Mars and magic curtains

Energiya has a brief report at its site (also at Roskosmos) on the cause of the Progress M-06M docking abort last month: due to interference over a communication channel, a cosmonaut accidentally pressed one of the buttons on the control panel.

“Difficult rebirth for Russian space science”, BBC News, 29/6/2010. Article by Anatoly Zak on the difficult task facing Russian engineers trying to relaunch their country’s long-dormant unmanned space exploration program.

“Russia to kick off construction of a new spaceport”, BBC News, 20/7/2010. Восточный, Vostochnyi (“Eastern”) cosmodrome, an alternative to Baikonur, is to be constructed in Russia’s Far East, intended to be finished by 2015.

“Magic Anti-Radiation Curtain to be Installed in the ISS”, RK, 6/7/2010. An anti-radiation curtain developed by IMBP was delivered on M-06M:

Progress M-06M cargo supply vehicle has delivered a so-called “magic curtain” to the International Space Station. Flight engineer Fyodor Yurchikhin will install the curtain in the starboard’s cabin of the Zvezda module. The curtain designed by IBMP has special pockets for special wet hygienic towels used by cosmonauts onboard the station. The towels are saturated with hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, which mitigate space radiation effects. The curtain is equipped with the radiation doze meters. Additional anti-radiation crew protection may be provided by three-layer wet towels on the walls of the cabins, thus mitigating radiation effects for cosmonauts, scientists believe.

Result of Matreshka experiment carried out in the station since 2004 show that the radiation is about two times weaker in the center of the station then near the walls. Phantom Matreshka-R is to monitor anti-radiation effectiveness of the wet towels. Experiment Matreshka is to study and to analyze radiation dose distribution in cosmonaut's body during long-term mission aboard the International space station (ISS). Dose from ionizing space radiation was determined with the help of thermoluminescent dosimeters mounted in conditional depths of critical organs in human body modeled in a dosimetric device, i.e. a ball-like tissue-equivalent phantom designed and manufactured in Russia for international space experiment Matreshka-R.

“Roscosmos Head Anatoly Perminov: Mission to Mars is to Take Place after 2035”, RK, 7/7/2010. More disappointing confirmation that there won’t be a Russian Martian attempt for some decades. I hope circumstances alter this! (Perhaps discovery of an alien artifact somewhere in the Solar System…)

Roscosmos Head Anatoly Perminov stated that the mission to Mars is planned after 2035, answering the questions of the students at the opening ceremony of International Students Science School “Space Exploration: Theory and Practice” in Russian Federal Space Agency. “Russia, Europe, the USA are interested in Martian missions today. India and China also have similar projects. There are more talks about human space missions to Mars. Russian Government have approved Federal Space Program which clearly defines sequence of automated space missions, as well as future human missions. The basic strategy implies Martian program to be implemented after 2035,” Perminov stated.

He also explained that there are no engines and propulsions systems capable to deliver humans to Mars in 2-3 months. “This is feasible only with nuclear propulsion. Many countries are trying to develop engines of new type, which can make mission time 20 times less- to reduce it from 1.5 years to 2 months,” Roscosmos Head said.

He added that there is another issue – human protection against solar radiation and radiation of the nuclear propulsion (if it is used). “This leads us to increasing mass of the launcher. No country is able of reaching Mars or other planets quickly. We are facing the energy problem. That’s why 2035 is defined in our plans,” Perminov said. “There is another option proposed by Russia and negotiated with heads of other space agencies. Interplanetary vehicles could be assembled in LEO. This approach can help us making the interplanetary missions sooner. Young generation will work with it, develop a new propulsion with a brand new operation principle,” Roscosmos Head concluded.

The Mars-500 crew are now over 2 months into their mission. They are no longer in real-time contact with TsUP:

25/07/2010: Today is important crucial point in the life and work of the crew because voice communication sessions will be completely ceased since the 26th of July. We change over to batch communication with gradual (stepwise) increment of the delays of communication. Batch communication means video-voice messages to the crew and similar answers. It can be used for the implementation of difficult experiments, for regular medical control and for psychological support. In addition to this the communication with the crew via electronic messages will be kept.

Blogger/Google have at last instigated comment spam filtering, so perhaps I can block my persistent Chinese spammer!

ISS online

The first ISS spacewalk for this year took place on 14/1, from the Russian segment, the 24th Russian spacewalk. Details:

• Maksim Suraev (EV1, Orlan-MK №4)
• Oleg Kotov (EV2, Orlan-MK №5)
• Duration: 5h 44m (10:05-15:49)
• From Pirs
• ISS Daily Report, NASASpaceflight.com thread, TsUP

“At last, space station crew gets live Internet”, MSNBC.com, 22/1. I did mention in my 4/12/2009 entry that the ISS crews were getting Internet, and this article gives more details (see also “NASA Extends the World Wide Web Out Into Space”, NASA Media Advisory, 22/1/2010).

Humphries said the space Internet uses the station’s high-speed Ku-band antenna, so it is active whenever the station has that connection. To surf the Web, astronauts can use a station laptop to control a desktop computer on Earth. It is that ground computer that has the physical connection to the Internet. There are security restrictions in place to protect the Internet portal, which NASA is calling the Crew Support LAN (Local Access Network).

Energiya’s website is undergoing a makeover with a new design (reminiscent of NASA’s current site); the old one has been in place since the 1990s. They are still using a table for page layout though (a very outdated method now), and the site is not very accessible (too much Javascript, and I wish they would discontinue the images appearing in pop-up windows!).

I decided to rename my “Kosmonavtka” sub-site to “RuSpace” (Russian Spaceflight) which is easier to say and remember. I wish I had not chosen the Kosmonavtka name – it makes no sense (it means “lady cosmonaut”, «Космонавтка») and sounds wierd – but was stuck for a name at the time, and happened to see it in a book. Thankfully I did not choose it for my main site URL (it was an option I considered).

I found out how to do 301 redirects, so have spent the afternoon moving files. Unfortunately it means anyone who has linked to my site will have to update bookmarks or links (there are quite a lot), and search engines will have to reindex, which might take many months.

I don’t update my space site (or this blog) much anymore; I feel little enthusiasm for it. The manned space program itself is going nowhere slowly – or around in circles – and just seems stagnant. Perhaps if there were an international manned Mars mission my interest would rekindle, but such a mission is unlikely to happen for a long time, if ever, given the numerous problems in the world.

Space nukes

From NK №788:

12/06/2009 / 00:05 – Russia will create a nuclear tug for interplanetary travel

Russia will revive a program to develop nuclear power plants for space purposes, the director of the RRC Kurchatov Institute, Mikhail Kovalchuk, said at a press conference in Moscow on Thursday.

