Just to be clear, when you say "LVI", you mean the dual capsule tests, not the VA/TKS launched on Proton.
This is a good point. Also, AFAIK, there are no photos of the interior of a TKS prior to the Mir modules.
Rusty_Barton - 24/4/2008 2:57 PMThere is a photo on this page that appears to show a Proton with a TKS attached.http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/content/numbers/244/39.shtml
Danderman - 24/4/2008 2:59 PMJust to be clear, when you say "LVI", you mean the dual capsule tests, not the VA/TKS launched on Proton.This is a good point. Also, AFAIK, there are no photos of the interior of a TKS prior to the Mir modules.
The UR-530 was an uprated version of Proton capable of about 35,000 kg to LEO. As such it used exactly the same propellants as Proton: N2O4/UDMH.http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/ur530.htmI think it is interesting that Proton was originally developed as a huge ICBM with a 20,000+ kg throw weight. Kind of makes me wonder if the then Soviets were looking for a ballistic missile version of their Tsar Bomba 100+ Megaton thermonuclear bomb. The masses are just about spot on...I wonder if anyone on this board could confirm that or not?Doing just a little bit more digging and i found this link:http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/pron8k82.htmwhich seems to confirm that the Proton was originally intended to throw big military payloads: including a 100 MT warhead...wow!I'm glad we (the world) didn't go down that particular road...
What's the difference between the RD-54 and RD-57 engines ? when you lok at their caracteristics they are nearly identical, including their thrust and propellants.
What happened to OPS-4 ? is it exposed or on storage somewhere ?
Another one is why Energia chose to develop a new stage for the Molniya 4th stage that was virtually identical in size and function to the Vostok 3rd stage. Why not use the Vostok upper stage as the "escape" stage for Molniya?
The new stage had to be ignited in zero-g, not during powered flight. This is a whole lot different than the hot staging used with Vostok. Atlas prevented this by a 1 1/2 architecture, Titan used hot staging. Analyst
Bump Question about the Almaz program How many Almaz hulls were build ? (including the unmanned Almaz T/ K) What happened to OPS-4 ? is it exposed or on storage somewhere ? Can we consider the Almaz T/ K as OPS-5 / 6 / 7 ?
Couldn't the Molniya 4th stage serve as the Vostok 3rd stage?
Let's not forget the "Uragan" space fighter.
Quote from: XP67_Moonbat on 08/15/2012 04:19 amLet's not forget the "Uragan" space fighter.The two claimed launches of "Uragan" that were supposed to be Cosmos 1871 and Cosmos 1873, are described in this post:http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=12777.msg271116#msg271116There was a supposedly fully reusable Energia II launcher, dubbed "Uragan" - could be that the alleged spacefighter was a result of hyperactive western intelligence imagination and a mixup of BOR/Spiral + Energia programs ?