out of Russia this summer has been the claim that the
leader of the Japanese cult accused of gassing Tokyo's subway was
trying to buy a launch vehicle from Khrunichev. Press reports
stated that the cultist leader had technical data about the Proton
and that he had some discussions with Khrunichev. A spokesman with
Khrunichev said that they had never talked to the man and that he
may have actually been in search of Ukranian made boosters.
Meanwhile, in July the director of Khrunichev, Anatoly
Kiselov, said that U.S. restrictions on western satellite launches
on Russian boosters would be dropped in the near future. The
change was reportedly discussed by Vice President Al Gore during
his recent trip to Moscow. Despite this announcement there has
been little talk of the change from the US administration. To aid
its commerical launch business, Khrunichev State Research and
Production center has bought 3 ground stations from Andrew Corp.
for use with the Intelsat system. Two terminals will be at the
Khrunichev plant in Fili and another will be at Baykonur. The
objective is to improve communications at the sites and make
communications capabilities equal to that western launch customers
are used to at home. The cost of the systems was estimated at over
$2 million.
Lockheed Martin is also cooperating with the Yakovlev Design
Bureau to build an advanced fighter/attack jet for Air Force and
Navy use. The deal is still pending Russian government approval,
but plans call for a prototype to be ready by 2000 and operational
plane by 2010. The plane could end up replacing the F-14, 15E, 16,
111, 117, and AV-8B. Yakovlev's contribution will be based on its
recent experience with the Yak-141 VTOL fighter.
Space Industry
For the first quarter of 1995, production in the aerospace
sector dropped 41.2% compared the the same period in 1994
according to the Russian State Committee for Defense Sectors of
Industry Directorate for Information and Statistics. The defense
sector as a whole was down 24.1%.
A two year contract by the ESA with the Scientific Research
Institute for Parachute Building to develop and test a parachute
recovery system for the Ariane 5 booster has completed tests near
Kirzhach this spring. An IL-76 was used to test the system with a
36,000 kg. dummy weight simulating the booster dropped from 4500
meters. Three stabilizing parachutes were used before the main
1800 sq. meter parachute opened. After the weight had reached its
terminal velocity, 25000 kg. of gravel ballast was released and
the test rig slowed to make a soft landing for further analysis
and evaluation of the recovery system.
Russian technical industry, including the Russian Space
Agency and Academy of Sciences, got special recognition for future
budgetary funding with the development of a National Technical
Base program in April. The program encompasses many different
fields of basic research including nuclear, lasers, energy,
chemical, biological, materials, electronic and industrial
technology. The initiative was started by the members of the
Russian military industrial complex so that it will have the basis
for future high-tech weapons systems, and with hope that they will
become 'dual use' technologies as well. Unfortunately the money
does not materialize from thin air, and will be taken from other
existing programs and "extrabudgetary" sources. The program will
be a section of the budget itself and attain presidential
visibility, and probably become another political tool for the
military industrial complex to use to obtain funding in addition
to traditional weapons programs. About 1.5 Trillion Roubles were
hoped for in 1995, with 7.3 Trillion in 1996 and 1997 and about 19
Trillion total for the periods 1996 to 2000, and 2000 to 2005.
After an agreement was reached in Brazil by the RSA in March,
it was announced in May that Brazil had been developing its own
inertial guidance units based on parts bought from the US, Russia,
Germany, Italy, France and other European countries. Brazil would
normally be barred from purchase of inertial guidance units under
the Missile Technology Control Regime but skirted the restrictions
by buying only parts and software separately. Brazil hopes to
launch a satellite using the 4 stage solid propellant booster, VLS
(Satellite Launch Vehicle) using one of the guidance units in June
1996 from the Alcantara launch site. Launch of a VLS in 1987
failed reportedly due to guidance problems. Costs of developing
the booster have always been a problem and the fact that many
guidance parts had been bought from CIS countries at up to 50%
less than western prices was a major factor in aiding the
development of the VLS.
In April, RSA chief Yuri Koptev formally asked for an
injection of 400-500 Billion Roubles to keep the space industry in
the black. In response, Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin ordered
the Ministry of Finance to release 1900 Billion Roubles from the
budget allocated to the aerospace industry. In addition, the 400-
500 Billion may still be extended in the form of a government
loan. A recent report claims that one of Russia's largest private
banks, Incombank, will invest tens of millions of dollars in
portions of the space industry in light of anticipated profits due
to exports and other services to western entities. Also in April,
it was announced that the Ukranian Yuzhnoye plant had been awarded
a contract to launch Globestar satellites on two Zenit boosters
for up to $300 million. This was contingent on the US-Ukranian
agreement on launch restrictions similar to previous Russian
launch restrictions.