“We need to create an atomic tug,” Kovalchuk said, recalling that in Soviet times there was a program to develop nuclear power plants; in particular the “Topaz” reactor was designed by the Kurchatov Institute.

“Using an atomic tug, you can save money for the future Russian lunar and Mars programs,” said the head of the institute. “This is a cheap way.”

According to him, the program was discussed with the management of RSC Energia, and a number of other space and nuclear institutions.

“We will reanimate these topics. We consider it as possibility to create not only engines, but also as energy sources (for spaceships).”

The Topaz reactor featured in Stephen Baxter’s Titan novel as a power source for the Space Shuttle on its mission to Saturn.

Energiya has another news report featuring ISS crews familiarizing themselves with the MIM-2 module, the next Russian module to be launched. A Buran – defunct Russian space shuttle – analog can be seen in the background of this photo. (It is the 3M [or OK-KS] full-size test model as seen on this page at Vassili’s Buran site, according to Anik.)

MIM-2 photos

Energiya has some photos online of the next Russian module due to be launched, MIM-2, МИМ-2 (to make things more confusing, referred to in English as MRM-2, Mini-Research Module-2). It is currently due to be launced on 10 November, propelled by a modified Progress cargo ship. The last Russian module launched was Pirs in 2001, so another one is long overdue!

A very short (12 minutes!) internal spacewalk was carried out on 10/6 inside Pirs to change over a hatch in preparation for the docking of MIM-2.

• Gennadii Padalka (EV1, Orlan-MK №5)
• Michael Barratt (EV2, Orlan-MK №6)
• 12m (06:55-07:07 UTC)
• ISS Daily Report
• NASA
• TsUP

New Russian spaceship (maybe)

“Russia launches effort to design new spaceship”, MSNBC.com, 7/4. The Russian Federal Space Agency, Roskosmos, announced their choice for the Advanced Crew Transport System (ACTS/ППСТ) that is to replace the Soyuz: a design by RSC Energiya. It includes an Advanced Crew Vehicle which is to be named Rus’, «Русь». The design is to be done by June 2010; a cargo flight is to take place in 2015, and the first manned flight in 2018. Not surprisingly, the reaction to the announcement is one of cynicism (see this NASA Watch entry) as there is a big gulf between pretty computer images and bringing it into reality:

Every few years, the Russian space agency comes up with yet another plan for a Soyuz replacement. Sometimes this even includes a new launch vehicle proposal. Yet Soyuz is still flying and it flies on the same launch vehicle. I agree with Anon E. Mouse. “Show me the money!”

Some information can be found at: Russian Space Web; “UPDATE: ROSCOSMOS: ACTS’ design work until late 2010” at the Hyperbola blog; NASASpaceflight.com thread; Orbiter-Forum thread.

“Russian rocket plans may prompt new space race”, James Oberg, New Scientist, 7/4.

“Happy US-Russian crew deny ‘divorce in space’ ”, Space Daily, 10/4. NASA astronaut Michael Fincke denied the reports of tensions over supplies on the ISS. Also noted were some remarks from President Medvedev:

Meanwhile, Russian President Dmitrii Medvedev pledged that despite the financial crisis Russia will not cut funds to its space programme. “We will in any case earmark funds for the space sector,” Medvedev told journalists at a award ceremony for two Russian cosmonauts. “If we now – even temporarily – slow development, we will fall 10 years behind…I hope that our cosmonauts will always be at the forefront of the world,” the Russian president said.

“Interview of Anatolii Perminov, Head of the Russian Federal Space Agency, to the Vesti TV-Channel”, Roskosmos, 11/4. Provides an overview of the space program at the moment.

“Russia to Delay Martian Moon Mission”, IEEE Spectrum, 7/4. The Phobos-Grunt Mars probe has, disappointingly, been delayed from 2009 to 2011.

Critics have long called the Phobos-Grunt an overly ambitious enterprise that is beyond the current experience of a Russian space industry battered by a decade of economic crisis, dwindling staff, inadequate funding, and poor management. “All this is going to end up in a scandal,” says Roald Sagdeev, a physics professor at the University of Maryland and former director of the Space Research Institute (IKI), in Moscow, which oversees the science program of the Phobos-Grunt mission. “This project became so politically loaded that people involved will probably be reluctant to admit the true state of affairs until the very last minute,” he says.

Buran 20th anniversary

Been depressed and haven’t felt much motivation to write here. Turning 38 doesn’t help my mood!

Soyuz TMA-12 landed on 24/10 at 03:36 UTC with no incidents (i.e. a normal not a ballistic landing). Expedition 18 is now on the ISS. STS-126 Endeavour launched successfully; its crew will install equipment (such as a regenerative environmental control and life support system) to enable the ISS’s crew to expand to 6 next year.

More money woes for Energiya (a familiar lament): “No Money, No Spacecraft, Russian Producer Warns”; “Finances may threaten Soyuz construction”, Space Daily, 24/10.

Astronaut Leroy Chiao has a blog entry about getting a look at a Chinese spacesuit.

“A Russian resurgence? (part one)”, The Space Review, 10/11. The situation for Russia’s space program has much improved since the dismal 1990s, but there are still funding problems to contend with, and the economy is precarious.

14 November marked 20 years since the first and only launch of the Buran space shuttle; a rather poignant anniversary of what could have been.

Today, 14 November, the Rocket and Space Corporation Energiya marked the 20th anniversary of the flight of the space shuttle Buran.

In the Conference Room, Energiya brought together those who took part in creating this unique system, the representatives of various enterprises rocket and space industry of Russia, whose combined efforts made this flight possible.

Leading the commemorative meeting, the president and general designer of RKK Energiya, Vitalii A. Lopota presented a welcoming speech, congratulated the anniversary and screened a documentary about the creation of the Buran system. Those actors in the film were familiar – the guests and employees of Energiya recognized their much younger selves. A scene of the Buran landing was met with thunderous applause.

At the meeting, several shared their memories of that time: Vitalii Khusseinovich Doguzhiev (Виталий Хуссейнович Догужиев), Minister of General Machine- Building in the Soviet Union between 1988-89; Oleg Dimetrievich Baklanov (Олег Дмитриевич Бакланов), Minister of General Machine-Building USSR between 1983-88 and the secretary of the CPSU Central Committee in 1988; Yurii Pavlovich Semenov (Юрий Павлович Семенов), Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, General Designer of RKK Energiya, 1989-2005, and one of the leaders of the Buran development; Vakhtang D. Vachnadze (Вахтанг Дмитриевич Вачнадзе), Director General of NGO Energiya between 1977-1991; Maj. Gen. Vladimir Evgeni’evich Gudilin (Владимир Евгеньевич Гудилин), head of training and of the start-up launcher Energiya and the universal space-rocket transportation system Energiya-Buran.

