News tidbits

A news roundup from NK; the usual computer translations. Cosmonaut sea survival training, Russia’s space budget, another space tourist craft proposal, the new Russian Orlan-MK spacesuits, an IMBP experiment.

Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №210:

18/06/2008/00:08 – The annual training of cosmonauts began in the District of Sevastopol, with the support of the Black Sea Fleet rescuers

At the Black Sea on June 17 began the annual training exercises for the cosmonauts. According to Igor Dygalo, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, “The training in the sea in the vicinity of Sevastopol Center is conducted by the GCTC cosmonauts in conjunction with the Office of Search and Rescue of the Black Sea Fleet of Russia.”

According to Dygalo, the purpose of exercises, which are a serious test for all participants in the upcoming flights, including backup crews and visiting crews, is “the development of the spacecraft crews’ skills of action after an unexpected splashdown of the capsule at descent.” Two Black Sea fleet vessels are provided for the cosmonauts’ training.

Weather in the area is conductive to the holding of the exercises: water temperature 21 degrees, cloudy, sea nearly completely calm.

20/06/2008/00:08 – Russia spends two times less in space than the USSR

Financing of Russian civil space has fallen more than twice since Soviet times, said Roskosmos. In 2007, the civilian space programs of Roskosmos was allocated $1.34 billion, while in 1989 the Soviet space program funding was $3.28 billion, said the report, published on the Federal Space Agency site.

From 1991 to 2004, Russia spent on space roughly the same as India. Only in 2004 did the budget of Roscosmos exceed that of the Indian Space Agency and amounted to $770 million. In 2006, funding for the Russian space program has been increased by another $100 million, the report said.

In so doing, it is still at $400 million below the cost of France for civilian space and $600 million below the cost of space in Japan. The European Space Agency is funding its space programme in the amount of $4.3 billion, that is more than three times as much as “generous” Russia. NASA’s space and aeronautics budget, the report noted, has grown from $11 billion to $17 billion since 1989. Over the past seven years, NASA costs are increasing annually by about $500 million.

Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №211:

24/06/2008/20:31 – Russian scientists began an experiment to prevent diseases requiring surgical intervention during interplanetary travel

At the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IMBP), Russian Academy of Sciences an experiment began on June 24 that will help scientists to develop a methodology for treatment of diseases requiring surgical intervention for future interplanetary expeditions, reported IMBP press secretary Pavel Morgunov.

“The experiment will last about a month, during which at least 8 healthy volunteers aged from 20 to 35 years will be required several times during the day to lie in conditions simulating the effects of microgravity (where the legs are up in the air at 15 degrees above the head),” he explained. In doing so, scientists will conduct infusion therapy (intravenous solutions introducing various drugs) and observe the redistribution of body fluids during the stay of subjects under the conditions of “weightlessness”.

In orbital flight when a disease requires an urgent operation, or is a critical condition, there is the opportunity to suspend the expedition as soon as possible and return the cosmonaut to Earth, recalled Morgunov, but this would not be possible during an interplanetary mission. Therefore, when preparing the system of medical support for an interplanetary flight, scientists are obliged to consider these principles and develop techniques for treatment of these diseases.

One of the fundamental components of surgical care and intensive therapy is infusion therapy. Modern hardware makes it possible to carry out infusion therapy even under weightlessness conditions. However, since there is no data on the impact of infusion in different environments on the parameters of the central and peripheral hemodynamics, gas exchange microcirculation and tissue in conditions of spaceflight, the scientists suggested a series of experiments modeling the effects of spaceflight to determine the impact on the effectiveness of various infusion media. According to Morgunov, “it is planned to assess the influence of some solutions on the volume of circulating blood, central and peripheral hemodynamics, the state of the microcirculation, tissue gas exchange and rheological properties of blood.”

After each day “resting”, the subject will undergo a thorough examination, because the main purpose of the experiment is “to compare the effectiveness of some infusion media in compensating for the losses of fluid in conditions simulating the effects of microgravity.”

24/06/2008/20:31 On the ISS next year crews will work in open space in the new “smart” Russian spacesuit

On the ISS, where crews are now working in open space, the complete replacement of the “Orlan-M” Russian spacesuit with the more modern “Orlan-MK” is scheduled.. The first Orlan-MK will be taken into orbit at the end of this year on a Progress Russian cargo ship, and in early 2009, to the International Space Station will receive two more, Sergei Pozdnyakov – general director of the “Zvezda” Scientific and industrial enterprise, where all domestic spacesuits are manufactured – said Tuesday.

