TKS Spacecraft

[Captain David]

Your color on the TKS/VA is incorrect. In fact, there never was a gray TKS/VA capsule. The photo shown earlier was a poor copy of the original photo of capsule number 103N. It was green, but had a lot of dust built up on it. The green color with the white stripes helped to regulate the temperature of the capsule.

There would have been insulation fabric on the body of the TKS, but the capsule had no fabric covering any part of it. The TKS fabric would have been dark green.

Best regards,

David

----- Post added at 2:39 a.m. GMT ----- The previous post was at 11:31 p.m. GMT -----

So the Merkur capsule, in the image below, is actually grey and white instead of green and white?

Here is a detail of the photo above in which you can see the color better. It is also easier to see that it is very dust covered.

Best Regards,

David

 

[SiberianTiger]

Hi Capt. David, and to this forum! Your participation will be highly appreciated!

 

[mc_]

Greetings, Capt. David. And welcome to the OF

 

[Scruce]

As it appears there is much debate on the colour of the Russian hardware, I'm going to need a final opinion on what colour the Transportniy Korabl is (even the scheme is confusing!). There is evidence that the photos actually show a 'false colour' due to their age, but I haven't heard much about this. :shrug:

If the dilemma lasts to the end, I'm just going to go with what we have got (colour for the Mir Kvant Tug) which is a cross between grey and beige.

As for actual TKS updates, Christmas is over, and I'm now back on the job. :tiphat:

 

[Urwumpe]

The green color below the dust actually looks like the capsule is really some sort of dark green in that place, but you would still need some color correction there, making it a bit less green.

But I am not sure if this is really the actual flight color or just a prototype marking like you use for detecting rotations during prototype tests. From an engineers point of view, it makes no sense to have the green parts, a completely white capsule would be better. Also, while you can have the thermal insulation below the aerodynamic hull (like Apollo also did for example), you still need to deal with passive thermal control, especially since this capsule has no visible active thermal control.

Maybe the capsule had been coated with ablative heatshield material, then it would look like Soyuz (which had also been dark greenish in early assembly photographs).

 

[Tacolev]

Not sure about an ablative coating, if I'm not mistaken the VA capsules were designed to be reusable.

 

[Captain David]

As it appears there is much debate on the colour of the Russian hardware, I'm going to need a final opinion on what colour the Transportniy Korabl is (even the scheme is confusing!). There is evidence that the photos actually show a 'false colour' due to their age, but I haven't heard much about this. :shrug:

If the dilemma lasts to the end, I'm just going to go with what we have got (colour for the Mir Kvant Tug) which is a cross between grey and beige.

As for actual TKS updates, Christmas is over, and I'm now back on the job. :tiphat:

I have been researching the Almaz OPS & VA/TKS for 10 years and have well over 100 photographs of the VA itself. Here is a photograph (courtesy of Excalibur Almaz) which best shows the actual color of the capsule:

This is a "flight ready" capsule (actually, the capsule which would have been attached to the Almaz station in the background had they not added the second TKS Docking Port). These capsules are covered with a glass fabric impregnated under pressure with phenolic resin, but the green color and white stripes were chosen as a means of passive temperature control.

In the background there is a capsule which has already flown. This is what they look like before they are refurbished.

As for the color of the fabric on the TKS, this photograph of the Almaz Docking Port has the same fabric which was used on the TKS:

Best Regards,

David L. Rickman

 

[castorp]

great photos.
many thanks!
cheers,
-hc

 

[Scruce]

I have been researching the Almaz OPS & VA/TKS for 10 years and have well over 100 photographs of the VA itself.

This would be excellent if you could share them, of course if that is alright with you.

 

[Scruce]

History related documentation is finished, I will upload a copy ASAP when I return to my development PC.

 

[incywebb]

Hi, new addition to the forum here. I assume this thread is about modelling the TKS in non-corporeal form but does anyone know of any physical commercial models - paper, plastic, resin? Apart from the ones on the Isle of Man, that is...

This chap has hinted he's working on one, maybe some cross-pollination might be achieved:

http://www.amk-kits.org/index1.html

thanks

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Current development status?

I hate to sound like a broken record, but....

.....

....when is it ready for release? :tiphat:

GPS

P.S. I tried to send a PM to Scruce, but his PM in-box is full...... :shrug:

 

[mildlyodd]

Achievable delta-V by the TKS

Hi
This is my first post, I have looked at the necro-post rule and think that this is in the clear - my reasoning is that I am attempting to add some insight to a previous post not discussed at the time.

The following quote was originally posted in the thread TKS Spacecraft on 09-01-11, 07:13 PM . I had been looking for a coherent listing of the TKS characteristics for a while, especially to understand the delta-V capability. This is the first listing I have seen that explicitly attributes characteristics to each of the four parts of the vehicle and is the same time internally consistent.