NPO Polyot General Director Valentin Zaitsev has tendered his
resignation. Polyot, located in Omsk, manufactures the Kosmos
booster and its new modification, the Kosmos-M, due for launch in
1998, satellites and consumer goods. The NPO collective demanded
his resignation for leading the company to ruin. The plant for
manufacture of RD-0120 engines was closed and its conversion back
to aircraft manufacture is stagnate after two An-74 were produced.
The plant is supported only by the government at 18% of its normal
revenues. It was reported that the Omsk plant may be being set up
by the government as one of the first examples of a major defense
enterprise to be declared bankrupt, for which it may set a legal
precedent in Russia. There are hopes that parts of the An-70
transport may be built there but the prototype An-70 crashed this
spring and despite earlier good prospects it is unclear if the
project will continue.
Two NK-33 rocket engines were delivered by the NPO Samara to
Aerojet on July 14 to begin tests which could lead to future use
in US launch vehicles. The NK-33 originated in the 1960's N-1 moon
rocket program. At the same time, Pratt & Whitney received a
flight worthy RD-120 engine from NPO Energomash. The engine is now
used as he second stage engine of the Zenit booster. A plan signed
at the Paris Air Show in June has paved the way for a version
called RD-120M to be built in Russia and Ukraine for use in a new
small launch vehicle. Energomash will be paid $13.5 Million for
"minor" work to make the modifications needed and will produce any
engines needed. Pratt & Whitney will carry out marketing and
servicing of the engines in the US. Pratt & Whitney also has a RD-
170 previously acquired from Energomash.
Space Centers
The 1994 agreement on the rent of the Baykonur Cosmodrome was
ratified by the Duma in April. This was followed in May by a
nearly unanimous vote of the Federation Council. In addition,
Kazak President Nursultan Nazarbayev ratified the agreement in
April in the absence of a Kazak Parliament due to its dissolution
earlier this year. There are still problems to be worked out since
both Russia and Kazakstan still have outstanding debts to be
settled before Russia moves to pour state funds into maintenance
of the cosmodrome or nearby Leninsk. As of the middle of 1995 only
a small fraction of the rent for 1995 has been paid. The Russians
are also raising new questions about the agreement that may delay
its implementation. It seems that an Russian-Kazak interstate
commission on financial claims decided unilaterally to write off
$1.5 Billion in Kazak debt to Russia. This would negate Russian
justification for not paying the annual rent and the Russian
Minister of Finance is calling the commission treaty to question
so the whole matter will by in limbo for the forseeable future.
Meanwhile, Russia has agreed to pay $36 Million for compensation
to Kazakstan for the years 1991-1993 while ownership of the
cosmodrome was being debated. In 1995 the Russian budgeted 83
Billion Roubles for the military operations at Baykonur and 161
Billion Roubles for civilian operations (the exchange rate in mid-
1995 was about 4800 Roubles to the dollar).
The Russian side is requesting the disbandment of Kazak
administrations in Leninsk and wants to assume legal
responsibility beyond anything in the agreement, including tax
collection. There is also a problem of a new influx of Kazak
population into the city despite its deteriorated state. Even the
abandoned apartment blocks in Leninsk offer an attractive
alternative to some local settlements and up to 7000 people have
arrived with more expected. Of course, if the Russians are to take
over the city as they wish, this will only cause increased costs
to maintain and rehabilitate the city so they are calling for
restrictions on the inflow and registration of those 7000 already
in town. The Kazak side also is causing waves in requesting that
native villages of Tyuratam and Akay be included within the
Leninsk administration. Despite these problems, on June 16,
Russian and Kazak Deputy Prime Ministers initialed an agreement on
Russian funding of Leninsk for the 20 years of the Baykonur lease.
The agreement is to be signed by the countries presidents sometime
in the future.
Meanwhile, Baykonur and Leninsk continue to deteriorate
except for the few western funded projects and critical
maintenance work at Baykonur, including a German joint venture to
rehabilitate the shuttle recovery runway so it may be used for
deliveries of western satellites on 747 air freighters. On July
2nd and 3rd there was a celebration at Baykonur on its 40th
anniversary (Baykonur Cosmodrome construction began in January
1955 with the first SS-6 launch pad begun in August 1955). Many
VIPıs of Russiaıs space program attended including Space Forces
head General Vladimir Ivanov, RSA head Yuri Koptev, and RKK
Energia President Yuri Semenov. Even at the occasion of paying
homage to the spaceport, Koptev said that Russian launch
operations would gradually be moved to Plestesk beginning with
military launches. They will be followed by launches of scientific
spacecraft. Baykounr will only be used for Russian launches to Mir
and Proton launches. At the celebration, the general public was
given a rare glimpse of the cosmodrome and a Zenit was raised in a
demonstration.
