News Roscosmos News

[N_Molson]

August is becoming the black month of russian space program... :uhh:

 

[SiberianTiger]

It's not NK-33 this time, the RD-0110R (the vernier engine) was blown up due to test stand's operator's mishap.

The rocket stage and the stand equipment are damaged. No one was injured.

 

[orb]

Space News: Medvedev Sets September Deadline for Roscosmos Overhaul:

GOUDARGUES, France — The Russian government has given Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, until mid-September to propose ways to improve quality control in Russia’s space industry, particularly its launcher sector, in the wake of the Aug. 6 failure of a Proton rocket carrying two telecommunications satellites.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, in Aug. 14 remarks to Russian government and industry officials, said the number of failures in recent years is inexcusable for an industry in which the government continues to invest heavily.

He said government space spending between 2012 and 2015 is scheduled to be 650 billion Russian rubles, or about $20.4 billion.

Medvedev, whose remarks were posted on the Roscosmos web site, said he found it particularly galling that a rocket or satellite failure results in no automatic punishment to the company building the hardware.

“It is possible to produce low-quality products,” Medvedev said, and bear “no financial responsibility” for their failure — “not to mention… disciplinary and other responsibilities. You need to decide who is to blame for the recent series of setbacks, where mistakes were made, and determine the degree of responsibility of all those implicated.”

Medvedev ordered Roscosmos Director-General Vladimir A. Popovkin to propose measures to improve industrial quality control and to reorganize the space agency in a month’s time.

“Both of these issues must be worked out at the government level in a month,” Medvedev said. “Then I will hold a meeting with all key business sectors. Other decisions will be taken. Let's start the discussion.”

{...}

 

[SiberianTiger]

It's not NK-33 this time, the RD-0110R (the vernier engine) was blown up due to test stand's operator's mishap.

The rocket stage and the stand equipment are damaged. No one was injured.

http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=981912#981912

Nothing did explode. The steering engine had emergency shutdown, which produced a hydraulic shock inside the feeding pipes, which bended them. The rocket will go to disassembling, and the entire project is delayed for about one year.

 

[orb]

RIA Novosti: Russia to Alter Cosmonaut Recruitment Drives:

The Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center will change the terms of future open cosmonaut selection drives, the center’s deputy chief Igor Sokhin said on Tuesday.

The first open cosmonaut selection drive in the history of the Russian space industry was held between January 27 and March 15.

"This was the first precedent for an open selection. It was a first step, and further recruitment drives will be improved. Reality showed that the timeframe of the selection drive - several months - is impractical,” Sokhin said on the sidelines of the International Aerospace Congress in Moscow.

He said a similar NASA recruitment drive lasts about 18 months.

To become a Russian cosmonaut, applicants need to be no older than 33, have a college degree and have at least five years of work experience, as well as meet exacting physical requirements, such as height when seated (80 to 99 centimeters).

Participation is not limited to technology aficionados; people with a background in humanities are also allowed to take part.

Sokhin said that it was harder for such people to undergo cosmonaut training.

“We have no spacecrafts with high passenger capacity to let a specialist in one domain fly into space. A person who flies has to acquire great amounts of knowledge and information, just like other crew members. It’s probably harder for a person with a background in humanities to do that,” he said.

{...}

 

[Fabri91]

The return of the Energia?

Russia has proposed a joint project with Kazakhstan and Ukraine to build a heavy rocket capable of launching manned missions to the Moon. It believes this project could be accomplished within three years.

Head of Russia’s Energia corporation Vitaly Lopota spoke about this at an international aerospace congress which opened in Moscow on Monday.

The proposed rocket would be an updated version of Russia’s Soviet-era Energia system. This mighty booster can lift 70 tons to Low Earth Orbit and send payloads of up to 20 tons on interplanetary missions.

IF

 

[orb]

 

[SiberianTiger]

Meanwhile, a "dry" rehearsal of Soyuz-2.1v rocket's pre-launch operations is under way at the launch complex 43/4 of Plesetsk Cosmodrome:

According to RIA Novosti (http://www.ria.ru/science/20120904/742994036.html), the launch pad rehearsal began Sept. 4th and will take four days, after which time the rocket will be lowered and taken to assembly building for inspections.

As Commander of Airspace Defence Force Gen,-Col. Oleg Ostapenko confirmed, despite delays in the launch schedule due to failure of the Proton mission with Russian and Indonesian satellites last August, there's no plan to delay the maiden flight of Soyuz-2.1v beyond the current year.

