News Roscosmos News

[SiberianTiger]

http://top.rbc.ru/politics/08/02/2011/539797.shtml

Head of Roscosmos may quit his post

Head of Roscosmos Anatoly Perminov may be relived of his post over the latest failures with satellite launches. Two high-ranked officials from Kremlin confirmed it to RBC Daily that the contract with Perminov that is going to expire this April, won't be prolonged.

The sources said that last year, after three GLONASS satellites were lost due to a failed launch, Prime Minister Putin interceded for A. Perminov with the President, but when Geo-IK-2 satellite's launch February, 1st, also ended in a failure, the tandem's lid has come off.

The vacancy may be occupied by acting head of Energia Rocket and Space Corporation Vitaly Lopota.

After loss of the GLONASS satellites President Dmitry Medvedev dismissed Deputy President of Energia, Chief Designer of Launch vehicles V.F. Filin and Deputy Head of Roscosmos V. Remishevsky. Anatoly Perminov was only reprimanded in the wake of the incident.

However, deficite of luck with launching Geo-IK-2 double-purpose satellite which was to revive Russia's space geodesy program, but failed to establish communications in time, and was then found in erratic orbit (and not before US NORAD published two-line elements for this object), kept the Prime Minister of further supporting Perminov.

Roscosmos PAO refused to comment on this information.

February 8, 2011

 

[SiberianTiger]

http://www.marker.ru/news/3565

8.2.2011 // 14:35 // MARKER - Ivan Tcheberko
The next GLONASS satellite may be grounded

Launch of GLONASS-K satellite planned for February, 24th, may be postponed, because specialists are concerned that something might go wrong with it. Such concerns are really called for: this is a new satellite, it will go to space from Plesetsk cosmodrome for the first time, while not a thing was launched to GLONASS orbit from this site yet. Also, the launch had already been postponed once last December because of problems found in ground control equipment for this satellite. The satellite was returned for refitting to the manufacturer, JSC Reshetnyov Space Company in Zheleznogorsk, and hasn't been delivered back to Plesetsk since then. No comment was received from JSC Reshetnyov regarding the present status of the spacecraft.
...
As a source in the Space Force told MARKER, the launch will be scrubbed in case there is a slightest reason to do so. "Risk is too great. The past launch of GLONASS satellites ended in a disaster, the recent launch of a military satellite from Plesetsk also went abnormally. Everybody now understands that if we fail this time, the most high-ranked heads roll, and an awful slur is cast on reputation of the whole Russian space industry. In addition, this is happening just before 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's flight."
...
"In time of the USSR we'd launch a boilerplate first to see if it can make it" - told a source in Roscosmos. "Now we can't afford it, and that's why we are putting a live satellite to risk."
...

:facepalm:

 

[Wishbone]

:facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm:

 

[SiberianTiger]

http://www.federalspace.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=11452

Roscosmos Head Congratulated Academician Boris Chertok on his 99th Birthday

:: 01.03.2011

On March 1, 2011, Russian Academician, the icon of the world space exploration, Boris Chertok turns 99.

Roscosmos Head Anatoly Perminov congratulated famous space designer. He said, in particular:
“Together with the name of Chief Designer Sergey Korolev, your name is one of the symbols in the world space business.
Your contribution into evolution of the space technologies is priceless. You devoted 70 years of your life to the rocket and space industry.
Your lections about spacecraft control are still popular, and your predictions about the future of space exploration give new ideas to the scientists.
We learn by your wisdom and devotion to the work.
On behalf of the Russian Federal Space Agency I congratulate you on your 99th birthday and wish you good health, active longevity, inexhaustible energy, and all best!».


Boris Chertok (born March 1, 1912) is a prominent Soviet and Russian rocket designer, responsible for control systems of a number of ballistic missiles and spacecraft. Author of a four-volume book Rockets and People, the definitive source of information about the history of the Soviet space program.
Boris Chertok is a talented and pioneering guidance and control engineer, and a key member of Korolev`s team from 1946 on. He was a Deputy Chief Designer 1956-1992 at Korolev`s design bureau and its successors. He was an intimate witness to the key events of the space race on the Soviet side, and his memoirs are a major historical source for Soviet space history.

