Author Topic: Skif / Polyus, Soviet SDI Q&A  (Read 1749 times)

Offline Archibald

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Skif / Polyus, Soviet SDI Q&A
« on: 03/12/2016 09:18 am »
I'm currently learning about the Soviet answer to SDI and it is fascinating.
Some facts (may experts correct any blunders)

- Soviet research on lasers and kinetic killer satellites started as early as 1976, long before Reagan

- The soviets found that kinetic was easier than laser (so did America in the mid-80's)

- the Soviet Kaskad kinetic system was to be based on Salyut or Progress hulls

- According to a 1998 Russian neswpaper, five Progress were actually build to support Kaskad, but then the program was cancelled and the Progress flew as civilian cargoes to Mir

- Polyus was a cover name, the real program was Skif

- There were somewhat five Skif considered
- Skif-Stilet (with an infrared system to blind American satellites)
- Skif DM
- Skif D1
- Skif D2
- Skif-U

- All the skif D were demonstrators.

- the definitive Astrofizika laser was not ready, so they decided to use the Beriev A-60 low-power laser that was flying since 1981 and shot down some balloons and a La-17 jet powered drone

- Skif DM would have no turbogenerators and no lasers (that was Polyus which ended in the ocean)
- Skif D1 would have the turbogenerators but still no laser
- Skif D2 would fly the Beriev A60 laser into orbit
- the definitive Skif would have a much more powerful laser from NPO Astrofizika 
- Skif D1 was to fly in 1987, followed by Skif D2 in 1988, so some components of the two were build before cancellation. Serious technical glitches pushed the launch dates farther and farther.
- Polyus used a FSB tug derived from the FGB and there are rumours that the ISS FGB tug might be a modified FSB.
- Gorbachev did not really knew about Kaskad and Skif (the Soviet answer to SDI) and was quite surprised (angered ?) when he visited Baikonur in May 1987 and was shown Skif DM ready to launch; the very existence of Skif DM ruined Gorbachev strategy toward Reagan SDI (SDI is a techical and financial folly, and we Soviets are reasonnable people - we won't build an SDI of ours).


« Last Edit: 03/12/2016 10:22 am by Archibald »
Han shot first and Gwynne Shotwell !

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