All speakers pointed out that the achievements of the time and date are unique in the world, and regretted the closure of the Energia-Buran program, said that today Russia needs to pay more attention to space programs, and improve support and development of the personnel policy branch.

In conclusion, V.A. Lopota once again congratulated all the participants of the meeting. “Who knows whether history will repeat its mistakes,” said Vitalii Alexandrovich, thus expressing the mood and aspirations of all those present.

A cosmonaut from Kazakhstan will fly on the ISS in October 2009. There are two in the Cosmonaut Group with the qualification of cosmonaut-tester (космонавт-испытатель): Mukhtar Aimakhanov (Мухтар Аймаханов) and Aidyn Aimbetov (Айдын Аимбетов). Both joined the 2003 selection group.

Happy 50th Birthday, Sergei

Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalyov turns 50 today! С днём рожденья, Сергей! (Not that he ever reads this…) I wonder what he will achieve in his next half-century? Maybe be 1st on Mars!

From Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №724:

28/08/2008/00:09 – The President of Russia, D.A. Medvedev, congratulated the pilot-cosmonaut S.K. Krikalyov on his 50th birthday

On 27 August the President of Russia, Dmitrii Medvedev, congratulated pilot-astronaut and deputy chief designer of Rocket and Space Corporation Energiya, Sergei Krikalyov, on his 50th birthday.

“You are deservedly considered one of the record holders among cosmonauts for the total length of time spent in orbit,” Mr. Medvedev said in his telegram. “Your truly heroic biography is an outstanding example of courage, strength of will and firmness of character. Your competence, organisational talents and professional and personal qualities have earned the deserved respect of your colleagues and friends.”

From the Energiya website:

August 28, 2008. S.P.Korolyov RSC Energiya, Korolyov, Moscow region.

An S.P. Korolyov RSC Energiya deputy general designer, instructor-cosmonaut-tester, 1st Class, Hero of the Soviet Union and of the Russian Federation, Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalyov turned 50 on August 27, 2008.

The President of the Russian Federation D.A. Medvedev sent him a congratulatory telegram, which, among other things, says: “You are rightfully considered one of the record-breakers among active cosmonauts with regard to the total duration of your orbital missions. Your truly heroic biography became an outstanding example of courage, will-power and fortitude. Your competence, managerial ability, professional and personal qualities earned you a due respect of your colleagues and friends” (news on the web site of the Russian President www.kremlin.ru).

On this significant day, S.K. Krikalyov was congratulated by Governor of St.Petersburg V.I. Matvienko, heads of the Federal Space Agency, management and staff of the S.P. Korolyov Rocket and Space Corporation Energiya, representatives of various companies and organizations in the Russian space industry and Russian Academy of Sciences, including the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Head of the town of Korolyov A.F. Morozenko, S.P. Korolyov RSC Energiya cosmonaut team, NASA representatives, friends and colleagues.

Dear Sergei Konstantinovich!

The management and staff of the S.P. Korolyov Rocket and Space Corporation Energiya heartily congratulate you on this significant day of your 50th anniversary!

Upon graduating with honors from the Leningrad Mechanical Institute in 1981, you took a job with the world-known Korolyov’s company, where you have been working for more than a quarter of a century now, having risen through the ranks from an engineer to a deputy general designer.

You worked on developing manuals for cosmonauts, proposals on displaying operator’s data on consoles of the Mir space station, updating the on-board documentation of the Salyut-7 space station. You worked at the Mission Control Center during several long-term missions. After communication was lost with Salyut-7 in 1985, you, as a member of a “ground crew”, took part in developing various options for procedures of flying and docking with the uncontrollable space station. Afterwards, this operation was successfully performed for the first time in history! The same year you joined the team of cosmonauts of NPO Energiya. You were training yourself and were taking an active part in training cosmonauts at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center and at Baikonur.

You have accomplished six space missions to the muti-modular space station Mir, the unique creation of the 20th century, and the International Space Station, an ambitious international project of the 21st century, during which hundreds of sessions of scientific and applied research experiments were carried out, providing invaluable results for Russian and world science. And your pictures taken in space are the envy of any professional photographer!

Special milestones in your career are the activities on the International Space Station. Three times you worked onboard the station, and each of these missions was unique in its own way. The first mission was the first manned mission under the International Space Station assembly program, in the course of which US Node 1 module was docked to the Functional Cargo Module Zarya. Together with Space Shuttle Commander R. Cabana, you were the first to open the hatch leading to ISS. The second mission was under the program of the first expedition to ISS (ISS-1). It started the continuous operation of the ISS. You were the first to make habitable the Service Module Zvezda and Functional Cargo Module Zarya, and, later on, the Laboratory Module Destiny, and started scientific research under Russian and US programs. In the third mission you set up the absolute world record for the total space flight endurance of 803 days, which remains unbroken by any other nation in the world!

For the courage and heroism displayed during your missions into space, you were given titles of the Hero of the Soviet Union and the Hero of the Russian Federation, and awarded both Russian and foreign orders and medals. You are an honorary citizen of St. Petersburg. Your energy, commitment and perseverance in achieving your goal, high professionalism and erudition, communication skills and kindness towards people earned you due respect among your Russian colleagues and foreign partners. Everybody also knows about your achievements in sports: you have learned to fly several types of airplanes, including a foreign airplane, and you won prizes several times at the USSR, Europe and world championships.

On this great day, dear Sergei Konstantinovich, please accept our heartfelt wishes of good health, happiness and prosperity to you and your relatives, of new creative successes and luck in the course of flight design tests and operation of the rocket and space hardware for the sake of strengthening the power and prosperity of Russia.

– President, General Designer V.A. Lopota

(Photo via Energiya)

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).

Recruitment difficulties

“Internal NASA Documents Give Clues to Scary Soyuz Return Flight”, James Oberg, IEEE Spectrum, May 2008. James Oberg gives a measured account of the events of the off-nominal Soyuz TMA-11 landing; what is known to date. There are also some diagrams from a NASA document. Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №702 also mentioned the article, saying that it is interesting material with a calmer tone in contrast to reports in the Russian media. “Oberg writes that the events on 19 April were very unpleasant, but they again demonstrated the reliability of the Soyuz spacecraft, which has accumulated nearly 100 manned missions. A flattering estimation, but it reflects reality.” Comments at the relevant thread at NASASpaceflight.com. There are some at the NK forum (in Russian, try Babelfish to translate), though they seem a little more dismissive (as much as I can make out from the translator).

“Perilous Landings by Soyuz Worry NASA”, Washington Post, 12/5.

Progress M-64 launched on 14 May at 20:22:56.216 UTC. One item it carries is a new Sokol pressure suit for ISS Commander Sergei Volkov as his has a damaged zipper (4 teeth misaligned).

From Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №703, concerns with difficulties in recruiting cosmonauts:

4/05/2008/00:18 – Manpower is a serious problem for NPO Energomash, and for RKK Energiya’s cosmonaut group

Manpower is a serious problem for the famous creator of rocket engines NPO Energomash, and the RSC Energia cosmonaut group. This was stated by the CEO of NPO, Nikolai Pirogov, and the Deputy Leader Flight Space Center RSC Energiya pilot-cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov at a recent meeting with the cosmonauts at Energomash.

“The problem of manpower and the problem of technical reequipping are the main challenges before us,” Nikolai Pirogov said in reply to a question. “With regard to personnel,” he elaborated, “this is an extremely acute problem. For three years we have managed to reduce the average age of staff for 4 years and now it is 49 years old, but it is still an advanced age.” As pointed out by the Director General, “a good, qualified fitter takes 5-6 years to train.”

As for his side, said Pavel Vinogradov, “the staffing problem, the problem of recruiting youth into the cosmonaut group is serious.” “We would like to recruit 5-7-8 people a year,” he said “but, unfortunately, today we select only one or two.”

“The problem is not serious because few are willing to apply,” added the pilot-cosmonaut, “many do apply, but we have a very strict selection system. According to our statistics, from thousands of military pilots, who are understandable, initially are healthy people, we initially draw 20 people. Then, when they start to take our commission, we select the healthiest two or three. We are reaping the fruits of what happened in the country 15-20 years ago, and healthwise, from a medical point of view, it is very difficult to select people.”

“In Energiya the requirements are considerably more stringent, ” noted Vinogradov. “Besides being healthy, an applicant must have professional knowledge, must be very good engineer, be very diversified, multitalented, with good preparation from a good university. And such people there are generally only one, if not less.”

According to him, “the financial side is also a problem.” “Today the highest salary among pilots, cosmonauts, who have classes already flew at 15 940 rubles,” he said. “We once tried to solve this problem, in particular, by paying the remainder to us from the corporation. But it is abnormal when a cosmonaut receives less than a subway train driver. I can not say that we do not pay attention,” stressed Vinogradov, “unfortunately, there are many unresolved legal and legislative problems that have remained since the Soviet Union and deal with them is very difficult. But we are working toward a solution.”

ISS RS delays

“Russian ISS segment construction delayed for 5 years”, RIA Novosti, 10/4. Insufficient funding means the completion of the ISS RS might be pushed back from 2010 to 2015, requiring Russia to request of the other partners that the ISS lifetime be extended to 2020.

Sergei Krikalyov news:

• Energiya photo-report, 7/4: “Baikonur launch site, branch office of S.P.Korolev RSC Energia A meeting of the State commission was held. Director of Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center V.V. Tsibliev reported about the crew readiness for the planned spaceflight. RSC Energia President and General Designer V.A. Lopota reported about readiness of the Soyuz FG/Soyuz TMA-12 rocket-space complex for further prelaunch processing. The State commission approved the prime and backup crews for the Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft and the ISS-17 and also a decision was adopted to continue preparation of the Soyuz-FG/Soyuz TMA-12 rocket-space complex for fueling and launch at the set time on April 8, 2008, namely at 15 hr. 16 min Moscow time.” Sergei appears in photos 7, 8, 11.
• «Космонавты могут снимать более качественно, чем спутники – Крикалев», RIA Novosti, 10/4.

Cosmonauts can photograph better than satellites, says Krikalyov

A skilled cosmonaut onboard the International Space Station can make a photo of the surface of the Earth, of a quality comparable to the pictures received from satellites that cost hundred millions of dollars; besides he, unlike the automatic device, can analyze a situation and make pictures at the appropriate angles, Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalyov considers.

Krikalyov, the record-holder for the total duration of flights on the Mir space station and the ISS, presented on Thursday an exhibition of photos from space, as part of the Institute of Space Research (IKI) exhibition “Science on the ISS Russian segment”.

“NASA experts expected that from a camera in a manual mode with a telephoto lens from board the ISS, the pictures would turn out with a resolution worse than 15 meters. However the photos taken through windows have shown, after a careful studying of the ground, that separate pictures are obtained with a resolution of 10 meters, and with using the nadir (a point opposite to zenith) – about 5 meters,” said Krikalyov, answering a question from RIA News.

He explained that automatic satellites cannot replace a person as some Earth sites are often overcast above, and only a person can – having analyzed real-time conditions – take pictures at the correct angle.

“Even NASA experts say that they are reconsidering their attitude to the photos taken in a manual mode by cosmonauts. Earlier they relied only on photos from satellites,” the cosmonaut said. He also said that with the advent of new digital technology on board the ISS may enable things previously inaccessible. “For example, Polar Lights [aurora] from space appeared recently, and I am confident that no one else has done such imagery,” said the cosmonaut.

Six-flight veteran Krikalyov said that he took both art photography, and images on behalf of the Roscosmos and NASA. He used film at first, then Nikon digital cameras with a 400-millimetre telephoto lens and an extender.

From Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №696:

11/04/2008/00:09 – A mini-satellite will be released from a Progress cargo ship for studying lightning

In 2009 in orbit a unique experiment will be carried out for the first time: after undocking from the ISS, the Progress space cargo ship will release a mini- satellite, «Чибис», “Chibis” (“Lapwing”), intended for studying lightning, reported Leo Zelenyi, the head of the Institute of Space Research (IKI) RAN (Russian Academy of Science). The Chibis “mini- satellite”, intended for studying lightning discharges, is planned to first be delivered to the ISS with the flight of the Progress cargo ship, after which the following Station crew will install a container with the small automatic spacecraft inside the Progress, which is usually deorbited. This ship, which depleted its resources as part of the ISS, not will be deorbited immediately, but instead raised in orbit by height about 500 kilometers, where the automated mini-satellite will be separated from the cargo ship, a scientist explained.

“The ship itself after this will be brought down from orbit and deorbited in the calculated unnavigable region of the Pacific Ocean,” added Zelenyi.

Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalyov added, from his side, that in RKK Energiya at present begins the fundamental decision of conducting of this unique experiment. “We must study the question of ballistics, make a decision about servicing the Progress before launch with an additional volume of fuel so that it would be sufficient to raise the cargo ship to an altitude of 500 kilometers,” said the cosmonaut. The mass of the Chibis satellite is 40 kilograms, scientific instruments weigh 12.5 kilograms, and additional equipment is 18.2 additional kilograms. The satellite is developed by the specialists of the Institute of Space Research.

ATV docked

The ATV successfully docked to the ISS on 4/4. The NASA Human Spaceflight Gallery has some nice photos from its earlier test run for the docking on 31/3.