 

[SiberianTiger]

A message at NK forum lists the 8 people who have been selected by GCTS medical commission for presentation to the Inter-Departmental State Committee this week (they are likely to be approved to become the Candidates):

1) Oleg Vladimirovich Blinov, born 1978, GCTS training specialist
2) Pyotr (Peter) Valeryevich Dubrov, born 1978, IT Engineer, "CBOSS Development International" LLC.
3) Ignat Nikolayevich Ignatov, born 1982, Maj., Military Engineer, GCTS Hydrolab specialist
4) Anna Yurievna Kikina, born 1984, Broadcast Director, "Radio Sibir Altai" LLC
5) Sergey Vladimirovich Korsakov, born 1984, works for "Info Capital Group" LLC
6) Dmitry Alexandrovich Petelin, born 1983, works for "NIK" LLC
7) Andrey Valeryevich Fedyaev, born 1981, Capt., Anti-Submarine patrol pilot
8) Nikolay Alexandrovich Tchoob, born 1984, General Director of "Space TU" LLC

Notably, there's no one from space branch enterprises, except two people from GCTS itself.

 

[orb]

Parabolic Arc: Khrunichev Gets Interim General Director:

MOSCOW (Khrunichev PR) — Head of the Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) has appointed, by his Executive Order, Vasily Nikolaevich Sychyov Executive General Director, Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, the appointment to remain valid until General Director is appointed in accordance with the applicable procedure.

Vladimir Evgenievich Nesterov was relieved of his duties as Khrunichev General Director by the Presidential Edict of 31 August. New General Director will be appointed based on the results of the vacancy competition to be announced by Roscosmos.

{...}

 

[orb]

RIA Novosti: Russia Denies ‘Systemic Crisis’ in Space Industry:

Russia’s space industry is not in crisis despite some local problems, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Friday.

“There is no systemic crisis in the Russian space industry; we have problems with some firms, in some sectors,” said Rogozin, who oversees the military-industrial complex in the Russian government.

The government’s military-industrial commission and the Federal Space Agency Roscosmos are working hard to eliminate those problems, he said, adding that they include technology, personnel and discipline.

{...}

 

[orb]

RIA Novosti: Medvedev Pledges $21 Bln for Space Industry

 

[orb]

Aviation Week: Russia's Deputy PM Says Country Must Shoot For Moon Base

 

[orb]

Parabolic Arc: Russian Space Program is Rotting Away

 

[SiberianTiger]

http://www.khrunichev.ru/main.php?id=1&nid=2599

September 24, 2012

Khrunichev Space Centre continued works on MLM module for the ISS. Last Friday, a test encapsulation of the module in work was performed to test mechanical joints in the upper composite, electric connections and pneumatic pushers. At present moment, the MLM is being prepared for weighing, after which it will pass on to vacuum tests.

After all works are completed, the module will be transferred to Energia Corp. for final integration tests.

 

[N_Molson]

I hope that the Proton-M that will carry the module will be super-tested & re-tested (especially the third stage).

The module looks great !

 

[MattBaker]

I hope that they actually don't have to super-test it because Russian Space Industry becomes as reliable as their European counterpart. I'm really serious, OK, maybe I'm not...

On another note: Does the MLM have a propulsion unit (since it has to maneuver itself to the ISS) that could be used for ISS reboosts?

 

[SiberianTiger]

On another note: Does the MLM have a propulsion unit (since it has to maneuver itself to the ISS) that could be used for ISS reboosts?

No, it has a traditional layout for FGB-based self-propelled modules, few engine assemblies near the biconical part of the pressure hull (numbers 4 and 27 at the diagram) plus assemblies of RCS engines (see pos. 19 and 28). Still, despite it cannot be used for orbit boosts, its RCS will be used for bank control of the ISS, due to their favourable location far from the axis.

The source for this image is http://www.gctc.ru/main.php?id=316, it's a description of Kvant-2 module of Mir.

Hmm, I guess the person who was building this website and who is also mentioned in my signature could tell much more on the topic (she once had her own site on Mir), but alas...

 

[orb]

RIA Novosti: Russia Needs Leaner Space Industry - Space Agency Head:

Russia needs a leaner space industry, and that means significant job cuts, Vladimir Popovkin, head of Russia’s Space Agency Roscosmos, said on Thursday.

“Unless we act now – we will cease to be competitive,” he warned.

Speaking about the need for reform, Popovkin noted that “reorganizing Roscosmos into a holding company will ensure maximum staffing” across the sector.

“If today over 250 people are employed, then we calculate that the maximum should be 150-170” he said during a lecture for science and technology students.

{...}

 

[MattBaker]

Sounds like the opposite of the current NASA approach where it's about creating as many jobs as possible...