Military Aerospace
Defense Minister Pavel Grachev toured Strategic Rocket Forces
troops at Irkutsk, Engels, and Plesetsk from April 11 to 14th to
inspect readiness of units. At Plesetsk on April 14, the general
observed a test launch of an SS-25 but not without trouble. There
were two missiles prepared for firing, and at 11:25 GMT the first
missile was to have been fired but it failed to do so. The reserve
missile was then launched 5 minutes later and successfully flew
7000 km. to Kamchatka, impacting 24 minutes later. Grachev said in
several reports only that the first missile did not fire, without
indicating any failure, and that the instruction was given to fire
the reserve missile. Reporters speculated that the first missile
did fail to launch although it was a week later that another
report confirmed that the first missile had failed to fire when
the command was given and that a missile prepared in parallel had
been hurriedly fired to make up for the failure. Given that the
exercise was well planned in advance for the generals visit, it
does not bode well for the readiness of the rocket forces or
Plesetsk. The failure may result in a shake up in the control of
all future ICBM launches. In contrast on June 8, an 18 year old
RS-18 (SS-19) ICBM built by Khrunichev taken from combat duty was
successfully test fired at Baykonur. It delivered a mockup warhead
on target to Kamchatka. The RS-18 is the basis for the Rokot
launch vehicle which is being jointly marketed by Khrunichev and
Daimler-Benz Aerospace.
On May 26, Strategic Missile Troops head Col. Gen. Viktor
Yasin, said there were still 93 operational ICBM's in Ukraine and
18 in Belarus. The warheads from the Ukraine were to be destroyed
by June 1996, and those in Belarus were to be returned to Russia
sometime this year. Belarusian officials said on 18 May that they
expect additional $6 million in US funds to dismantle launch sites
for SS-25 ICBM's. The missiles are based in garages with opening
roofs and the START-I treaty dictates the foundations must be
destroyed. Out of 81 bases, only 2 had been destroyed so far by
explosions and the Belarusian's wanted extra funds change the
method to excavation to spare the trees around the sites from
damage from flying debris.
People in the News
On May 15, cosmonaut Col. Gen. German Titov, the Communist
Party candidate, won election to the Duma in the Moscow region's
107th Kolomna region. Titov won the by-election with 8.5% of the
vote against 11 other candidates. The election was staged to
replace the Liberal Democratic Party deputy who was murdered in
February. Georgy Beregovoi, pilot-cosmonaut of Soyuz 3 died in
July at age 74 after surgery. Beregovoi had suffered from heart
disease for years.
On June 8, Petr Klimuk was promoted to head of the Gagarin
Cosmonaut Training Center according to a press release from
President Yeltsin. On July 20, General Aleksey Nesterenko died at
age 86. Nesterenko headed the Baykonur Cosmodrome during 1955-1958
during its construction and launching of the first earth
satellite.
Photo Caption:
At a June 25 press conference at the Kennedy Space Center, RKK
Energia head Yuri Semenov said "[Docking is] a very complicated
and precise operation, we are looking forward to the docking of
the shuttle with Mir. We had to move the kristal module from its
initial position in the logitudnal axis to the radial position to
support the docking of the shuttle. However we are planning in the
future to dock with a special docking module that will support
shuttle docking mission to Mir and we will not have to move other
modules. We have some constraints with the small arm on Mir which
does the manipulation of the removal and relocation of modules
which has a limited lifetime. In this way we will make our job
docking simpler in terms of docking the shuttle with the Mir space
station." [From right to left, Cosmonaut Elena Kondokova, her
husband and Vice President RKK Energia and cosmonaut Valeri
Ryumin, RSA Deputy General Director for Manned Spaceflight Boris
Ostroumov, President RSC Energia Yuri Semenov, translator, and
NASA News Chief Lisa Malone.]
[Information for this article comes from publicly available
sources including the Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Joint
Publications Research Service, BBC Monitoring, Tansquest Corp, and
the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Daily Report. Also, special
thanks to Rex Hall and James Oberg.]
Cosmonautics News is reprinted here with permission from CSPACE
PRESS INC., P.O. Box 9331, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49509-0331
cspace@delphi.com
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