“Response to a reporter of a Russian periodical: Upper stages Block DM built by S.P.Korolev RSC Energia are of highest reliability” on the Energiya site; apparently even some Russian reporters can’t get the facts accurate on their own country’s space program! The name of the publication isn’t given.

Sergei Krikalyov sightings in photos (he is looking ever-greyer :-( – he’ll be 50 this year!):

• 4/3: Novosti-Kosmonavtiki photo gallery: «Торжественное собрание в посольстве Чехии по случаю 30-летия первого пилотируемого полёта по программе «Интеркосмос» » (ceremonial meeting at the embassy of the Czech Republic on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the first manned flight program Intercosmos). Sergei appears in photos: 7, 28, 67, 69.
• 18/3: Energiya photo-report: “S.P. Korolev RSC Energia, Korolev, Moscow region. The Chief Designers Board meeting At OAO S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia, the Chief Designers Board meeting chaired by V.A. Lopota, the Corporation President, General Designer, took place. Among the issues under review were the following: current state of the International Space Station Russian Segment and going on with its mission Program implementation, progress in prelaunch processing of Soyuz TMA-12 transport manned space vehicle and final works phase, which Expedition 16 crew will perform.” Sergei appears in photo 13.

The io9 blog mentioned a computer game based on a trilogy of novels by Russian author Alexander Zorich (actually two authors writing under the pseudonym); they write science fiction and fantasy novels, only available in Russia though (and not translated into English). The game is an alternative history where Russia has expanded into outer space and has contact (and conflict) with 4 alien races. I don’t know if I would like the novels or not if I were able to read them, but I would be curious to see how they would compare with the usual (and predictable) U.S./British sci-fi that dominates the novels available in Australia. (The sci-fi I like is of the “aliens and spaceships” sort.)

Soyuz TMA-10 ballistic landing cause determined

Via José (and also reported at MSNBC.com):

The reason for the rough landing of Soyuz TMA-10 has been determined

29/1/2008, Lenta.ru

The reason for the ballistic descent of the descent vehicle Soyuz TMA-10 with the ISS crew members onboard during 21 October 2007, was caused by damage to a cable in the spacecraft’s control panel, said RKK Energiya leader Vitalii Lopota.

“The Commission of Inquiry for the reasons for the contingency situation finished its work and established that the reason for ballistic descent was the cable fault, which connected the control panel with the Soyuz descent equipment,” said Lopota. According to him, RKK Energiya will take all measures to avoid a repetition of this situation.

On 21 October 2007 the descending ship capsule Soyuz TMA-10, on which was being returned the members of the 15th ISS Expedition – Russians Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov (more half a year in orbit) and the first cosmonaut of Malaysia, Sheik Muzafar Shukor (11 days in orbit) – passed from the controlled regime to ballistic. The capsule landed 70 kilometers from the planned landing place and the cosmonauts endured overloads up to nine gravities/units.

According to the chief ballastician of Mission Control Center (TSUP), Nikolai Ivanov, the overload was short-term and did not threaten the health and life of the cosmonauts. “The ballistic descent – into the regime of which the day before, the descent vehicle with the cosmonauts of the 15th Expedition and the first cosmonaut of Malaysia, the control system transferred in the section of descent into the Earth’s atmosphere – is not a nonstandard regime, and the overload to nine units, tested by the crew and which was being continued of approximately ten seconds, did not threaten their life and health,” said Ivanov. “There was a failure, but the Soyuz control system not only did not refuse, but, that – of principal importance – successfully transferred the descent vehicle into the more reliable regime of descent into the Earth’s atmosphere. If this happened, God forbid, with the American shuttle, in which a regime of ballistic descent is not provided, then it would be necessary to go with a funeral procession to meet the astronauts inside it.”

The difference between the ballistic and controlled descent is that the controlled automation constantly orients the descent vehicle by its flat lower part to the Earth, which ensures lift due to the incidental airflow, and it ensures minimum overloads for the crew up to four gravities/units, Ivanov explained. “The descent along the ballistic trajectory without the participation of lift is comparable with a falling stone, but if we permitted it to fall like a stone, then the overload would reach a limit incompatible with human life. Therefore we constantly rotated the descent vehicle around its axis, it achieved approximately one revolution after half a minute, what contributed (to transfer) the life-threatening ‘foot-head’ overload into the more acceptable ‘chest-spin’ overload due to the centrifugal force,” said the ballistics chief.

According to the 15th Expedition commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, “The rotation of the descent vehicle was sharp, rigid, with strong vestibular irritation, which I could feel from the left seat of the capsule in which I sat. The overload increased gradually, up to a tolerable 8.56 units. After overload at seven units we ceased to report to Earth about our health in order to concentrate on maintaining our respiration. But the crew members did not experience loss of sight and consciousness, and we understood that we just had to endure the ordeal.”

“Russia may build new shuttle spacecraft by 2015”, RIA Novosti, 29/1. Energiya’s spacecraft proposal (it has 6 projects, 2 of which it will submit to the Russian Space Agency in the near future) would likely have a lifting-body design and carry a crew of 6. More via Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №682: Sergei Krikalyov, Energiya’s deputy design project leader, is convinced that several different spacecraft designs will be required to realize Russia’s space projects. “It is not possible to create a ship which would equally be suitable for flights the Moon, Mars, and for the flights to near-Earth orbit. Therefore I do not exclude that not one manned ship will be built, but several,” emphasized the cosmonaut. He said the new ship will be constructed at the new spaceport.

Energiya chief Valerii Lopota said at the 31st Academic Readings in Cosmonautics conference that the Soyuz and Progress ships would be transferred over to digital technologies in the 2008-2009 period which would increase their reliability.

Redesigning space sites

NASA’s website launched a newer, more modern design on 30 November - it looks much nicer and the clunky HTML table layout has been dumped at last! (The site does, however, require Javascript to display properly, and takes nearly a minute to load on broadband because of the huge amount of JS files loaded.)

Now if only the Russian space websites would redesign and upgrade! Some quick observations:

• Energiya: site appearance is neat and somewhat conservative, but the HTML layout consists of old-fashioned tables and is a bit messy.
• Federal Space Agency: tables layout and navigation requires Javascript to function, so it is not very accessible.
• TsUP: design looks outdated (color scheme is not very attractive) and the site menu is Javascript-based, so without this enabled the site can’t be accessed
• IMBP: ugh! Uses frames and an image map. Very outdated and totally inaccessible.

News tidbits:

Mark Wade has abandoned his Pausanius blog. He sounds as disillusioned as I do, though for different reasons.

“AstroMom and Basstronaut, revisited”, The Space Review, 19/11. What happened to the space-tourists-who-weren’t, Lori Garver and Lance Bass. To me it was another example of how dismally avaricious the Russian space program has become – the word that come to mind is “prostitution”.