The new spacesuits will gradually replace the ISS Orlan-M at the end of their life, which have faithfully “served” several crews.

The Orlan-MK is the fifth Orlan version and the first computerized Russian spacesuit, Pozdnyakov said. In the process of donning the suit, it prompts the cosmonaut for the sequence of system checks he must follow before going out in open space and reports on the status of these systems. If there are abnormal situations – for example, increased consumption of oxygen, etc. – relevant information is displayed on the signal panel, with a warning beep and instructions on what procedure to follow.

The new “intelligent” spacesuit would avoid situations like what happened during the exit of ISS Expedition 9 in June 2004. At the very beginning of EVA activities, the TsUP Mission Control Center specialists recorded an oxygen leak in Michael Fincke’s spacesuit, and the crew was forced to return to the station. The determination of the cause of the pressure drop in the Orlan took several hours, and the EVA was postponed for a few days. Now the spacesuit itself will “communicate” with the cosmonaut as to the reason for his “malaise”.

According to Pozdnyakov, ISS Expedition 18, which will be launched into orbit in October, has already trained to operate the Orlan-MK. If a cosmonaut forgets a procedure during an EVA, a special program will help him translate into the more simple Orlan-M management regime.

The new EVA suit weighs 120 kg and has a service life of 15 EVAs within 4 years of operation. In open space it protects the cosmonaut from the low barometric pressure, ionizing radiation, solar power, and micrometeorites. The system uses a high-performance thermal method of diverting the heat emitted by man through a water cooling garment. The intensity of heat removal is manually controlled by the cosmonaut by reallocating water flows coming in the heat exchanger for cooling.

24/06/2008/20:31 in the Black Sea near Sevastopol Russian, Canadian and Dutch astronauts are training

In the Black Sea near Sevastopol cosmonauts from Russia, Canada and the Netherlands are training. “The purpose of training is to prepare cosmonauts for a possible splashdown in the sea in the event of unexpected situations in orbit,” Yurii Gidzenko – pilot-cosmonaut, Hero of the Russian Federation, head of special training at the Cosmonaut Training Centre – told reporters .

“During one week we train two crew, which include not only Russian cosmonauts, but one astronaut each from Canada and Holland. They come to replace another two crews, who are also within seven days will be trained,” emphasized Gidzenko. In doing so, he clarified that “the technical equipment for training includes the Russian Black Sea Fleet ships and special equipment which was brought from the town of Star City.”

According Gidzenko, the sea training of cosmonauts was formerly conducted in Feodosia, Kudepste and other coastal cities. “For the past five years, cosmonauts have trained in Sevastopol. This is convenient and for us and the seamen the base is nearby with ships on the spot,” he said.

Gidzenko also noted the “close economic and scientific link” between Roscosmos and the National Space Agency of Ukraine. “We do not and never had problems with our Ukrainian colleagues,” the Russian pilot-astronaut asserted.

24/06/2008/20:31 – Russian small spacecraft “Dandelion”, designed exclusively for space tourism, to appear by 2012

A Russian small spacecraft (IAC) «Одуванчик» (Oduvanchik, “Dandelion”), designed exclusively for space tourism, will appear by 2012. This assumption was made on Tuesday at a press conference in Moscow by Igor Bulanov, Vice-Chancellor, Chairman of the department “Rocket and Space composite structures” at the Moscow State Technical University named after N.E. Bauman.

The specialized ship, which will “convey” only space tourists into orbit, is being developed by students and scientists at MSTU. According Bulanov “at the moment already started production of ship models.” “Tentatively, we expect to finish work by 2012,” he said.

According to the Vice-Chancellor, Dandelion can not be compared with any similar development in the world – it was “much cheaper and outperformed many other proposals.”

It is anticipated that Dandelion will take on board a pilot and four passengers or 600 kg of payload, and will perform a suborbital or orbital flights. It will be able to take off from a mobile automatic platform installed anywhere, and to land both with the aid of the parachutes and independently on a takeoff and landing runway.

“The Glass ceiling In Space”, Space Daily, 17/6. On the dismal state of Russia’s women cosmonauts (only 3 made it into space, and there are currently no active ones, though there is one in the training group, Elena Serova).

“Options for space tourists”, RIA Novosti, 23/6. Andrei Kislyakov opinion piece. Russia began space tourism, but has not managed it very well.

Pavel Vinogradov, a pilot-cosmonaut and deputy head of the Energiya Rocket Space Corporation, says: “Regrettably, space tourism is a big headache for us today. It does not resolve any financial problems, and undermines the foundations of our cosmonautics. We have to replace young cosmonauts with tourists… They are all good people but they are not professionals. Regrettably, we can only find room for them at the expense of professionals.”