The bit I would like to add is that I have back calculated the delta V cited for the TKS and determined that it under some situations its operating range is rather more than the 700 m/s quoted.

As a starting point I calculate pretty close to the 700, i.e. 703m/s, as corresponding to the gross mass of the FGB+VA+BSO = 17510kg using the implied 3822kg of propellant stored in the FGB. Just for completeness I am assuming that the SAS, being the escape tower jettisoned during the latter phase of the Proton launch, is of no interest here.

This means that a larger operational capability would apply in the following different uncrewed situations:
FGB + VA (gross 17060kg) -> 724 m/s
FGB (gross 13260kg) -> 971 m/s
FGB empty, no payload (gross mass 8732kg) -> 1644m/s

From the context I assume that "payload" was always meant to be life support supplies but not life support equipment and scientific apparatus not essential to flight. Big assumption perhaps.

Concerns:
The last calculation implies that the completely empty and end-of-life mass of the FGB is 13260kg - 4528kg (payload) - 3822kg (propellant) = 4910kg
and that this corresponds to the hull, avionics, life support systems. It seems a bit light to me.

Caveats:
Its not obvious to me whether the stated mass of the crew of 255kg is counted as a part of the VA payload or additional. I have ignored it, which effectively assumes that it falls within the 3800kg gross mass of the VA.

Question: a) does anyone know what the source of the characteristics here is and b) does all of this make sense?

TKS (docked to Salyut 7):

Characteristics:

Crew Size: 3. Habitable Volume: 37.00 m3. RCS Coarse No x Thrust: 20 x 390 N. Spacecraft delta v: 700 m/s (2,290 ft/sec). Electric System: 2.40 average kW.

AKA: FGB Functional / Cargo Block.
Gross mass: 13,260 kg (29,230 lb).
Unfuelled mass: 9,438 kg (20,807 lb).
Payload: 4,528 kg (9,982 lb).
Height: 13.87 m (45.50 ft).
Diameter: 2.90 m (9.50 ft).
Thrust: 7.84 kN (1,763 lbf).
Specific impulse: 291 s.


TKS BSO
The BSO was equipped with the retro-rocket for deorbit of the VA capsule following separation from the space station. Deorbit Block. It also provided the additional battery power, orientation rockets, and radio equipment that gave the VA a 31 hour autonomous flight duration after separation from the station.

Characteristics:

Spacecraft delta v: 100 m/s (320 ft/sec).

AKA: Bloka Skhoda s Orbiti.
Gross mass: 450 kg (990 lb).


TKS SAS
The SAS system abort system for the VA separated the capsule with 15 G's of acceleration from the booster in case of a malfunction and soft landed the capsule 1.0-1.5 km from the launch pad. When the 'Abort' command was sent, the 86 metric ton thrust motor of the ADU pulled the VA capsule away from the pad. 10 seconds from the abort command the ADU/TUD/NO separated and the landing systems went into operation. The braking parachute deployed for seven seconds, followed by the main chute with 1770 square meters of area. The capsule made a soft landing 2 km away. The SAS was jettisoned after the Proton booster had cleared the atmosphere.

Characteristics:

Spacecraft delta v: 140 m/s (450 ft/sec).

AKA: Sistem avariyovo spaceniya.
Gross mass: 2,950 kg (6,500 lb).
Thrust: 843.00 kN (189,513 lbf).


TKS VA
The VA was capable of 31 hours of autonomous flight after separation from the FGB. The crew of three were provided with seats with customized form-fitting liners facing a control panel similar to that used in Soyuz T. Access to the FGB on the pad was through a square hatch in the side of the capsule. This could also be used to conduct EVA's in orbit, with the VA acting as an air lock for the FGB. Access to the FGB was via a hatch in the heat shield below the middle seat. With the crew, 50 kg of payload could be returned. Without the crew 500 kg of payload could be returned. Total internal volume was 8.37 m3. Retrofire was initiated by the BSO block on the nose of the VA. The VA capsule had a hypersonic lift to drag ratio of 0.25. This allowed the BSU-V manned capsule guidance system to maneuver the spacecraft to its landing point using the optimum path for minimal heating and G-forces.

Characteristics:

Crew Size: 3. Habitable Volume: 4.56 m3. Crew: 255 kg (562 lb). Miscellaneous Contingency: 50 kg (110 lb).

AKA: Vozvrashchaemiy apparat.
Gross mass: 3,800 kg (8,300 lb).
Payload: 1,880 kg (4,140 lb).
Height: 3.64 m (11.94 ft).
Diameter: 2.79 m (9.15 ft).
First Launch: 1976.12.15.
Last Launch: 1979.05.22.
Number: 9 .

 

[andqui]

Hello-

Is there any news about this project? I have set up some Salyut 6 and 7 missions which could benefit from the TKS.

Thanks