“Russia To Launch Manned Spacecraft From New Site In 2018”, Space Daily, 22/11. The new site is to be called Восточный, Vostochnyi (“Eastern”), so you can guess in what direction it is located. Baikonur will continue to be used until at least 2020.

Ivanov confirmed that Russia would continue to use the Baikonur launch site until at least 2020, and would also build new facilities at the Kazakh center under the joint Baiterek project to support launches of the future Angara family of launch vehicles.

At the same time, the first deputy premier called for urgent measures to develop the country as a leading space power rather than to turn it into a provider of launch services for other countries. “I would like to stress that Russia should not turn into a country providing only launching services – a kind of space hauler, although this alarming trend has been taking shape lately,” Ivanov said. “This trend may become a reality, unless proper measures are taken urgently to develop all aspects of space activities,” he said.

On 15 November, Space Adventures offered anyone who could come up with the $3 million fee a chance to train as space tourist Richard Garriott’s backup. The contender was announced in the 26/11 Herald-Sun: a 38-year-old Australian businessman, Nik Halik. (Note that the article might disappear.) I have not seen this mentioned anywhere else yet.

“Russia Conducts First Experiment In Preparation For Mars-500”, RIA Novosti/Space Daily, 30/11. A short test of the modules was conducted by a Russian crew (5 men, 1 woman) from 15-29 November. There is disappointingly little information on the Mars-500 site, though.

Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №669 has a more detailed report on the recent completion of the first Mars-500 short test run, including short biographies of the participants, who all have intimidatingly impressive qualifications. (Yes, I am envious of them.)

30/11/2007/00:03 – Flight to Mars from the Khoroshevskogo highway of the capital city

Within the framework of the “Mars-500” project – an international crew flight simulation to the Red Planet – the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems of the Russian Academy of Science held a two-week experiment involving six testers.

The purpose of the two week experiment, which was conducted in IMPB RAN with the active assistance of the Federal Space Agency, was checking the conformity of the technical and operating characteristics of the modules and their systems to the requirements of the developed technical and operational documentation under the conditions maximally approximating real operation. The experiment was conducted in two modules of the medical-technical complex: EU-150/ЭУ-150 (habitable module with a volume of 150 m³) and EU-100/ЭУ-100 (medical module with a volume of 100 m³). In the course of the experiment, the crew lived and worked in these completely isolated modules. During the experiment was tested newly-developed life-support systems, monitoring and control, information management and the local tele-medical network.

The experiment began on 15 November at 11:00 and was completed on 29 November at 14:00.

The crew successfully managed the tasks entrusted to it. During 14 days there was performed the estimation of modules and their systems in terms of their suitability to conducting of the more prolonged experiments, which are part of the Mars-500 program.

The deputy chief of the Federal Space Agency, V.A. Davydov, and the chief for the administration of the manned programs Roskosmos, A.B. Krasnov, became acquainted with the progress of the experiment and the work of the support systems during a visit to IMBP on 22 November.

The experiment was attended by major developers: ФГУП ЦЭНКИ/FGUP TsENKI, ЗАО МИУС/EAO MIUS, ОАО ВНИСИ/OAO VNISI, ОАО НИИХИММАШ/OAO NIIKhIMMASH, ФГУП ЦНИИМАШ ЦУП-МФ/FGUP TsNIIMASH TsUP-MF, ЗАО ЦВТ/EAO TsVT. During the experiment some elements of the crew uniforms were tried, designed and provided by ЗАО НПО «Динафорс»/EAO NPO “Dinafors” working within the framework of the partnership program for the project “Mars-500”.

The crew consisted of five men and one woman:

• Artamonov, Anton Anatol’evich/Артамонов Антон Анатольевич (1982). Engineer physicist, and IMBP engineer-programmer. After graduating from the physical chemistry department of Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys, he specialized in the department of theoretical physics in the region of the superconductivity of nanomaterial. His research interests are the properties and the functioning of muscular apparatus, and the application of laws governing physics of materials in biomechanics. At present he works on his thesis.
• Artem’ev, Oleg Germanovich/Артемьев Олег Германович (1970). Mechanical engineer, he graduated as RKK Energiya engineer and finished at N.E. Bauman MGTU. His specialization is technology and low-temperature physics. After the successful completion of general space training, he obtained qualified as a cosmonaut-researcher and was enrolled as a cosmonaut-tester in the RKK Energiya group, specializing in extravehicular activity. Has a number of publications in this region.
• Kovalev, Aleksandr Sergeevich/Ковалев Александр Сергеевич (1982). Engineer, works in the telemedicine laboratory at IMBP. He graduated from the MAI in the specialty “Engineering in the biomedical practice”. He participated in the experiments on the study of the influence of the simulated effects of microgravity on the human organism. His scientific interests are the influence of the extreme conditions of living environment on the cardiorespiratory system of the body.
• Perfilov, Dmitrii Vladimirovich/Перфилов Дмитрий Владимирович (1975). Doctor, works in the IMBP telemedicine laboratory. Graduated from Moscow Medico-stomatological University, specializing in therapeutic matter. Upon completion of his clinical internship, he qualified as a therapeutist and has additional qualification as a anesthesiologist-resuscitator. Scientific interests: pain sensitivity by changing the factors of space flight, which assumes the possible correction of the existing scheme of the treatment of cosmonauts.
• Ryazanskii, Sergei Nikolaevich/Рязанский Сергей Николаевич (born 1974), expedition commander. Graduated from the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov in the specialty of biochemistry. In 2005, after completing training he received general space training and cosmonaut-researcher qualifications. He is a member of the Bioethical Commission SRC RF IMBP-RAS. According to the results of studies performed, he has published 19 works, and made 12 reports, eight of them in international conferences. In 2006, he defended his candidate’s thesis on the specialty “physiology” and “aviation and space medicine”.
• Tugusheva, Marina Petrovna/Тугушева Марина Петровна (1983). Biologist, Researcher IMBP. She graduated with honors from the biological department of the Tverskii State University in the department “Anatomies and physiologies of man and animals”. After completion of university she was invited to undertake full-time post-graduate study at GNTS RF of the RAN Institute of Biomedical Problems in the specialty “Aviation, space and sea medicine”. She is at present a graduate student in her 3rd year of learning and a scientific worker in the division of Barophysiology and Diving Medicine. She participated in the conferences of young scientists in the years 2006-2007, in the 8th International Congress for Adaptive Medicine in 2006, and also in 2007 in the I.P. Pavlov Congress of the Physiologists and the “Cosmos and Medicine” conference . She has repeatedly participated in experiments.

(A blog gripe: I hate having to think up a title for each blog entry; I find it hard to come up with anything, sometimes!)

Nukes in space and other news

Andrei Kislyakov opinion pieces:

• “Russian Space Program Needs To Change”, 12/8
• “Outside View: Space industry confusions”, 13/8
• “What’s the outlook for the ISS?”, 14/8.

