Soviet/Russian space programms Q&A

[Zpoxy]

I have a question about the Soyuz booster launch sequence. Are there any on pad cut-off modes in the final 60 seconds of the countdown? I notice that there are two umbilical masts that separate at 45 and 15 seconds. I assume one of the uses is  LOx fill, press and vent  for the stages of the rocket. Can they be remotely reconnected if the countdown should stop after they disconnect but before liftoff? Or, is an on pad cutoff just not part of the Soyuz operations?

Thanks in advance.

[Citabria]

Here's a diagram from a 1975 ASTP NASA press kit. It shows that the OM has no proper hatch where it connects to the DM - just a swing-down grill (#23) to cover the opening (obviously the DM has a proper hatch there). Could it be that the end-of-mission OM separation thrust is powered merely by air escaping the OM through the grill?

[Capt. David]

Zond - 17/4/2008  4:20 PM

Excalibur Almaz claims they own several TKS capsules and that they will use these capsules to launch people into space. Has anybody heard any rumours of Krunichev (or somebody else) actively working on refurbishing these capsules?

Excalibur Almaz is working with NPO Mash on updating the VA capsules (as well as other "bigger" Almaz components ) to make them "tourist friendly".

Khrunichev does have one of the old unlaunched capsules (I'm pretty sure it would have been the bottom capsule of the canceled LVI-5 Proton/Dual VA launch test), but the actual process of refurbishing these capsules is proprietary information of NPO Mash.

[Nicolas PILLET]

Here is a picture took in the MIK-254 on 6th april 2008 by Vassili Petrovitch, a French guy who was in the same trip that Rui Barbosa...

Do you know what it is

[anik]

Nicolas PILLET - 17/5/2008  2:24 PM

Do you know what it is?

DM-SLB upper stage, obviously.

http://www.tsenki.com/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=565

[Nicolas PILLET]

But I thought that The DM-SLB was in area 31 ? Was it temporarily stowed in MIK-254 ?

[anik]

Nicolas PILLET - 17/5/2008  3:52 PM

But I thought that The DM-SLB was in area 31? Was it temporarily stowed in MIK-254?

In MIK on area 254 - tests of DM-SLB systems are performing; in MIK-40D on area 31 - the satellite is testing and the ascent unit (KGCh: transfer compartment + upper stage + adapter + satellite + fairing) is assembling; in MIK on area 42 - stages of Zenit-3SLB rocket are assembling and the docking with ascent unit is performing.

[Nicolas PILLET]

OK, thank you very much Anik !

[Spacenick]

What is the current maximum altitude for Soyuz and what limits it?
Will it be increased with TMA-T* because they are lighter? And what information is available on the new flight computer and the old one, why does the old one week 80 kgs?

[anik]

What is the current maximum altitude for Soyuz and what limits it?

Approximately 425 km.
 

And what information is available on the new flight computer and the old one, why does the old one week 80 kgs?

Old computer is Argon-16, which has weight of 70 kg. See more about it in Russian on http://www.argon.ru/?q=node/6

New computer is TsVM-101, which has weight of 8.5 kg. See more about it in Russian on http://www.submicron.ru/products/1/

[Spacenick]

The new one still looks quite big, it's a real pity that Russia couldn't keep up with microprocessor development while China has quite a few plants for wafer production and has even developed indigenous designs. Hopefully, Russia will catch up, it's time some people in the military and government will understand that using computer systems manufactured under the potential influence of foreign agencies and especially the use of the Windows Operating system, where you have absolutely no control over what it really does, might be extremely dangerous. I don't want to sound distrusting of American companies, but it's an open secret that there is work being done on cyberwar weapons in the USA and there was official CIA involvement in developing the security system for Windows Vista.
If people understand that their computer might actually turn villain on them, I bet there will be a lot of funding for indigenous hardware and software design and the use of open verifiable software solutions.
Never the less this looks like a good development.

[Suzy]

Can the Soyuz be flown in unmanned/automated mode - i.e. controlled from the ground?

[anik]

Can the Soyuz be flown in unmanned/automated mode - i.e. controlled from the ground?

Strange question. Soyuz has carried out many automated flights in past. This capability has not changed since then.

Soyuz can perform all stages of the spaceflight in automated mode without crew participation, even if crew is aboard. Maneuvers during two-day flight to ISS, docking to ISS, relocation, undocking from ISS, the deorbit burn and landing - all these events can be done automatically.

[dchill]

I ran across some discussion about the software for the TMA's Neptune IDS on a Russian site (http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7050&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=121) that seemed to indicate that Neptune had 100 KSLOC in Pascal and 30 KSLOC in assembly language.  (I won't comment on what I think about those decisions )

Have you ever seen any similar discussions regarding the software that's being written to go in the TsVM-101 for the 700-Series+ Soyuz vehicles?  I'd like to get some understanding of the complexity and the magnitude of the effort - particularly if the 101 is going to eventually replace both the ARGON-16 in the instrumentation/prop module and the KS020M in the descent module.

According to posts at the same site (http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7050&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=121) the TsVM-101 is a homegrown computer with a 1B812 processor (24 MIPS, 2MB, 50W) - which seemed to be a 486 derivative.   Is that the same processor type that was used in the Neptune's Integrated Control Consoles (ICCs)?  Are both of these newer flight computers evolved from the KSO20M currently in the DM?  Do all 3 boxes share software developers from the same shop using the same s/w dev tools, etc.?

(BTW - the website for the TsVM-101 vendor seems to be down.  I hope that doesn't imply anything in regards to their flight products  )

Thanks in advance for any answers to this deluge of questions!

[Suzy]

Strange question. Soyuz has carried out many automated flights in past. This capability has not changed since then.

Soyuz can perform all stages of the spaceflight in automated mode without crew participation, even if crew is aboard. Maneuvers during two-day flight to ISS, docking to ISS, relocation, undocking from ISS, the deorbit burn and landing - all these events can be done automatically.

Thanks, I just wasn't sure if the Soyuz could be flown without a crew!