Chertok was born in Lodz, the son of an accountant. The family moved to Moscow before Boris reached the age of two. Chertok began his working career at age 17 as an electrician. However he was fascinated by electronics, and despite his lack of higher education he began work at an avionics factory in 1930. His talent was recognised, and he began a university education in parallel with his work. By 1935 he was head of a design office, and played a key role in developing and supporting the electronics for Soviet polar expeditions. He received his formal degree in 1940 and began work on guidance and control systems at V F Bolkhovitinov`s bureau. Chertok`s first work in rocketry came with his involvement in design of the ignition and control system for the BI-1 rocketplane`s engine.

In April 1945 was assigned to the special group that was tasked with obtaining German rocket technology for the Soviet Union. He worked in Germany until January 1947, famously missing a chance to obtain Wernher Von Braun`s services for the Soviet Union. Here he came in contact with Sergei Korolev. He was assigned to Korolev`s NII-88 institute in August 1946, beginning his lifelong career as Korolev`s chief deputy for rocket and spacecraft control and guidance systems.

In this position Chertok became a key particpant in the Soviet Union`s space program. Following work on the celestial navigation system for long range cruise missiles, he worked on the control systems for the world`s first ICBM, the R-7, and then the first manned spacecraft, the Vostok, Voskhod, and Soyuz. He was responsible for the KORD engine control system for the ill-fated N1 super booster for the disastrous Soviet manned lunar program. After that project was cancelled in 1974, Chertok remained at the reorganised Energia enterprise as Deputy Chief Designer for control systems until his retirement in 1992.

Chertok received the highest honours from the Soviet and Russian states, and also served as a university lecturer in his specialties. He is the author of over 200 scholarly papers.

Chertok still works as a consultant at RSC-Energia.

Hark the man, for he touched the !



And I think he is really determined to live long enough to see the time when space travel becomes available by trip tickets issued by trade unions...

 

[SiberianTiger]

http://www.federalspace.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=15776

Information for Media
:: 14.03.2011

Today a session of Roscosmos Board has been gathered, during which a report of technical management on issue found at one of the systems aboard Soyuz TMA-21 was made.

This issue was uncovered during the spaceship's preflight testing at the technical facilities of Baikonur Cosmodrome. Taking into account additional actions necessary to determine the issue's root cause, a decision was made to postpone launch of Soyuz TMA-21 from March, 30, to a later date.

The problem was found in "Kvant-V" commutation and communication module and caused by failure of capacitor used in the device. A work group of specialists from designer and manufacturer organizations, as well as RKK Energia's and TsNIIMash supervising organizations was formed to investigate the issue.

The proposals of the work group will be reviewed during additional meeting of the Board of Chief Designers which is to be held to offer conclusion on Soyuz TMA-21's readiness and the new launch date for State Commission and Roscosmos Board.

Roscosmos PAO

 

[N_Molson]

Spaceflight Now :

Russia orders rare delay for next Soyuz crew launch

The launch of the next three-man crew to the International Space Station will be delayed from March 29 after Russian engineers discovered a glitch in the Soyuz capsule's communications system

According to a statement posted the Russian Federal Space Agency's website, technicians found an "incompliance" in the Kvant-V communications system on the Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft due to launch March 29.

The issue was discovered during testing at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the statement said.

Officials are ordering a rare Soyuz launch delay to give engineers time to run more analysis on the problem, according to the the Russian space agency.

A NASA spokesperson said Russia has not selected a new launch date for the flight, which will dispatch three fliers to join the International Space Station's Expedition 27 crew.

"The actual launch date has been delayed until they can conduct a further investigation into the issue that occurred during some communications systems electrical testing with that Soyuz spacecraft," said Kyle Herring, a NASA spokesman.

Engineers blamed the testing glitch on a condenser in the Kvant-V system, a two-way radio communications system on the Soyuz.

The Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft will carry U.S. astronaut Ron Garan and Russian cosmonauts Andrey Borisenko and Alexander Samokutyaev to the International Space Station, where they are scheduled to live and work for more than five months.

Borisenko will take over command of the space station in May.

Meanwhile, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly handed over command of the outpost to cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev Monday. Kelly and Russian flight engineers Alexander Kaleri and Oleg Skripochka plan to board their Soyuz descent capsule and return to Earth early Wednesday.

