Author Topic: Why doesn't Angara ever launch?  (Read 31438 times)

Offline fregate

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Re: Why doesn't Angara ever launch?
« Reply #40 on: 06/12/2016 01:45 pm »
TASS News releases from 13th of May and 10th of June attached:
"Selene, the Moon. Selenginsk, an old town in Siberia: moon-rocket  town" Vladimir Nabokov

Offline Stan Black

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Re: Why doesn't Angara ever launch?
« Reply #41 on: 06/26/2016 08:20 am »
In Russian, another interview with person involved in production of second Angara-A5 rocket:-
Quote
СБОРКИ И БЛОКИ ДАЮТ НАМ УРОКИ
Основные объемы производства «Полета» стремительно перемещаются в сторону «Ангары». У цеха окончательной сборки за номером 66 работы прибавляется. Об этом – разговор корреспондента «ЗЖ» с начальником цеха 66 П.А. Литвиненко.
http://www.omskprofpol.su/images/2016/5-Zavodskaya-zhizn_9-10_may_2016.pdf

Offline gospacex

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Re: Why doesn't Angara ever launch?
« Reply #42 on: 06/26/2016 03:09 pm »
What commercial payloads?
Angara-A1.2 will pick up payloads from Dnepr, Rockot. Only already manifested payloads on Dnepr and Rockot will not fly on Angara-A1.2. Several payloads which have applied to launch those conversional launchers but have not been assigned a launcher is being directed toward Angara-A1.2

Can you give names of those payloads? How much will it cost to the customer, compared to Dnepr and Rockot?

Offline Nicolas PILLET

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Re: Why doesn't Angara ever launch?
« Reply #43 on: 06/26/2016 04:36 pm »
Can you give names of those payloads?

Gonets and Rodnik communications satellites.
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Online Skyrocket

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Re: Why doesn't Angara ever launch?
« Reply #44 on: 06/26/2016 10:57 pm »
Can you give names of those payloads?

Gonets and Rodnik communications satellites.

and Geo-IK-2 (Musson-2)

Offline gospacex

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Re: Why doesn't Angara ever launch?
« Reply #45 on: 06/27/2016 03:02 pm »
Can you give names of those payloads?

Gonets and Rodnik communications satellites.

Rodnik (Strela-3) is not a commercial payload. It's a military comsat.

Geo-IK-2 is also ordered by Russian military, it's a geodesy satellite. "On 24 February 2011, Deputy Defence Minister Vladimir Popovkin announced that the satellite would be unable to fulfill its mission and thus *would not be used by Russian defence forces*"  - emphasis mine. Definitely not a commercial device.

Only Gonets is a civilian payload (comsats operated by "Gonets SatCom").

This may sound like nitpicking, but it's important.
My point is that Angara can't pick up any meaningful number of *commercial* payloads, ones where customers are free to choose their LV.
Clearly, military payloads are not free to choose their LV. They usually will fly on a domestic LV, no matter how costly it is. I have no doubt Angara will be launching Russian govt satellites.
« Last Edit: 06/27/2016 03:03 pm by gospacex »

Offline Nicolas PILLET

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Re: Why doesn't Angara ever launch?
« Reply #46 on: 06/27/2016 05:33 pm »
You're right. Sorry, I had not seen the word "commercial" in your message.

But you have to understand that Angara is absolutely not built to launch commercial payloads. It is built to launch federal (military and civilian) payloads. If they can earn some money by launching some commercial sats, they will do that, but it is not the "raison d'etre" of Angara.
Nicolas PILLET
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Offline Svetoslav

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Re: Why doesn't Angara ever launch?
« Reply #47 on: 10/06/2017 07:13 pm »
At long last, Angara news.

Quick google translate:

The components of the second Angara-A5 heavy-duty launch vehicle manufactured in the Omsk branch of the Khrunichev Polet Polytechnic Production Association continue to arrive in Moscow for final assembly and testing. Today, October 6, 2017, from Omsk to Moscow went to a specialized train, which will deliver to the Khrunichev Center side block (BB-3) first stage. Together with him, a similar bench product was sent to Moscow, which will undergo dynamic tests. The purpose of the tests is to protect the factory technologies and confirm the readiness of production for serial production.
 
"Angara-A5" is a three-stage carrier rocket of the heavy class of the family of carrier rockets of the modular type "Angara" (light, medium and heavy classes) created on the basis of URM-1 and URM-2 universal missile modules. In the propulsion systems URMov used environmentally friendly components of fuel - oxygen and kerosene. Various versions of Angara launch vehicles are implemented in practice using different numbers of URM-1 universal missile modules (for the first and second stages) and URM-2 (for the upper stages).
 
