Author Topic: ISS RS: Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module-Upgrade (MLM-U) General Updates and Discussion Thread  (Read 801424 times)

Offline Space Pete

BTW, the commentator says MLM will have CQ for a third Russian crew member, so no more sleeping in Node 2 for the Russians.

Yup - which will in turn allow a 4th USOS crewmember (7th ISS crewmember) to be present on ISS once the commercial vehicles come online with their extra seats. More crew time for science! :)
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Online Robotbeat

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BTW, the commentator says MLM will have CQ for a third Russian crew member, so no more sleeping in Node 2 for the Russians.

Yup - which will in turn allow a 4th USOS crewmember (7th ISS crewmember) to be present on ISS once the commercial vehicles come online with their extra seats. More crew time for science! :)
:)
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Offline Danderman

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http://ria.ru/science/20110804/411931746.html

This article describes RSC Energia testing the electrical system of the MLM. I don't know if this means that the MLM has been moved to Korolyev, or if RSC Energia technicians have been working in Fili.

One of the NK forum readers suggested that Energia is actually testing the components on its ISS Russian segment analog, located at the factory, since there is an FGB electrical mechanical unit there. I am not sure that Energia really has an analog of the entire Russian segment there, but they do have at least one FGB bus electrical mechanical test unit, a Kvant 2 which could stand in for MLM in a pinch.

Offline Olaf

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May be this is a better thread
Quote
http://www.russianspaceweb.com/iss_fgb2.html#tests

In August 2011, the Director General of GKNPTs Khrunichev, Vladimir Nesterov, said that a prototype of the MLM module designed for electrical tests would be delivered to RKK Energia before the end of the month, despite technical issues associated with changes in design documentation.

Are these good news or bad news?

Offline Danderman

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May be this is a better thread
Quote
http://www.russianspaceweb.com/iss_fgb2.html#tests

In August 2011, the Director General of GKNPTs Khrunichev, Vladimir Nesterov, said that a prototype of the MLM module designed for electrical tests would be delivered to RKK Energia before the end of the month, despite technical issues associated with changes in design documentation.

Are these good news or bad news?

This means that Khrunichev will provide an electrical mechanical article for Energia to test, not the actual MLM. Moving the MLM to Energia would indicate that launch was to happen within 18 months.

Offline Olaf

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Moving the MLM to Energia would indicate that launch was to happen within 18 months.
That means, if the delivering is NET April 2012, as reported on the NK forum, the launch will be NET December 2013.
« Last Edit: 08/10/2011 03:42 pm by Olaf »

Offline Danderman

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Moving the MLM to Energia would indicate that launch was to happen within 18 months.
That means, if the delivering is NET April 2012, as reported on the NK forum, the launch will be NET December 2013.

Energia's schedule could be compressed, 18 months is a maximum, not a minimum.

Offline Space Pete

Roscosmos have released a tender for a contract to finish MLM and launch it to the ISS.

Very odd - has there been no contract until now, or has the previous contract been cancelled?

--------------------

(Below translated using Google translate.)

Open tenders for state contracts

"Create, deploy and operate the Russian segment of International Space Station in the part of the work to create a multipurpose laboratory module for the period from 2011 to July 2013." Code: ROC "ISS" (MLM).

Federal Space Agency - government customer (hereinafter - the Customer) invites you to participate in an open competition for the state contract to perform work within the Russian Federal Space Program for 2006-2015.

Subject of a contract:
"Create, deploy and operate the Russian segment of International Space Station in the part of the work to create a multipurpose laboratory module for the period from 2011 to July 2013."
Code: ROC "ISS" (MLM).
The initial (maximum) contract price: 3.725 million 000.0 rubles.
Terms of the contract: November 2011 - July 2013
Place of work: the address of the Contractor.

Evaluation criteria are:
a) the contract price;
b) the quality of work, services and expertise of the participant when placing an order for execution of works and services.

Information about the competition:
Funding: Federal budget.
Preferences: RI: 0%, MIS: 0%
Ensuring the application are not required.
Provision of the contract: it is required.
Date, place and procedure of the tender documentation:
October 19, 2011 to November 22, 2011 at the Customer;
on the official website: http://www.zakupki.gov.ru/ and Online Customer: www.roscosmos.ru
Reception: October 20, 2011 to November 22, 2011 until 10:00. 00 min. Moscow time at the customer.
Date and place of opening envelopes and open access to filed in electronic form applications to participate in an open competition: November 22, 2011 at 10:00 00 min., At the customer.
Date and place of consideration of applications for participation in open competition: November 24, 2011 at 10:00 00 min., At the customer.
Date and place of tabulation of open competition: November 28, 2011 at 10:00 00 min., At the customer.