Two-part article on “Nuclear Power in Space” by Yurii Zaitsev: Part 1 (RIAN/SpaceDaily, 13/8) and Part 2 (RIAN/SpaceDaily, 15/8). For an interplanetary mission (e.g. to Mars) a small nuclear reactor would provide a more efficient power source than solar panels (which are increasingly ineffective the further away from the Sun a spaceship gets). Russia developed a unit called “Topaz” during the Soviet era, which has been flown in space on satellites. (I first saw mention of the Topaz in the Stephen Baxter novel Titan).

Unfortunately, with current technology only nuclear fission (splitting an atom) is used with its unpleasant side-effects of radiation; fusion (combining atoms) would be ideal. There is also the environmental problem of how to bring a reactor back to Earth!

• “Obsolete space industry”, Space Daily, 15/8: Andrei Kislyakov opinion piece.

  For Russia, the ISS is all that is left of its once stupendous manned program. Its loss would shake the industry to its foundations. But the question arises: If Russia is to stay on, which is beyond discussion, then what is to be done and, most importantly, how?

• FP Space posting: “Soyuz/Progress upgrades”, 20/8. Summary of a Novosti Kosmonavtiki article about planned upgrades to the spacecraft.
• “Bold New Projects Critical To Future Of Russian Space Exploration”, Space Daily, 20/8. Interview with former Energiya president Nikolai Sevast’yanov.
• “Russian, European Space Agencies To Develop Manned Spaceship”, RIAN/Space Daily, 22/8. Announcement at the MAKS-2007 Airshow.
• “Russian space agency to form three space holdings by 2015”, RIAN/Space Daily, 22/8.
• “50th Aniversary Of The Russian ICBM Rocket”, Space Daily, 23/8.
• “Mars-500 Experiment Could Be Extended To 700 Days”, RIAN/Space Daily, 23/8. Pity this can’t be a real mission, even just one going around Mars (not landing on it).
• “Russia’s space guru opts for evolution”, RIAN/Space Daily, 23/8. Andrei Kislyakov on the dismayingly limited plans for Russia’s space program – just upgrade some old designs.

And why can’t the Russian space program do something similar to this: “NASA and Internet Archive Team to Digitize Space Imagery”, SpaceRef, 23/8. There must be a lot of things in the Russian archives that the public hasn’t seen; it would be a great way of getting their attention.

Where’s Sergei?

After the restructuring of Energiya’s top management on 6 August, Sergei Krikalyov seems to have vanished from the Top Management page (he was elected Vice-President of Manned Flights on 5 February). (First noticed by Olaf.) Has he been removed from his position there after 6 months, or did they just neglect to mention him?

The interviews with Nikolai Sevast’yanov that were at the top of the Energiya website for some time were removed; here are links to all 4 of them at the site:

• “The mission to Mars is to be international”, 24/11/2005
• “Manned spaceflight to be cost-efficient”, 1/2/2006
• “Concept of Russian manned space navigation development”, 1/7/2006
• “MoonGasTransport Inc.”, 12/2/2007

New Energiya president

A new president of Energiya was elected, Vitali Aleksandrovich Lopota. The company also seems to be in financial trouble. [According to this post at FP Space, the “bankruptcy” statement was a slight mistranslation.] The Klipper spaceship won’t be displayed at the upcoming MAKS 2007 airshow. The deputy head of Roskosmos, Vitali Davidov, informed journalists on Tuesday that in the Federal space program of Russia, no flights of Russian cosmonauts to the Moon are planned until at least 2012.

Other news tidbits:

• “Oxygen Generating System activated onboard ISS”, NASASpaceflight.com, 12/7. The OGS in the Destiny module has been turned on, so it will be interesting to see how this performs over time! The cantankerous Elektron seems to have been behaving itself the last few months (at least, there have been no reports of any trouble).
• “The 1st Russian Space Tourist?”: NASASpaceflight.com forum thread about a rumor that a Russian tourist will be going up in spring 2008 (autumn in the Northern Hemisphere). Hope they are not an obnoxious oligarch or the equally obnoxious Sergei Polonskii.
• Clayton Anderson (EV1, EMU No.3008) and Fyodor Yurchikhin (EV2, EMU No. 3006) successfully completed their spacewalk on 23 July, taking 7h 41m (10:24-18:05 UTC). Some photos start from this page at the ISS-15 Gallery.
• An article by Asif Siddiqi: “Russia’s Long Love Affair with Space”, August 2007.

From Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №640:

20/07/2007/10:42 – Scientists will contact the ISS from the bottom of the ocean at the North Pole

The participants of the expedition of the Russian “Mir” deep-water manned devices – who, for the first time in history, will make a dive at a point of the North Pole – plan to communicate from the bottom of the Arctic ocean via TsUP (Moscow Mission Control) with the crew of the International Space Station. The special representative of the president of the Russian Federation – State Duma Vice-President Artur Tchilingarov – announced this in connection with the third International Polar Year.

According to Tchilingarov – who will head this expedition – the beginning of the immersing of the devices Mir-1 and Mir-2 in an area of the North Pole is planned for 29 July of this year.

The “Mir” submersibles appeared in the 1997 Titanic movie. A test dive was made on the 29th.

Progress M-61 is to launch on 2 August.

Energiya vs. Roskosmos

Energiya and Roskosmos are bickering again, with the Federal Space Agency moving to fire Energiya President Nikolai Sevast’yanov (temporarily replacing him with Vice-President Aleksandr Strekalov).

• “Government wants to sack Energia space corp. head – source”, RIA Novosti, 22/6. “During his tenure, Sevastyanov has not been on good terms with the Federal Space Agency, a government regulator in the space industry. The Energia head has been repeatedly criticized primarily for his daring projects on Moon exploration, which the agency called ‘lunacy’ and looked to restrict Sevastyanov’s powers.”
• “Strekalov to become acting Energia space corp. president”, RIA Novosti, 22/6
• Roskosmos has almost achieved Sevastyanov’s resignation, NASASpaceflight.com thread. “I am very disappointed. Mr. Sevast’yanov very much loves unrealizable projects, but such people move astronautics forward.”
• “What Is Happening At The Russian Rocket Corporation”, RIA Novosti, 28/6 (also at SpaceDaily)

Energiya’s management (including Sergei Krikalyov) signed a statement in support of Mr. Sevast’yanov (currently in Russian [Gone]; no English translation yet). This seems somewhat ironic, as his election was initially opposed in 2005, and the management of then signed a statement in support of the-then President, Yurii Semyonov! (The original collective letter. [Gone]) He must have made a good impression since then. At least he had a Vision for the future. Some interviews with him are on Energiya’s Publications page.