More space tourist hype

“Russia could learn from U.S. space program”, RIA Novosti, 9/6. Andrei Kislyakov opinion piece, reiterating what was mentioned in my previous entry.

Space Daily: “Two Suits For Shenzhou”; “China manned space flight set for October”.China is to launch Shenzhou-7 with 3 taikonauts aboard in October, one (or maybe two) of whom will perform a spacewalk.

“Google co-founder aims for space”, Cosmic Log, 11/6. More ambitious Russia-related space tourist plans were announced last week by Space Adventures: it is to purchase a Soyuz flight and fly 2 space tourists with a cosmonaut pilot, one of who will be Sergei Brin (a founder of Google), but Anatolii Perminov denied that he had information about any of these plans.  ‘There is simply no room for space tourists,’ he was quoted as saying. ‘Space tourism will be suspended.’ ” The professional cosmonauts, many of whom have been waiting for their first flight for more than 10 years, won’t be impressed! As I have grumbled many times before, the Russian space program has degenerated into a Soyuz taxi service, not a real exploration program. Tourism should be done by private operators (if they ever manage to get viable spaceships going).

More funding needed

Some tidbits from NK news.

Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №707:

3/6/2008/18:00 – Russia and the United States are finalizing negotiations on the delivery of American astronauts to the ISS aboard the Soyuz Russian spacecraft

The outcome of the negotiations between Russia and the United States on the use of Russian spacecraft for the delivery of NASA astronauts on the International Space Station during the period from 2011 till 2013, will be known this week, Mark Bouman, Deputy Head of NASA manned programs in Russia, told journalists on Monday. “The results will be known in meetings this week. The decision of the U.S. Congress concerning this matter will be known towards the end of summer,” said the NASA representative.

According to him, the Russian delegation is now in Houston, “and is negotiating on the matter.” From 2010, the U.S. shuttles will cease their flights. The new manned spacecraft which will replace them, according to reports by NASA, may not appear before 2015, From 2009 to 2011 NASA astronauts will have to fly to the ISS on the Russian Soyuz spaceship. To deliver astronauts to the Station after the deadline, the U.S. Congress this year should allow NASA to purchase seats from Russia on the manned Soyuz.

4/6/2008/13:40 – RAN Academicians are concerned about the state of the Russian scientific space program

The academicians of the Russian Academy of Sciences are concerned about the state of Russia’s scientific space program. Leading national experts in the field of space research expressed this opinion in an interview with an ITAR-TASS correspondent.

Thus, the director of the Institute for Space Studies academician Lev Zelenyi, in particular, said: “We certainly are waiting for a new, clear, ambitious program. And I – and particularly our young scientists,” added the academician, “want it to be bold, ambitious and to again put Russia at the forefront of world space science.”

For his part, Academician Anatoly Grigoryev, the director of the Institute of Medico-Biological Problems, expressed hope that “we will better exploit the International Space Station. When in the near future it will support a crew of six people,” added the scientist, “ the opportunities will be greater and it is thus most important that our Russian modules are completed on time and that they are replete with science. Then we will be on parity with the rest of the world community,” stressed Academician Grigoryev. “Look, the Europeans have launched their module, the Japanese module is launched, the Americans launch module, but we remain behind. But I hope that we will launch soon.” According to him, “we understand it is necessary to fly to get new knowledge.” Talking about the work of his institute, Grigoriev, in particular, said that “our dream is, of course, to fly far and long. Unfortunately,” he said “for objective reasons the Mars-500 experiment has been delayed a little, but I hope that next year [2009] we'll begin. This will be a small step in the understanding of how people live in an isolated environment with life-support systems that can adequately maintain the necessary conditions.”

“We are now rapidly losing position in the scientific space, although the country had been No. 1,” noted Yuri Osipov, the President of the Russian Academy of Sciences. “After the failed launch of the 1996 Mars-96 space probe, we were able to subsequently launch only two scientific apparatus. Many of our projects are postponed from year to year and this has resulted in the international participants of our projects simply leaving. A clear example is the absolutely original project ‘Radioastron’, in which the Americans invested nearly 100 million dollars, but because we have delayed the launch of the facility from year to year because of lack of funds, the Americans withdrew from the project.”

As another example, the “Spectra” program of space observatories where we were absolute leaders, too, was canceled, because the Europeans left it. Again, we are violating the timing of launches,” stressed Yuri Osipov, “this is an acute problem.”

Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №708:

6/6/2008/00:20 – Russia has spent 30 times less on the ISS than the USA

Russia has spent about $ 3.5 billion to construct its segment of the International Space Station (ISS) and the implementation of scientific programmes, said Vitalii Lopota, the President of the Rocket and Space Corporation Energiya, in an article posted on the Roscosmos site on Wednesday.

“For 10 years the Russian budget (Roscosmos) spent for this purpose (ISS creation and implementation of scientific programmes – IF-AVN) in the order of U.S. $2 billion, and there is already about $100 billion invested in this project.” In addition, said V. Lopota, in providing a range of services, RSC Energiya earned and sent to the ISS development of $1.3 billion, that is “40% of all funds invested by Russia.” This, according to the head of the corporation, “allowed domestic cooperation to survive in the difficult years and save the Russian space industry from collapse.”

He also said that the market of space services today ranges from 170 to 200 billion dollars a year. “And unfortunately, the share of Russia, including all services, is less than 1%,” said V. Lopota.

He added that the United States spends 12-13 times greater on space programmes, and China spends three times more than Russia. According to him, the United States spent up to 95% of its budget on space development in Earth orbit, primarily geostationary, and to meet the challenges on the Exploration and Development of deep space it allocated no more than 5% of the budget. In addition, the head of RKK Energia said that the cost of shipping into orbit 1 kg is $10-12 thousand, and each astronaut used in their daily life about 10 kg of cargo, including water, food, etc.

6/6/2008/00:20 – By 2015, in the Russian segment of the International Space Station will be nine modules for various purposes

RSC Energiya is implementing the program for the development of the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS), said Vitalii Lopota, the president of RSC Energiya. “At the Russian segment of the ISS based on the anticipated government funding, work should be allocated in two stages: the building of the Station’s infrastructure and its functional capacity. In doing so, by 2015 must work nine modules,” said V. Lopota, the text of which is posted on the official Roscosmos site.

Now the ISS RS is composed of three modules. Among them, there is are no scientific modules. V. Lopota reported that in 2009 and 2010 there is planned to add two small research modules in the Russian segment of the Station. In 2011, a multi-laboratory module is planned to be constructed, which will add 12 working places to the segment. “This module is a key in expanding our scientific program,” he said.

In addition, he said, in 2012 a new docking module with a few ports and gateways will be added to the ISS Russian segment. According to V. Lopota, an important task is boosting the energy capabilities of the ISS Russian segment. “We will need to provide full energy resources in the years 2014-2015,” said the head of RSC Energiya.

He said that the termination of American shuttle flights in the coming years will increase pressure on the Russian “Progress” transport cargo spacecraft. “The number of launches will increase. Virtually every two months we will be undocking a cargo ship from the Station.” Today, Russia launches three or four Progress ships to the ISS each year.

From a Roskosmos news item:

7/6/2008: Russia may send ships to Mars and the Moon after 2020

Russia is considering the possibility of manned flights to the Moon and Mars after 2020. This was stated today by Anatoly Perminov, the head of the Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos), in a broadcast by the “Russia” TV channel.

“We are considering the possibility of manned flights to the Moon and Mars after 2020, making use of the cosmodrome Vostochnyi (Восточный, East) (Amur Region),” the head of Roscosmos said. “By this time new manned ships will be introduced.”

He also said that if the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) increases to six people, Russia will be forced to suspend the flights of space tourists. “If in 2009 the leaders of heads of national space agencies will come to an agreement to increase the ISS crew to six people, Russia will be forced to suspend flights of space tourists,” said the Roscosmos head.

“Siberian Tiger” at the Orbiter Forum posted Vladimir Soloviev’s report on the RS/ISS development, with some cellphone photos of diagrams – more at the NK forum: Перспективные ракетно-космические системы РКК Энергия (“RKK Energiya’s projected rocket & space systems”) (lot of images on the page).

ASU fixed, hopefully!

STS-124 Discovery docked to the ISS and the next elements of the Kibo module (Kibo Pressurized Module) were installed. The new pump was installed in the ASU and appears to be working normally so far! From the 4/6/2008 Daily Report:

FE-1 Kononenko had two hours set aside for working a major IFM (In-flight Maintenance) on the Russian ASU toilet facility in the SM (Service Module), removing the failed MNR-NS gas/liquid separator pump of the facility and replacing it with a new unit delivered on STS-124. As of now, the IFM appears to have been successful: the ASU is working nominally, so far.

The STS-124 Flight Day 3 images show how big and gangly the ISS looks now; the ESA ATV can be seen docked to the end of Zvezda.

Soyuz TMA-11 landing photos are up at the Novosti Kosmonavtiki website.