Customer name and address:
Client: Federal Space Agency, Office of Manned Programs
Address: ul. Shchepkin, 42, Moscow, GSP-6 107 996
Contact: - Vladimir Ashurkov
tel. (495) 631-8438, fax (495) 631-9033 E-mail: [email protected]

Additional Information:
The procedure for assessing applications for participation in the contest is determined by the Government of the Russian Federation of September 10, 2009 № 722.


Russian release: http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=15&did=1616&lang=ru

Google translated release: http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.roscosmos.ru%2Fmain.php%3Fid%3D15%26did%3D1616%26lang%3Dru
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Offline woods170

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Just got word back from my ERA contact at ESA: Launch of MLM "Nauka" is NET september 2013.  :(

Offline anik

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Electrical mock-up of MLM module will be transported from Khrunichev to Energia in today's night.

Offline Danderman

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MLM "Nauka" Test Article Shipped to RSC Energia

http://www.energia.ru/ru/news/news-2011/news_11-09.html

Offline Ronsmytheiii

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photo_11-09-05.jpg is interesting, are those mockups for other modules or actual modules?

Offline Jorge

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photo_11-09-05.jpg is interesting, are those mockups for other modules or actual modules?

The one in the lower left is Rassvet, an actual module. Don't know about the one in the background.
JRF

Offline Danderman

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photo_11-09-05.jpg is interesting, are those mockups for other modules or actual modules?

These are electro-mechanical test articles, Rassvet and Zveszda. I believe that the photo is taken at the Energia KIS.
« Last Edit: 11/11/2011 01:13 pm by Danderman »

Offline brahmanknight

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Why are the "space tug" based modules narrower on the inside than the Mir base block modules?   

As an outsider, it seems like there is not much useable space on the inside of the modules.

Offline Danderman

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Why are the "space tug" based modules narrower on the inside than the Mir base block modules?   

As an outsider, it seems like there is not much useable space on the inside of the modules.

First off, only one compartment on the Mir/ISS base block has the large 4.1 meter diameter. The smaller base block compartment is the same 2.9 meter diameter as FGB. And, FGB/MLM do have a short section that expands out to 4.1 meters, but this is usually occupied by storage compartments.

As for why TKS modules like FGB are generally narrower than a base block is to preserve some mass for their cargo. If the entire tug were 4.1 meters in diameter, its cargo mass would be significantly reduced, resulting in a big half empty tug.

Offline Lars_J

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I had been under the impression that the MLM front (or is it rear?) :) would be a node with multiple docking ports for possible expansion - but there appears to be only one docking port. Is that right?

Offline Space Pete

I had been under the impression that the MLM front (or is it rear?) :) would be a node with multiple docking ports for possible expansion - but there appears to be only one docking port. Is that right?

The end of the MLM which will dock to the ISS will have one Hybrid docking port.

The opposite end of the MLM (which will face Nadir when it's on station) will have two docking ports - one standard cone for Soyuz/Progress dockings and later the multi-port Node Module, and one forward-facing APAS port for the MLM airlock.
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Offline Danderman

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The end of the MLM which will dock to the ISS will have one Hybrid docking port.

The opposite end of the MLM (which will face Nadir when it's on station) will have two docking ports - one standard cone for Soyuz/Progress dockings and later the multi-port Node Module, and one forward-facing APAS port for the MLM airlock.

Is the radial port for the airlock really APAS? At one time, it was probe and cone, back when this article was FGB-2, but now its a bit of mystery what mating system will be used for the airlock. Since the airlock is already in orbit, attached to Rassvet, there are no good photos of its docking mechanism, so its all a  mystery to me.


Offline Space Pete

Is the radial port for the airlock really APAS? At one time, it was probe and cone, back when this article was FGB-2, but now its a bit of mystery what mating system will be used for the airlock. Since the airlock is already in orbit, attached to Rassvet, there are no good photos of its docking mechanism, so its all a  mystery to me.

In this MLM A/L preflight photo, an APAS docking collar is clearly visible.
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