Author Topic: Excalibur Almaz  (Read 204266 times)

Offline Chris Bergin

Re: Excalibur Almaz
« Reply #180 on: 05/22/2011 02:31 pm »
Thread trimmed as an argument over "restrictions" is derailing the thread on what is a cool looking vehicle.
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Offline Skylab

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Re: Excalibur Almaz
« Reply #181 on: 05/29/2011 06:48 pm »
Capt. David, can you elaborate on this picture?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9420712@N03/4538495146/in/photostream/

It seems to be an unfinished Almaz, lacking parts of the aft structure, insulation, etc.

Offline Danderman

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Re: Excalibur Almaz
« Reply #182 on: 06/15/2011 05:14 am »
Capt. David, can you elaborate on this picture?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9420712@N03/4538495146/in/photostream/

It seems to be an unfinished Almaz, lacking parts of the aft structure, insulation, etc.

Nope. The 4.1 meter wide bulge at the back end indicates that its a TKS-based module. If I had to guess, I would guess that this is a photo of the Kvant-2 structural test article,  under some sort of development effort in the early 1990s.

You can see the structural test article for Kvant-2 in the back of the attached photo.  The white object is a Rodnik water tank.

« Last Edit: 06/15/2011 05:25 am by Danderman »

Offline Danderman

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Re: Excalibur Almaz
« Reply #183 on: 06/15/2011 05:28 am »
There is a discussion on the NK forum about the TKS/VA, in which someone mentioned the Express program in the context of being related to TKS or the VA. The link below briefly describes Express:

http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/express.htm

although I couldn't see much to link to TKS, except that the Express service module was derived from the FOBS program (which may have been derived from Polyot), perhaps TKS has a relationship with FOBS.

Offline Skylab

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Re: Excalibur Almaz
« Reply #184 on: 06/17/2011 02:09 am »
Capt. David, can you elaborate on this picture?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9420712@N03/4538495146/in/photostream/

It seems to be an unfinished Almaz, lacking parts of the aft structure, insulation, etc.

Nope. The 4.1 meter wide bulge at the back end indicates that its a TKS-based module. If I had to guess, I would guess that this is a photo of the Kvant-2 structural test article,  under some sort of development effort in the early 1990s.

You can see the structural test article for Kvant-2 in the back of the attached photo.  The white object is a Rodnik water tank.
Thanks Danderman, guess I got a bit confused by the mix of old and new project in that album. But at least I got the family tree right! ;)

Hoping to see some pictures from the 'open house' at Excalibur-Almaz after the 18th...

Offline rnc

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Re: Excalibur Almaz
« Reply #185 on: 06/21/2011 07:32 am »
Need to get to my wife's iPhone....

Offline Skylab

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Re: Excalibur Almaz
« Reply #186 on: 07/09/2011 05:00 pm »
Need to get to my wife's iPhone....
Did you find your wife yet? ;)

Offline Jason1701

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Re: Excalibur Almaz
« Reply #187 on: 07/10/2011 01:21 pm »
When will Excalibur Almaz begin flying their spacecraft? Where will they launch?

From a 2009 announcement:
Quote
Excalibur Almaz spacecraft-- the cornerstone of the company’s plans to offer week-long orbital space flights beginning as early as 2013.

Is 2013 still their goal?

Offline Capt. David

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Re: Excalibur Almaz
« Reply #188 on: 08/25/2011 06:28 pm »
You know, a thought hit me.  How many Almaz capsules does Excalibur actually have?  How quickly could they be made ready to launch?

Sorry for the late response, but ... Excalibur Almaz purchased four capsules. Three of these have been displayed; a flown capsule at MAKS 2009 which has been modified with faux panels, a hull with only internal stringers and support structures at the International Space University in Strasbourg, and a complete original design unflown capsule displayed at their open-house on the Isle of Man.

Best Regards,

David L. Rickman

Offline Skylab

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Re: Excalibur Almaz
« Reply #189 on: 08/26/2011 04:44 pm »
Sorry for the late response, but ... Excalibur Almaz purchased four capsules. Three of these have been displayed; a flown capsule at MAKS 2009 which has been modified with faux panels, a hull with only internal stringers and support structures at the International Space University in Strasbourg, and a complete original design unflown capsule displayed at their open-house on the Isle of Man.
Hi David, is there any chance of sharing photos from the open-house event yet? I know Spaceflight magazine had to publish some first, has that happened yet?

Edit to include this video I came across:
« Last Edit: 09/05/2011 11:01 pm by Skylab »

Offline Skylab

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Re: Excalibur Almaz
« Reply #190 on: 09/30/2011 07:57 pm »
Apologies for bumping this thread back to the top (for a short while), but updates from Excalibur-Almaz seem to be too scarce (just my take). Can anyone clarify the the current schedule and planned capabilities? Judging if this venture is anywhere close to realistic is hard without actual data. The same goes for other commercial companies with such a shroud of secrecy...

