Since people here like to catalog numbers for launch vehicles and spacecraft, how about subsystems, like 800a batteries, docking adapters, and the like? There is a real lack of information about most Russian subsystems, apart from Soyuz instrument panels and avionics, and even the Kurs boxes are a mystery to most of us.
Does anyone here track this stuff?
I'm unofficialy a "keeper of the panels" and related topics such as timer units and command radio links, simulators - as you said avionics.
On any given area, you will find that someone is working on it. Looking over at NK, there are good folks like Salo, for example, who seems to track every propulsion system imaginable.
I would like to see a structured "place" here, to have a meeting of the minds, and compile, store, and trade information. The very topic heading of "Launchers" and a long winding "Q&A" section might confuse or slightly discourage organized discussions about Soviet/Russian subsystems. As a metaphor, many are carrying a part of the spacecraft, but theres no table to sort it on and put it under the microscope. Unless someone asks about a Kurs for example, nobody will come forward about it - and this presumes they saw a question.
I think theres plenty of interest but many have trepidation due to language barriers and not knowing where to start.
In the immediate future it would be important to start by tracking the current locations of flown spacecraft, and verifying their identity. Perhaps catagories could be developed - Environmental, space suits, power systems, propulsion, structural, thermal protection, guidance, avionics- control and sensors, radio systems, telemetry, ground systems. Or, perhaps another approach based on spacecraft specific threads. The information and knowledgeable people are out there its just lacking a comprehensive structure.
The Soyuz and Progress 386G navigation system is supposedly to be replaced next year by a GPS-based solution. This would allow Russia to retire the many Kama radar stations used to support spacecraft.
I found a Russian source for information about the Tral telemetry system, which was originally used on the R-7 missile, but became the standard Energia telemetry system for orbit in the early 1960s. Apparently, there was a Tral-P for the R-7, Tral-P1 for Vostok, and a Tral-P2, I cannot say what system replaced Tral-2P. There also was a Tral-T, which was the ground component.
http://kik-sssr.narod.ru/Tral.htmApparently, the Tral-P system used on the R-7 was also subclassified, based on which part of the R-7 the particular telemetry unit was installed on. So, there was a Tral-B, a Tral-Ts, and a Tral-G, as well.
Tral was also used on the Ukrainian R-14 and R-16 launchers, as well.
Parts of Soyuz Manufactured in Garages
http://rubabr.com/?IDE=228The Samara region procuracy has found out that the parts for the Soyuz spacecrafts had been “home-made”, i.e. manufactured by rule of thumb.
The cost-effective production has been organized by the executives of the CJSC “Volzhskoye Design Bureau" of S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia. In 2008 the company received an order in the amount of over fifteen million rubles. There were two cool air blow-down devices for rocket engines and a filling unit for the RN-Soyuz spacecraft within the framework of its modernization on the order list.
Deputy Chief Designer has quickly established a certain LLC appointing his relative its director and gave the order to this enterprise. The clandestine manufacture of strategic products has been launched in the rented garages. And pilot testing of the products has been carried out at wagon works.
Story in Russian:
http://newsbabr.com/?IDE=110178
Concerning the Soyuz TMA-M modifications, it appears that one mod was the replacement of the descent capsule gyro. Historically, Soyuz has used gyros from NIIPM, the K100 series. However, the first Soyuz TMA mission suffered a ballistic descent, and the root cause seemed to be the K100:
http://www.energia.ru/eng/news/news-2003/press_release_iss-08.htmlI ran across this blurb from a new company:
http://www.optolink.ru/en/news11/19/12
Soyuz Capsule Landed Expedition 33 Crew.
Three Optolink's TRS-500 fiber-optic gyroscopes, installed into control system of Descent Module of Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft, successfully executed their mission during landing - The Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft carrying Expedition 33 Commander Suni Williams and Flight Engineers Yuri Malenchenko and Aki Hoshide landed safely in the steppe of Kazakhstan northeast of the remote town of Arkalyk at 8:53 p.m. EST (5:53 a.m. Monday, Moscow time) after 125 days aboard the International Space Station.
with the claim that the descent module was carrying a TRS-500 fiber optic gyro, so I checked this out:
http://www.optolink.ru/en/products/three-axis-fiber-optical
Three axes fiber optical gyro TRS500The unit weighs 1.2 kg, and uses 5 watts.
I don't have the specs on the Soyuz K100 series gyro, but NIIPM produces the GIVUS angular velocity gyro which is comparable in age to the K100 series. It has a mass of 12 kg and uses 75 watts of power. The optical gyro improves mass and power factors by an order of magnitude.
There seems to be a revolution in Russian aerospace technology, and Soyuz is just beginning to benefit.
I found a Russian source for information about the Tral telemetry system, which was originally used on the R-7 missile, but became the standard Energia telemetry system for orbit in the early 1960s. Apparently, there was a Tral-P for the R-7, Tral-P1 for Vostok, and a Tral-P2, I cannot say what system replaced Tral-2P. There also was a Tral-T, which was the ground component.
http://kik-sssr.narod.ru/Tral.htm
Apparently, the Tral-P system used on the R-7 was also subclassified, based on which part of the R-7 the particular telemetry unit was installed on. So, there was a Tral-B, a Tral-Ts, and a Tral-G, as well.
Tral was also used on the Ukrainian R-14 and R-16 launchers, as well.
OKB MEI has produced a book on the topic of telemetry, radiolocation and voice systems they produced for the spacecraft Vostok.
http://www.okbmei.ru/docs/okbmei_i_vostok.pdfThere was another widely circulated publication that was produced on 50-year anneversary of Baykonur that clarified terminology of these systems used on spacecraft and early series R Rockets.
These two sources seem to be the ones that Telemetrist (the creator of the site you linked to) is using.
This is also interesting on the matter of telemetry:
http://podelise.ru/docs/index-294029-1.htmlThe sytems Tral "ИОК" and Tral "ЯХОНТ" seem to be the next in lineage after Tral-P2.
What a terrible thread title. Make it descriptive.
What a terrible thread title. Make it descriptive.
I don't know if "descriptive" is any better. Do you have any other suggestions?