The first stage of the Angara-A5 LV is an assembly of four side blocks (UBM) URM-1. At the second stage - the central unit - one URM-1 is used, and on the third stage - one URM-2. The final assembly of the second flight rocket "Anagara-A5" will be performed at the missile and space plant of the Khrunichev Center.
 
The launch of the Angara-A5 launch vehicle to the Plesetsk space center is planned for early 2018.

https://www.roscosmos.ru/24191/

Online Alter Sachse

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Re: Why doesn't Angara ever launch?
« Reply #48 on: 10/07/2017 05:53 pm »
" ...the second Angara-5 rocket would then be sent to Plesetsk in February or March 2018. In the meantime, the factory in Omsk was working on the components of the third and fourth Angara rockets, however their final assembly was apparently been held off until the newly established production process could be certified as sound."
"However, only on Oct. 6, 2017, Roskosmos State Corporation suddenly announced that the components of the second Angara-5 rocket "had been continuing to arrive" at GKNPTs Khrunichev in Moscow."

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/angara5-flight2.html#2017
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Offline Svetoslav

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Re: Why doesn't Angara ever launch?
« Reply #49 on: 11/17/2017 01:08 pm »
Today Khrunichev announced a successful static firing test of the agregate module of Angara 1.2 -  the lightweight version of the rocket.


http://www.khrunichev.ru/main.php?id=1&nid=3540

Online Alter Sachse

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Re: Why doesn't Angara ever launch?
« Reply #50 on: 11/17/2017 05:08 pm »
Today Khrunichev announced a successful static firing test of the agregate module of Angara 1.2 -  the lightweight version of the rocket.


http://www.khrunichev.ru/main.php?id=1&nid=3540
http://www.russianspaceweb.com/angara1.html#am
https://www.roscosmos.ru/24356/
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Offline brickmack

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Re: Why doesn't Angara ever launch?
« Reply #51 on: 11/19/2017 11:31 pm »
What exactly is the point of this stage? I thought the whole point of Angara was to reduce redundant production lines, but they've just gone and added yet another stage which seems to be, from what little I can find of it, inferior in performance to even Volga, nevermind Briz-KM (which already is available for Angara 1.2 anyway), with similar longevity and restart capability. Does there really exist sufficient demand for launches in this extremely narrow performance bracket to justify development of a whole new upper stage, and all that entails, just to save a tiny bit on the per-unit costs?

Offline russianhalo117

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Re: Why doesn't Angara ever launch?
« Reply #52 on: 11/19/2017 11:57 pm »
What exactly is the point of this stage? I thought the whole point of Angara was to reduce redundant production lines, but they've just gone and added yet another stage which seems to be, from what little I can find of it, inferior in performance to even Volga, nevermind Briz-KM (which already is available for Angara 1.2 anyway), with similar longevity and restart capability. Does there really exist sufficient demand for launches in this extremely narrow performance bracket to justify development of a whole new upper stage, and all that entails, just to save a tiny bit on the per-unit costs?
Briz-KM is tied up with geopolitical woes between Ukraine and Russia as is just about everything in Russia's launcher fleet. Briz-KM avionics and other components are manufactured in Ukraine thus parts are only made available for foreign civil launches. Briz-M does not have this problem as it was upgraded and uses only Russian components. AM Post Boost stage is kind of an interim plan that became a longer term plan until a fully Russian Briz-KM replacement is realized using systems from Briz-M. Only the AM stage is approved at this point.

Offline brickmack

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Re: Why doesn't Angara ever launch?
« Reply #53 on: 11/20/2017 12:02 am »
How is it easier to design a completely new stage, than to change out a few problematic components on an existing stage, especially after a very close relative of said stage has already had the same parts replaced?

Online Alter Sachse

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Re: Why doesn't Angara ever launch?
« Reply #54 on: 11/21/2017 07:34 am »
Today Khrunichev announced a successful static firing test of the agregate module of Angara 1.2 -  the lightweight version of the rocket.


http://www.khrunichev.ru/main.php?id=1&nid=3540
http://www.ilslaunch.com/newsroom/news-releases/khrunichev-space-center-successful-hot-fire-test-angara-12-service-module-con

Khrunichev Space Center: Successful Hot-fire Test of Angara 1.2 Service Module Conducted

"The propulsion system of the light-weight Angara 1.2 Launch Vehicle Service Module, manufactured by the Khrunichev Space Center (part of ROSCOSMOS State Corporation), completed successful hot-fire testing at the Federal State Enterprise "Rocket & Space Industry Research & Test Center" (RSI RTC) test facility (Peresvet, Moscow Region).