(Edit: typo)
« Last Edit: 09/30/2011 07:58 pm by Skylab »

Offline yg1968

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Re: Excalibur Almaz
« Reply #191 on: 10/28/2011 12:50 am »
Here is the unfunded CCDev2 SAA that was just signed between Excalibur Almaz and NASA:
http://procurement.ksc.nasa.gov/documents/EAI-SAA.pdf
« Last Edit: 10/28/2011 02:21 am by yg1968 »

Offline Downix

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Re: Excalibur Almaz
« Reply #192 on: 10/28/2011 01:14 am »
Say whaaaaa??
chuck - Toilet paper has no real value? Try living with 5 other adults for 6 months in a can with no toilet paper. Man oh man. Toilet paper would be worth it's weight in gold!

Offline e of pi

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Re: Excalibur Almaz
« Reply #193 on: 10/28/2011 02:29 am »
Here is the unfunded CCDev2 SAA that was just signed between Excalibur Almaz and NASA:
http://procurement.ksc.nasa.gov/documents/EAI-SAA.pdf
This is surreal.

Offline Downix

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Re: Excalibur Almaz
« Reply #194 on: 10/28/2011 02:45 am »
Ok, going to say this once:

w00T!

You may now return to your regularly scheduled forum browsing
chuck - Toilet paper has no real value? Try living with 5 other adults for 6 months in a can with no toilet paper. Man oh man. Toilet paper would be worth it's weight in gold!

Offline manboy

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Re: Excalibur Almaz
« Reply #195 on: 10/28/2011 02:47 am »
When will Excalibur Almaz begin flying their spacecraft? Where will they launch?

From a 2009 announcement:
Quote
Excalibur Almaz spacecraft-- the cornerstone of the company’s plans to offer week-long orbital space flights beginning as early as 2013.

Is 2013 still their goal?
According to their website.
"Cheese has been sent into space before. But the same cheese has never been sent into space twice." - StephenB

Offline Downix

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Re: Excalibur Almaz
« Reply #196 on: 10/28/2011 04:57 am »
Does anyone happen to know the serial #'s of the TKS units Excalibur has?
chuck - Toilet paper has no real value? Try living with 5 other adults for 6 months in a can with no toilet paper. Man oh man. Toilet paper would be worth it's weight in gold!

Offline JazzFan

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Re: Excalibur Almaz
« Reply #197 on: 10/28/2011 12:07 pm »
Does anyone happen to know the serial #'s of the TKS units Excalibur has?


According to Anatoly Zak

Almaz 205 was identified in export documentation by its manufacturer, NPO Machinostroenia, as 1-11F71B-0100-0. Its manufacturing ("zavodskoi") number was shown as 0205-02.

Almaz 206 was identified as 1-11F71B-0100-0. Its manufacturing ("zavodskoi") number was shown as 0206-02.
« Last Edit: 10/28/2011 12:11 pm by JazzFan »

Offline Danderman

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Re: Excalibur Almaz
« Reply #198 on: 10/29/2011 08:06 am »
Does anyone happen to know the serial #'s of the TKS units Excalibur has?


According to Anatoly Zak

Almaz 205 was identified in export documentation by its manufacturer, NPO Machinostroenia, as 1-11F71B-0100-0. Its manufacturing ("zavodskoi") number was shown as 0205-02.

Almaz 206 was identified as 1-11F71B-0100-0. Its manufacturing ("zavodskoi") number was shown as 0206-02.

The Almaz station is a different vehicle than the Almaz TKS marketed by Excalibur Almaz, and so those numbers don't relate to TKS. What makes this confusing is that Excalibur does possess 2 Almaz stations, the two referred to above.

Offline Archibald

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Re: Excalibur Almaz
« Reply #199 on: 11/06/2011 07:54 am »
Russianspaceweb also mention this one - the fourth Almaz ressource satellite never launched.

Quote
Almaz-2 (Almaz-1V)

The launch of the follow-on spacecraft, equipped with more advanced payloads, was planned for the mid-1990s. A new radar installed onboard the Almaz promised to provide a resolution 5-7 meters. In addition, an optical-electronic payload on the station would be capable of producing imagery with a resolution 2.5 - 4 meters. (134)

What did happened to this one ? is it Excalibur 205 or 206 hull ? or a separate vehicle ?

A count of Almaz hulls would be as follow

- OPS-1 (1973, failed)
- OPS-2 (Salyut 3)
- OPS-3 (Salyut 5)
- OPS-4 (never launched)
- Almaz-T number one (failed)
- Cosmos 1870
- Almaz 1
- Almaz 2 (never launched)
- Almaz 205 (to Excalibur, 2011)
- Almaz 206 (to Excalibur, 2011)

Ten space stations (or so).

perhaps Excalibur two hulls are OPS-4 and the last Almaz T ?
« Last Edit: 11/06/2011 07:58 am by Archibald »
Han shot first and Gwynne Shotwell !

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