Soviet/Russian space programs Q&A

• #160 by Nicolas PILLET on 12 Jan, 2008 14:02
• The website of GKNPTs Khrounitchev has been updated with very interesting pictures and a nice video :
  
  http://www.khrunichev.ru/khrunichev/live/foto.asp
• #161 by DarthVader on 12 Jan, 2008 15:13
• Good catch Nicolas, thanks.
• #162 by Nicolas PILLET on 04 Feb, 2008 11:51
• Dear forumers,
  
  I have just acquired from a source a picture of the launch of Progress-1, in january 1978. But on this picture, an escape system is visible above the Soyouz launcher...
  
  Could someone tell me if this is normal ?
  
  Thank you !
• #163 by Skyrocket on 04 Feb, 2008 12:00
• Quote

  Nicolas PILLET - 4/2/2008  1:51 PM
  
  Dear forumers,
  
  I have just acquired from a source a picture of the launch of Progress-1, in january 1978. But on this picture, an escape system is visible above the Soyouz launcher...
  
  Could someone tell me if this is normal ?
  
  Thank you !

  
  Yes, the early Progress launches used the same Fairing as the Souyz launches. To keep the same aerodynamic properties, a dummy launch escape system was carried on top. The only difference is, that the rectangular stabilzers are absent from the fairing:
  
  

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• #164 by Jester on 04 Feb, 2008 15:07
• Quote

  DarthVader - 9/1/2008  9:56 PM
  
  Howdy,
  
  It's me again with my Soyuz related question(s). This time, I'm wondering if someone could help me (yes, again) identify the purpose of a device visible in (at least) 4 locations on the Soyuz' boosters. In the attached image, I have marked the "device" with a pink arrow and added in an insert, a picture showing a similar area with a "remove before flight" cover.
  
  Thanks in advance for any tips/hints.
  
  Cheers,

  
  maybe check here:
  http://www.sondasespaciales.com/public/imagenes/zemiorka5.jpg
  
  or maybe its a pressure release valve, I'm going there in about 3 weeks, i'll ask around....
• #165 by Nicolas PILLET on 05 Feb, 2008 14:19
• Quote

  Skyrocket - 4/2/2008  2:00 PM
  
  Yes, the early Progress launches used the same Fairing as the Souyz launches. To keep the same aerodynamic properties, a dummy launch escape system was carried on top. The only difference is, that the rectangular stabilzers are absent from the fairing:
  
  

  
  OK, thank you very much Skyrocket ! The picture of Progress-1 is here :
  
  http://www.kosmonavtika.com/lancements/1978/20011978/20011978.html
  
  
• #166 by Nicolas PILLET on 09 Mar, 2008 11:07
• Hello,
  
  Somebody know when this picture of Mir was taken ? Since there is no Soyouz docked, it should be during a fly-around and/or a spacecraft relocation...
  
  Thank you very much for help !

  ---

  
• #167 by anik on 09 Mar, 2008 13:18
• Quote

  Nicolas PILLET - 9/3/2008  3:07 PM
  
  Somebody know when this picture of Mir was taken?

  
  There is the truss base for future installation of drive for the solar array on Kvant module, so it was after January 26, 1991. There is no Sofora truss on Kvant module, so it was before July 27, 1991.
  
  So there are two variants: Soyuz TM-11 relocation on March 26, 1991 or Soyuz TM-12 relocation on May 28, 1991.

  ---

  
• #168 by Nicolas PILLET on 09 Mar, 2008 16:08
• Thank you Anik,
  
  I have a very similar picture with the caption "A view of Mir from Soyuz TM-11 during a fly around"...
  
  So I imagine that both pictures were taken on 26th March 1991...
  
  
• #169 by Nicolas PILLET on 30 Mar, 2008 13:42
• Dear group,
  
  I am doing some researches about the former head of TsUKOS (the ancestor of Space Forces), Andreï Grigorievitch Karass.
  
  I have found two biographies of him in two reliable websites :
  
  http://www.rtc.ru/encyk/biogr-book/10K/1211.shtml
  
  http://www.cosmoworld.ru/spacehistory/baykonur/karas.html
  
  Each article features a picture of Karass. My problem is that the two pictures show different men !!!
  Do someone know which one is the real Karass ?
  
  Thank you very much !
• #170 by Nicolas PILLET on 30 Mar, 2008 14:00
• That's OK, I have found the answer myself !
  