The hot-fire tests are the most important and final stage of ground based propulsion system tests prior to flight testing.

During the tests, specialists from the Salyut Design Bureau (a subdivision of Khrunichev Space Center) performed comprehensive checks of the propulsion system components on a test stand. RSI RTC personnel assured safe testing conditions and processed the test results expeditiously.

The positive results of the tests verified the propulsion system's operational readiness as well as the validity of the chosen design and procedural solutions. Based on the propulsion system tests performed on the test stand, the propulsion system has been approved for development and flight testing as part of the flight-ready Service Module.

The detachable Service Module is part of the 2nd Stage of the two-stage Angara 1.2 Launch Vehicle and is designed to inject the SC into its target orbit. The Service Module includes four 40 kgf 11D458 thrusters and fourteen 1.3 kgf 17D58E thrusters. "
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Online Alter Sachse

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Re: Why doesn't Angara ever launch?
« Reply #55 on: 11/27/2017 01:46 pm »
"Angara rockets to be launched from Vostochny spaceport starting from 2021"

http://tass.com/science/977645
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Offline Arch Admiral

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Re: Why doesn't Angara ever launch?
« Reply #56 on: 12/08/2017 03:21 am »
I'll point out two other possible problems with the Angara program:

-- shifting production of a very complex product to a new plant several time zones away usually involves sending some key personnel from the old site to the new site on a permanent or semi-permanent basis. But the Muscovites working at Khrunichev's main plant will be very reluctant to move to Siberia. They look down their noses at St. Petersburg, but Omsk might as well be on Mars to them.  Everyplace in Russia outside Moscow is undergoing a rapid economic and social decline. The other day I read a story from Omsk that the city government had stopped repairing the streets, and citizens were filling potholes with potatoes,

-- Khrunichev has recently been tasked with developing and building an all-Russian version of the Ukranian R-36M2 ICBM, to be called "Sarmat". The 46 R-36 missiles still in service carry about 1/3 of Russia's strategic warheads but are rapidly decaying since product support was withdrawn. Of course nobody in their right mind would order a hypergolic-fuel ICBM in the 21st century, but Putin is driven by nostalgia for everything Soviet and wants to demonstrate that he can get along just fine without Ukraine. The Soyuz-5 program (Russian version of Zenit comes from the same mindset. Sarmat undoubtedly enjoys a higher priority than Angara.

Offline Vahe231991

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Re: Why doesn't Angara ever launch?
« Reply #57 on: 02/13/2022 07:43 pm »
I'll point out two other possible problems with the Angara program:

-- shifting production of a very complex product to a new plant several time zones away usually involves sending some key personnel from the old site to the new site on a permanent or semi-permanent basis. But the Muscovites working at Khrunichev's main plant will be very reluctant to move to Siberia. They look down their noses at St. Petersburg, but Omsk might as well be on Mars to them.  Everyplace in Russia outside Moscow is undergoing a rapid economic and social decline. The other day I read a story from Omsk that the city government had stopped repairing the streets, and citizens were filling potholes with potatoes,

-- Khrunichev has recently been tasked with developing and building an all-Russian version of the Ukranian R-36M2 ICBM, to be called "Sarmat". The 46 R-36 missiles still in service carry about 1/3 of Russia's strategic warheads but are rapidly decaying since product support was withdrawn. Of course nobody in their right mind would order a hypergolic-fuel ICBM in the 21st century, but Putin is driven by nostalgia for everything Soviet and wants to demonstrate that he can get along just fine without Ukraine. The Soyuz-5 program (Russian version of Zenit comes from the same mindset. Sarmat undoubtedly enjoys a higher priority than Angara.
The launch pad for the Angara was completed in June 2020, and it is important to note that the Khrunichev company that is tasked with building the Angara was responsible for development of the very Proton rocket that is to be replaced by variants of the Angara and is headquartered in Moscow, and that the Plesetsk Cosmodrome that is one of the launch sites for the Angara rocket was built two years after the Baikonur Cosmodrome was completed.

Offline russianhalo117

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Re: Why doesn't Angara ever launch?
« Reply #58 on: 02/13/2022 09:05 pm »
Hypergolic has advantages over Solid Rocket motors which suffer from propellant sag, debonding and other issues. Hypergolic has its own disadvantages as well which are well known. The R-36M-2's with a Briz family upper stage and as is with domestication is to resume orbital launches through Glavkosmos and the MoD. Such entries on the schedules of NSF and NK forums are present. Rockot-M is the priority at the moment. The Chinese and other also still build hypergolic missile systems.
« Last Edit: 02/13/2022 09:07 pm by russianhalo117 »

 

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