These sort of political machinations are wasteful and are hardly likely to inspire younger people to join the Russian space program (of whom it is in desperate need of).

Progress M-60 launches

Progress M-60, the 25th Progress flight to the ISS, launched on 12 May 2007 at 03:25:38 UTC and docked to Zvezda at 15 May 2007 at 05:10 with no problems.

Alexei Krasnov, the head of the Russian Space Agency’s department for manned flights, said that ISS crews will be increased to six people by 2009 on 11 May.

“A tale of two rockets...with a happy ending”, James Oberg, MSNBC.com, 14/5. 15 May is the 50th anniversary of the R7 rocket, and the 20th anniversary of the first launch of the Energiya booster rocket. Both were originally intended for military purposes, but the R7 became a successful launch rocket for civilian missions, and the Energiya was intended to covertly launch weapons but was cancelled after the USSR collapsed.

From Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №627. Nikolai Sevast’yanov told journalists at Baikonur Cosmodrome on 15 May that Energiya would present the Kliper project to Roskosmos at year’s end. Energiya’s primary goal is the development of a new space transport system of a new qualitative level.

Energiya has begun the construction of the 6 piloted Soyuz and 3 Progress cargo spaceships ordered by NASA under contract for nearly U.S.$1 billion. The ships will be completed between 2009-2011. As the construction takes 2-3 years, Energiya has begun “bookmarking” the ships, though the method of financing is not certain yet; the company is beginning the work with its own resources.

News tidbits

Some news tidbits from the last few days.

Neglected to mention that Energiya president Nikolai Sevast’yanov was in a car accident on 3 March in Moscow (NK News №611); he collided head-on with a 23-year-old driver in a Opel Astra who came out of a side-street unexpectedly. He got a brain concussion and various injuries, but he evidently recovered as it was not mentioned on the Energiya site, and he was attending meetings a week or so later.

“The first Soyuz mission – forty years on”, RIA Novosti, 23/3.

“Space station trip will push the envelope”, James Oberg, MSNBC.com, 28/3. The Soyuz TMA-9 spaceship will have stayed in space longer than any previous Soyuz (214 days – previous record is 210 days).

“China And Russia Plan Mars Mission”, Space Daily, 28/3. A small Chinese satellite is to be launched with the Russian “Phobos Explorer” spacecraft.

“China To Pursue Space Instead Of Socialism”, Space Daily, 28/3. Andrei Kislyakov opinion piece.

“Fireball fears stoked by space history”, James Oberg, MSNBC.com, 29/3. A fireball seen from a Chilean airliner was initially thought to be the deorbiting Progress M-58 cargo ship, but this was later discredited. The sea dump site is in the South Pacific, 45°S and 140°W.

Progress M-58 undocked on 27/3 at 18:11, deorbited at 22:44:30 and was destroyed at 23:30:22.

“Space brings Russia glory but not money – experts”, RIA Novosti/Gazeta (news roundup for 30/3):

On Thursday, the Presidium of the State Council, which comprises Russia’s regional leaders, held its visiting session in Kaluga, a city south-west of Moscow, to discuss how the national space program could benefit the economy. The Presidium said the Russian economy could only benefit from communication satellites, while experts doubt their efficiency.

The Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) is just about the only cost-effective space program to date. Although pocket personal computers and cell phones still cannot operate outside the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS), Russia and the European Union are working hard to develop their own navigation systems. The EU’s satellite-navigation system Galileo faces serious problems; and the European Commission even threatened to terminate the project, unless the parties reached a consensus on principled issues.Russia’s GLONASS project is not very successful either because only eight GLONASS satellites are currently in orbit.

In early March, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, one of the likely candidates to succeed President Vladimir Putin, said the GLONASS system will be opened to commercial users late this year. But analysts doubt the system’s market prospects. Eldar Murtazin, a leading analyst at Mobile Research Group, said Russia does not need a GPS-type system. He said the GLONASS system will be adapted for civilian use to make it profitable. But it will not be very popular because few people will install GLONASS receivers into personal pocket computers and cell phones, Murtazin said. The GLONASS system will become cost-effective only if the Government persuades corporate users to adopt it, he told the paper.

This project has political implications because Russia will elect its parliament and president in December 2007 and March 2008, respectively. By promoting the GLONASS system, Russia wants to prove that it is not dependent on Western technology, Alexei Makarkin, deputy director of the Center for Political Technologies, said. He said the Kremlin is trying to improve its reputation through space programs, and society thinks Russia is therefore reasserting itself as a powerful and influential country.

Some unflown cosmonauts from the Cosmonaut Group appeared on a show called What? Where? When?, «Что? Где? Когда?» on 30 March on the First, Первому channel, competing against television viewers. The participants: Sergei Zhukov (team captain), Anatolii Ivanishin, Sergei Ryazansky, Aleksander Samokutyaev, Anton Shkaplerov, Mukhtar Aimakhanov (Kazakhstan). Unfortunately they lost (6:3). (NK news №617, №618)

Promotions

Mentioned in the Energiya official press release: February 5, 2007. Korolev, Moscow region, Sergei Krikalyov was given a new job as Vice-President of Manned Flights; his flight status is unchanged (backup for Soyuz TMA-12 to launch in March 2008, and commander of Soyuz TMA-14 in March 2009). (Discussed in this thread at NASASpaceflight.com.) Various other appointments were made in the organization. There is also speculation that the current President, Nikolai Sevast’yanov, might be replaced, a contender being Yurii Koptev (who was head of Rosaviakosmos in the 1990s, replaced by Anatolii Perminov), as some are unhappy with Nikolai’s performance and his tendency to make outlandish statements about Energiya’s future space exploration plans without the funding to back them up. His appointment was controversial in 2005. There would be problems with Yurii Koptev’s appointment though, as listed in Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №607:

• As he replaced Anatolii Perminov, there might be some latent hostility between the two.
• He is not accustomed to heading a large enterprise like Energiya.
• He made the unpopular decision to deorbit the Mir Space Station, which many would hold against him.
• He is old (born in 1940); Energiya wants to “promote young managers in order to implement long-term space programs.”

The shareholders’ meeting is in May, so see what transpires then.

The deputy director of the Institute of Medical-Biological Problems, Valerii Bogomolov, said Russia had no plans to strengthen the psychological testing of its cosmonauts following the Lisa Nowak case, as the psychological requirements are already at a high level. It is the first time something like this has occurred in the NASA Astronaut Group, and is not related to her space flight which was over half a year ago. In the near future, Russian experts will discuss the case with NASA medical personnel and those of other countries in the ISS program, and advise them to strengthen the psychological requirements when selecting astronauts, as Lisa Nowak’s case has caused unfavorable publicity. It will also not affect the selection of candidates for the Mars-500 isolation experiment.