 

[SiberianTiger]

http://www.federalspace.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=11546

Roscosmos Board to Approve Soyuz TMA-21 Launch Date
:: 18.03.2011

Decision about launch date of the Soyuz TMA-21 space vehicle carrying members of a new crew to the International Space Station is to be made by the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos at a Board Meeting set for Friday, tentatively slated to start at 4 p.m. MSK, pending the data to be submitted by the General Designers Review led by RSC-Energia president Vitaly Lopota about recovery of the glitch detected during Soyuz processing at Baikonur earlier.

Roscosmos PAO

It's expected to be set on April, 5th.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Roscosmos PAO: "For News Media".

On March 18, Roscosmos Board held a meeting to discuss Soyuz TMA-21 flight readiness.
The meeting was preceded by the General Designers Review held at RSC-Energia.
It was decided to go on Soyuz TMA-21 prelaunch processing for the launch slated for April 5, at 2:18 a.m. MSK.
The working group established by Roscosmos following the decision by the previous Board meeting found out about the cause of the glitch in Kvant-V device of Soyuz TMA-M.
According to the conclusion of the manufacturer, the glitch was caused by a single production defect which did not affect the batch.
Kvant-V was replaced. The manufacturer initiated QA recertification.

 

[Wishbone]

A large interview by the Director of Space Studies Institute of the Russian Academy of sciences on Fobos-Grunt and other exploration topics (in Russian):
http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=16137&lang=ru

 

[orb]

SPACE.com: Russia Weighs Glitches With Digital Soyuz Spaceship

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Sad news, folks - it seems that our friend Mr. Perminov will be stepping down as Head of Roscosmos, due to the fact that he has reached the age of 65, and after a string of problems and launch delays have angered top officials.

Source.

 

[IronRain]

That's sad

 

[SiberianTiger]

Why are you sorry about Perminov, folks?

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Why are you sorry about Perminov, folks?

Because he is like the Grandfather of the Russian Space Program.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Because he is like the Grandfather of the Russian Space Program.

Hmm... Never thought that his image might have a positive side. To me, he is more like an old watchguard near a locked warehouse, which he sometimes takes some goods from, just for personal use. He is often drunk or sleeping, and he wasn't the one who built the warehouse or watched it over during a season that saw a real business happening. Probably, his replacement was really called for. I can just hope that the new man in his chair would do better.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

I've always seen Perminov as a visionary. He is always quoted as saying that Russia will be on Mars in 2030, or that Russia will build a space station for tourists, or that Russia will build a new manned spacecraft by 2015, etc.

However, I will say this - I've never actually seen any of his words materialise into hardware. Apparently, I'm not alone in this observation.

 

[SiberianTiger]

http://top.rbc.ru/society/07/04/2011/572144.shtml

Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin addressed a board on development of Russian space industry this Thursday:

"In 2013 we must begin flight testing of light and heavy class Angara rockets at Plesetsk cosmodrome. Also, we shall develop Rus-M carrier rocket whose flight tests should begin in 2015, and as early as in 2018 it shall be launched in manned configuration. This launch will be done from the new national cosmodrome Vostochny", said Putin.

He stressed that in 2011 Russia begins full scaled construction works at Vostochny site in Amur territory, and by 2016 all the engineering and accomodational infrastructure should be ready, as well as the first launch complex. "In 2016-2018 we plan to produce new cargo spaceships, and from that point on, this cosmodrome will take burden of most spacecraft launches benefitting various branches of our economy and international cooperation", said the Prime Minister.

V. Putin also emphasized that Russia must not limit itself to the role of international "ferryman", but rather should pursue real presense at the international space services market. He said that it's necessary to put more effort in development of space communications, Earth imaging and monitoring, weather forecasting, navigation services providing, and moniroting of environment.

Putin said nothing on topic of possible replacement or the head of Russian Space Agency on the board.

 

[Wishbone]

:facepalm: two-headed, four-mouthed eagle strikes again

 

[SiberianTiger]

:facepalm: two-headed, four-mouthed eagle strikes again

Well, at least the "constant" of the years to go for the Angara is now officially shortened from three to two years.

 

[orb]

RIA Novosti: Russia to develop new space rocket by 2015:

Russia is planning to develop a new carrier rocket by 2015 while continuing the work on the Angara family of space boosters, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

The Rus-M carrier rocket is being developed by the Energia space corporation, to launch new-generation spacecraft from the Vostochny space center currently under construction in the country's Far East.

{...}