I doubt that RSA is putting a single penny in Proton IV. Seems like the changes are paid for and organized by Krunichev. The RSA hasn't got any payloads that heavy other then maybe MRM. This upgrade is purely driven by the need of commercial costumers. With Zenit-3SL capable of similar heavy payloads out of the game, Proton can nicely fill that gap.
But as indicated before this is more of a mid life upgrade and production will just continue in line. You can't demand a phase 3 Proton M once production has successfully switched to the new standard.
Now, anyone want to make a guess a Proton M with a RD-0146U upper stage would do?
Customer’s have made demands before. Astra-1G and Astra-2A flew on out of warranty military stocked rockets because customer wanted RD-253 engines. INMARSAT-4F3 customised 935 series Proton-M with RD-275 engines.
And as to these future enhancements; like lobotomising the Proton or burning the 3rd stage fuel to depletion are probably not suitable for MLM.
Putting a hydrogen oxygen upperstage has long been mentioned as an option for Proton; with a 5 metre payload fairing. Such technology would then migrate to the Angara rocket. Initially the Angara under the guise of Baiterek was to fly from site 200 launch platform 40. However site 250 is now to be the launch site of Angara; already designed to support hydrogen oxygen and kerosene rockets from Energia. And it has been preserved in a working state unlike site 40 which was stripped bare.
http://www.khrunichev.ru/main.php?id=52
However site 250 is now to be the launch site of Angara; already designed to support hydrogen oxygen and kerosene rockets from Energia. And it has been preserved in a working state unlike site 40 which was stripped bare.
I heard rumors that there was some disagreement about the situation at site 250. For the lack of money to repair it, Kazakh side signed off waivers. In particular the status of one of the lightning towers is a suspect since one of Energiya launches damaged it. Also, site 250 was used as fuel storage facility and allegedly Russians did not hand over that fuel plant into the assets of Baiterek. That, and lack of money, kinda makes the whole project a suspect, IMHO.
On the other hand, 200/40 is now free for deep changes in support of the long-fairing Proton, for instance (needs a different service tower) -- provided that money are available, again.
-- Pete
However site 250 is now to be the launch site of Angara; already designed to support hydrogen oxygen and kerosene rockets from Energia. And it has been preserved in a working state unlike site 40 which was stripped bare.
I heard rumors that there was some disagreement about the situation at site 250. For the lack of money to repair it, Kazakh side signed off waivers. In particular the status of one of the lightning towers is a suspect since one of Energiya launches damaged it. Also, site 250 was used as fuel storage facility and allegedly Russians did not hand over that fuel plant into the assets of Baiterek. That, and lack of money, kinda makes the whole project a suspect, IMHO.
On the other hand, 200/40 is now free for deep changes in support of the long-fairing Proton, for instance (needs a different service tower) -- provided that money are available, again.
-- Pete
You raise an interesting point about the service tower needing to be changed for the 5-metre fairing. There has also been a change in the Proton Launch System Mission Planner’s Guide about 5-metre fairings.
Revision 4, March 1999
These fairing options can be fielded in 30-36 months of authority to proceed and will support Proton M and Proton M/Breeze M vehicle launches as early as mid-2001.
Revision 5, December 2001
These fairing options can be available 18 months from contract signing and will support Proton M and Proton M/Breeze M vehicle launches.
Revision 6, December 2004
Such options can typically be available 18 months from contract signing.
Revision 7, July 2009
Such PLF options can take up to 48 months from contract signing to becoming available.
A proton with a cryogenic second stage would be great thing for a international beyond LEO exploration project.The Russians could get a ISS derived component to L2 maybe!
According to Excalibur Almaz an all-hypergolic, five stage Proton (two Briz-M) can throw 7 tons to 4 km/s.
I just can't imagine the performance with RD54-powered second and third stages and RD-56 (KVRD ?) fourth stage...
A proton with a cryogenic second stage would be great thing for a international beyond LEO exploration project.The Russians could get a ISS derived component to L2 maybe!
According to Excalibur Almaz an all-hypergolic, five stage Proton (two Briz-M) can throw 7 tons to 4 km/s.
I just can't imagine the performance with RD54-powered second and third stages and RD-56 (KVRD ?) fourth stage...
The problem with effectively rebuilding Proton with cryogenic upper stages is that the first stage is kind of puny, most due to rail transport restrictions. Its overly heavy, as the tankage is divided into small pieces. I suspect that the Proton first stage was heavily influenced in its design by the Saturn I first stage, which likewise was composed of small tanks, albeit for different reasons than Proton. Due to these small tanks, the Proton first stage barely operates for 120 seconds, whereas more modern upper stages operate closer to 180 seconds.
A proton with a cryogenic second stage would be great thing for a international beyond LEO exploration project.The Russians could get a ISS derived component to L2 maybe!
According to Excalibur Almaz an all-hypergolic, five stage Proton (two Briz-M) can throw 7 tons to 4 km/s.
I just can't imagine the performance with RD54-powered second and third stages and RD-56 (KVRD ?) fourth stage...
And what about the idea of strapping Topol solids around the 1st & 2nd stages?
http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/content/numbers/258/02.shtml
http://www.astro.cz/clanek/1530
Talk about heavy lift then ! 50 tons to LEO ?
The EchoStar XIV... the first commercial flight of the enhanced Phase III Proton.
... this year?
I think, that all the Protons 935xx series are of the enhanced Phase III.
Possibly the Proton is... but what about the white launch fairing?
White fairings is probably related to a federal flight.
(The first three rockets (93501 - 93503) were white.)
My point is that the entire package to launch a satellite includes a Proton rocket, Briz-M upper stage, payload adapter and fairing. Whilst there is a new sequence of Proton in use there appears to be something else that makes this and 93501 / 99501 phase III missions.
935 are a mix of phase II and III.
Phase II fairing was unchanged [
DIRECTV 10 booklet from Khrunichev].
Only phase III have the white fairing (93501, 93514, 93515, 93516, 93517, 93518, 93519…). Phase II 93502 and 92503 fairings are standard grey.
http://www.kosmonavtika.com/lanceurs/proton/liste/liste-m.htmlhttp://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=17568.msg765506#msg765506
Do we know with any certainty from authoritative Russian sources whether the plans to fly a LOX/LH2 upper stage on Proton are still on-going or simply dead and buried?
Do we know with any certainty from authoritative Russian sources whether the plans to fly a LOX/LH2 upper stage on Proton are still on-going or simply dead and buried?
Kazakhstan really wants Proton to be phased out in favor of Angara/Balterek, so its unlikely that real money would be spent on upgrading Proton much more.
I doubt Kazakhstan really wants Proton to go. Pure negotiations. I rate Kazakhi environmental concerns about as genuine as Micheal Jackson's nose and about as hypocritical as North Koreans calls for peace.
They want cash, USD preferable, but Ruble's will do just fine. If you'd task them with covering half of all the expenses of Biatrek you'd be able to launch Proton till somewhere early 22nd century.
I doubt Kazakhstan really wants Proton to go. Pure negotiations. I rate Kazakhi environmental concerns about as genuine as Micheal Jackson's nose and about as hypocritical as North Koreans calls for peace.
They want cash, USD preferable, but Ruble's will do just fine. If you'd task them with covering half of all the expenses of Biatrek you'd be able to launch Proton till somewhere early 22nd century.
Let's put it this way: Kazakhstan is going to squeeze Russia on Proton until the costs get too high to tolerate.