Russia to Develop Rocket for New-Generation Manned Spacecraft

[major_tom]

More info on the EP tug (both versions: solar and nuke)
can be found in the book "Manned Mission to Mars" published
by Korolev (Energia) in 2006, Chapter 3 (can't read the
text but there is a nice pic of the NEP tug in page 66):

[robertross]

I certainly hope the Russians can get funding for this. The ramifications would be HUGE. Obviously having a nuclear launch vehicle will draw criticism from many, but in-space nuclear propulsion? It could revolutionize a great many missions, but more importantly, drive the United States to approach this technology with more zeal.

We like to talk about payoffs for technology & the future of manned spaceflight, well this concept would do it.

[hop]

Obviously having a nuclear launch vehicle will draw criticism from many, but in-space nuclear propulsion?

I don't see any indication they are contemplating a the former, only the latter. The "nuclear rocket" stuff in the press articles is almost certainly journalistic misinterpretation.

I also don't see any indication that funding with be forthcoming. This appears to be one more in a long list of "big ideas" put forward by Russian space organizations in the hope someone will pay for it. Realistically though, their own government has more pressing problems, and no foreign government is going to send that much hard cash out of the country for a prestige project.

[robertross]

Obviously having a nuclear launch vehicle will draw criticism from many, but in-space nuclear propulsion?

I don't see any indication they are contemplating a the former, only the latter.

Yes you are right..I re-read it to be sure. I guess I was mistaken by the statement about replacing the boosters & capsules...

And yes, I doubt the funding would be there, even from an American perspective, but it has to start somewhere, and sometime.

[pm1823]

"Establishment of energy and transportation module based on the nuclear power plant of megawatt class."
"The project focuses on an ambitious program of study and exploration of outer space", - said the head of Federal Space Agency.
"All this is impossible without building nuclear power plants of megawatt class" - he added.
Draft Project will be ready by 2012, when it will require funding of 17 billion rubles for nine years.

Looks like, he talking about a nuclear powered tug.

[Suzy]

"Russian president backs nuclear spaceship" at MSNBC.com. I'm guessing the reactor would be turned on (or whatever the phrase is) once the spaceship reached orbit?

[major_tom]

Still on the NEP spacecraft, for those familliar with the spanish language:

http://danielmarin.blogspot.com/2009/10/naves-nucleares-rusas.html

[William Barton]

More info on the EP tug (both versions: solar and nuke)
can be found in the book "Manned Mission to Mars" published
by Korolev (Energia) in 2006, Chapter 3 (can't read the
text but there is a nice pic of the NEP tug in page 66):

I can read Russian (very slowly!) with the help of a dictionary, but the Cyrillic in the image is choppy on my screen. Does the caption pointing to the black thing on the lower left of the picture (second to bottom caption on right) say something like "Takeoff-Landing Complex?" Thanks.

[Ben the Space Brit]

More info on the EP tug (both versions: solar and nuke)
can be found in the book "Manned Mission to Mars" published
by Korolev (Energia) in 2006, Chapter 3 (can't read the
text but there is a nice pic of the NEP tug in page 66):

I can read Russian (very slowly!) with the help of a dictionary, but the Cyrillic in the image is choppy on my screen. Does the caption pointing to the black thing on the lower left of the picture (second to bottom caption on right) say something like "Takeoff-Landing Complex?" Thanks.

Just looking at the object, I would speculate that we're looking at the base TPS of a Mars lander.  I'm not sure, but I'm thinking that's RSC Energya's Mars HSF design.

I saw another version with the radiators on a truss, the Brayton Cyclers at one end and the crew modules at the other with the NEP thruster group at the centre of gravity firing 'downwards' with respect to the rest of the vehicle.  The thing was obviously meant to rotate around the CoG in cruise with the NEPs, by their position, always available for firing.

[major_tom]

More info on the EP tug (both versions: solar and nuke)
can be found in the book "Manned Mission to Mars" published
by Korolev (Energia) in 2006, Chapter 3 (can't read the
text but there is a nice pic of the NEP tug in page 66):

I can read Russian (very slowly!) with the help of a dictionary, but the Cyrillic in the image is choppy on my screen. Does the caption pointing to the black thing on the lower left of the picture (second to bottom caption on right) say something like "Takeoff-Landing Complex?" Thanks.

Your russian reading skills are way better than mine,
but I think Ben is right, that should be the Mars
landing/ascent module.

As for what other captions mean: moduli, reaktor and radiator
are of direct translation, dvigateli means engine and
korabl means ship, I can't understand the rest of the
words.

[Nickolai]

I've edited major_tom's photo to add in the English translations. I left the Russian in case people want to check themselves

Also, the red line is my interpretation of what they meant by Earth return vehicle. I'm not sure what the original black line is going to, any ideas?

[major_tom]

I've edited major_tom's photo to add in the English translations. I left the Russian in case people want to check themselves

Also, the red line is my interpretation of what they meant by Earth return vehicle. I'm not sure what the original black line is going to, any ideas?

Nice job, ntrgc89, yes your modification of that black line seems
correct. On the original picture it mistakenly points to some
sort of foldable antenna... 

[Lars_J]

OK, thanks for posting more info on the subject.

A question... Those 'propulsion modules' look very strange. Not like I would expect ion thrusters to look. Does anyone have more info on the propulsion?

[Ben the Space Brit]

Also, the red line is my interpretation of what they meant by Earth return vehicle. I'm not sure what the original black line is going to, any ideas?

Yeah, that's a Klipper alright.

[SnowBars]

I've edited major_tom's photo to add in the English translations. I left the Russian in case people want to check themselves

Also, the red line is my interpretation of what they meant by Earth return vehicle. I'm not sure what the original black line is going to, any ideas?

Your translation is correct.

[isa_guy]

OK, thanks for posting more info on the subject.

A question... Those 'propulsion modules' look very strange. Not like I would expect ion thrusters to look. Does anyone have more info on the propulsion?

Those are hall thrusters(and alot of them).

[Suzy]

Powerpoint presentation at Roskosmos - "Significant Objectives of Space Exploration in the 21st Century" (click flag in top right corner for English versions of diagrams) showing plans for a nuclear tug

[major_tom]

Powerpoint presentation at Roskosmos - "Significant Objectives of Space Exploration in the 21st Century" (click flag in top right corner for English versions of diagrams) showing plans for a nuclear tug

Daniel Marin's analisys (in spanish) of Roskosmos presentation:
http://danielmarin.blogspot.com/2009/11/naves-nucleares-rusas-ii.html

[eeergo]

Powerpoint presentation at Roskosmos - "Significant Objectives of Space Exploration in the 21st Century" (click flag in top right corner for English versions of diagrams) showing plans for a nuclear tug

Daniel Marin's analisys (in spanish) of Roskosmos presentation:
http://danielmarin.blogspot.com/2009/11/naves-nucleares-rusas-ii.html

I was just going to post the same link Those analysis and commentaries Daniel provides are awesome, I had never read much about these engines even though their basic systems were operational and these nuclear engines plans aren't such a pipe dream as they at first seem.

Recommended reading, no doubt.

[aquarius]

Aren't Roskosmos and/or Energia tired of announcing grand plans that never materialize?