  In the picture below, Karass is the third, starting from the left. Despite poor quality, it is clear that the "good" photograph is the one of cosmoworld.ru.
  
  

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• #171 by Nicolas PILLET on 13 Apr, 2008 12:39
• Hello,
  
  I have a little question concerning the organisation of Baïkonour.
  
  Do someone know if there is any difference between "Kosmodrom Baikonour" and "Federalnoye Kosmitcheskii Tsentr Baikonour" ?
  
  I know that Roskosmos and Space Forces are both owners of the center, but do they share the same facilities, or is the center separated into two parts (one for FKA and one for KS) ?
  
  Thank you very much for help !
• #172 by anik on 13 Apr, 2008 15:24
• Quote

  Nicolas PILLET - 13/4/2008  4:39 PM
  
  Do someone know if there is any difference between "Kosmodrom Baikonour" and "Federalnoye Kosmitcheskii Tsentr Baikonour"?

  
  "Kosmodrom Baikonur" is the name of cosmodrome. "Federal'niy Kosmicheskiy Tsentr "Baikonur"" is the name of main enterprise, which maintains objects of Baikonur cosmodrome and organizes works on preparation and performing of launches.
  
  

  Quote

  Nicolas PILLET - 13/4/2008  4:39 PM
  
  I know that Roskosmos and Space Forces are both owners of the center, but do they share the same facilities, or is the center separated into two parts (one for FKA and one for KS)?

  
  Since 2007 all objects of Baikonur cosmodrome belong to Roskosmos.
• #173 by Nicolas PILLET on 13 Apr, 2008 16:17
• Mmmmh... Almost three hours between question and answer !
  
  Are you tired today Anik ?   :laugh:  :laugh:
  
  Thank you very much for clarification !
• #174 by whitewatcher on 17 Apr, 2008 17:39
• I would like to know how a sojus is flown at docking time. As far as I know they have two sticks, but ...
  - how many axis' per stick?
  - which stick axis is linked to which one of the 6 DOF?
• #175 by Jorge on 17 Apr, 2008 18:13
• Quote

  whitewatcher - 17/4/2008  12:39 PM
  
  I would like to know how a sojus is flown at docking time. As far as I know they have two sticks, but ...
  - how many axis' per stick?
  - which stick axis is linked to which one of the 6 DOF?

  
  The rotational hand controller has three axes, and controls all three corresponding rotational degrees of freedom.
  
  The translational hand controller has two axes and a toggle switch. The toggle switch controls translation in the longitudinal (X) axis) and the two-axis stick controls the other two.
• #176 by Satori on 17 Apr, 2008 18:14
• Is it possible to know when the orginal PU-1 launch platform was renamed PU-5 and the original PU-2 was renamed PU-6?
  
  Thanks!
• #177 by Satori on 17 Apr, 2008 18:19
• Quote

  anik - 13/4/2008  10:24 AM
  
  (...)
  
  Since 2007 all objects of Baikonur cosmodrome belong to Roskosmos.

  
  So, the Assembly and Fueling Complex (MZK) at Site 112A and the Vibration and Test Building also belong to Roskosmos? I thought it was Kazakhstan that owned the two buildings?!
• #178 by anik on 17 Apr, 2008 18:35
• Quote

  Satori - 17/4/2008  10:19 PM
  
  So, the Assembly and Fueling Complex (MZK) at Site 112A and the Vibration and Test Building also belong to Roskosmos? I thought it was Kazakhstan that owned the two buildings?!

  
  Rui, thanks for this question. I should correct my sentence. I wanted to say that "Since 2007 all objects (rented by Russia) of Baikonur cosmodrome belong to Roskosmos".
• #179 by whitewatcher on 17 Apr, 2008 20:02
• Quote

  Jorge - 17/4/2008  8:13 PM
  
  

  Quote

  whitewatcher - 17/4/2008  12:39 PM
  
  I would like to know how a sojus is flown at docking time. As far as I know they have two sticks, but ...
  - how many axis' per stick?
  - which stick axis is linked to which one of the 6 DOF?

  
  The rotational hand controller has three axes, and controls all three corresponding rotational degrees of freedom.
  
  The translational hand controller has two axes and a toggle switch. The toggle switch controls translation in the longitudinal (X) axis) and the two-axis stick controls the other two.

  
  Thank you!
  
  Which one is the  left/right hand stick?
  Is there a "low thrust" mode for small adjustments?