Russia-M

The Rus-M launch vehicle was part of the Perspective Manned Transport System (PPTS) (the parent company is RSC Energia ) and was intended primarily for launching promising manned and cargo spacecraft.

Due to the main purpose of the launch vehicle for manned flights , extremely stringent safety requirements are imposed on it, in particular, one of the requirements is the ability of the launch vehicle to leave the start even if one of the engines fails. Based on these requirements, as well as restrictions on the dimensions of goods delivered by rail (which does not allow transporting large-diameter steps), the first-stage block structure is used: it consists of universal missile blocks (URS) of 3.8 m in diameter, each of which contains tanks with components and one engine. Nevertheless, in spite of the block design, as in a missile of a batch design, the first stage is a single, inseparable design in flight, which corresponds to the tandem design.

Another requirement for this launch vehicle based on its intended purpose is to ensure continued flight in case of failure of one of the engines. At the same time, in case of sufficient energy reserves (fuel in the tanks), it continues to launch the spacecraft into a low orbit, and if there is a lack of energy, it will be brought into conditions ensuring rescue and safe landing (for example, reaching one of the emergency landing areas).

These requirements, including a special launch trajectory (which should provide a reload to the crew of not more than 12 g for any moment of an emergency interruption of flight) and the presence of an emergency rescue system (CAC), lead to a significant reduction in the carrying capacity of the launch vehicle in the manned version.

The launch vehicle was developed by order of Roscosmos . At the time of termination, the development was carried out at the stage of detailed design for a preliminary design, which was successfully protected in September 2010 .

The main developers of the launch vehicle:

• TsSKB-Progress - development of the second stage and the leading role for the LV as a whole
• GRC - development of the first stage
• KBHA - second stage engines
• Energomash - first stage engines
• TsENKI - ground infrastructure
• NPO Automation - Management System

Project Termination

On October 7, 2011, the head of Roscosmos, Vladimir Popovkin, announced that the Government of Russia and the leadership of the rocket and space industry had made a decision to stop the development of a new launch vehicle for Rus-M manned launches, which is at the paper design stage ^{[7] [8]} . According to the head of Roscosmos, "we do not need a new rocket, we will fly on those that are." Popovkin explained that more than 37% of the budget of Roscosmos until 2015 was allocated for the development of the new carrier, however, these funds are still very small, adding that “there can be no talk of launching in 2015”. ^{[9] [8]} 1.63 billion rubles have already been spent on developing the rocket.

As the deputy head of Roscosmos Vitaly Davydov told reporters on the same day, curtailing the development of the new Rus-M launch vehicle is due to a lack of funds allocated for these works, as well as the fact that, according to a number of characteristics, it repeats the Angara rocket currently being developed ". According to Davydov, the analysis shows that the funds are "not quite enough" in order to realize this task. In addition, in terms of its characteristics and functions, the Rus-M rocket “began to duplicate the carrier that we are now completing to develop” ^{[10] [8]} .

It was decided to focus on the construction of the Vostochny spaceport, as well as on the launch of Soyuz-2.1x rockets from it. Based on the results of these launches, a decision will be made whether to continue operating the Soyuz or to return to the development of a new launch vehicle ^{[1] [8]} .

Resume Project

According to the Governor of the Samara Region Nikolai Merkushkin (October 3, 2012) ^[11] , work on the creation of the Rus-M launch vehicle was resumed. The development is conducted by the Samara Rocket and Space Center "TsSKB-Progress" [2] . The governor estimated the Rus-M project at about 250 billion rubles. In October 2014, the general director of the Central Scientific Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Gennady Raikunov, told the media that the rocket is under development and is planned to be launched from Vostochny in 2018. [3]

In August 2015, the project was finally closed (in favor of the development of the Soyuz-5 launch vehicle family, which should replace the current Soyuz-FG and Soyuz-2 rockets) ^[6] .

Costs

During the preparation of the project for the complex for 10 months from December 2010, 1.63 billion rubles were spent according to the contract between Roscosmos and TsSKB-Progress . Probably, by the time the decision was made to terminate financing, the contract was close to completion ^[12] .

The first unmanned launch of Rus-M was expected in 2015 , manned in 2018 .

It was supposed to develop the following modifications of the Rus-M launch vehicle : ^[2]

• Rus-MS (middle class)
• Rus-MP (middle class of increased capacity)
• Rus-MT-35 (heavy class)
• Rus-MT-50 (heavy class).

Notes:

Rus-MS

" Rus-MS " refers to the middle class of missiles. When launching automatic spacecraft, the Rus-MS launch vehicle can be considered an analogue of Soyuz-U . The missile consists of one universal missile block of the first stage and the block “I” from “ Soyuz-2.1b ” as the second stage.

The launch mass of the launch vehicle is 233–235 tons. The payload mass that Rus-MS can bring to a low reference orbit is 6.5 tons. The diameter of the rocket is 3.8 m. ^[3]

Rus-MP

" Rus-MP " refers to medium-range missiles of increased carrying capacity. As the first stage of the launch vehicle , a “rigid” bundle of three universal missile units that cannot be separated is used. At the second stage, 4 RD-0146 engines are installed, developed by the Design Bureau of Chemical Automation , which operate on an oxygen - hydrogen fuel pair.

A booster rocket can bring up to 23.8 tons of payload into a low reference orbit , using booster blocks into a geostationary orbit - up to 4 tons. The diameter of the rocket is 11.6; Starting weight - 673 tons. ^[3]

Rus-MT-35

" Rus-MT-35 " belongs to the heavy class of missiles. The first stage consists of a bunch of five universal missile units, the second is equipped with 4 RD-0146 engines operating on liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen . The main purpose of the rocket is to launch heavy automatic spacecraft into geo-transitional and geostationary orbits. The size of the payload that the rocket is able to bring depends on the magnitude of the starting thrust of the first stage.

The launch mass of Rus-MT-35 is approximately 1100 tons. The launch vehicle can launch a payload of 33–36 tons into a low reference orbit , 7–7.5 tons into a geostationary one . The diameter of the rocket is 11.6 m. ^[3]

Rus-MT-50

" Rus-MT-50 " also belongs to the heavy class of missiles, while having a carrying capacity of 1.43 times greater than that of "Rus-MT-35." It was assumed that the launch vehicle will be a three-stage. Four universal missile units with RD-180 were to be used as the first stage, the second - one central unit with a throttle RD-180 , while on the third it was supposed to install 4 RD-0146 engines using oxygen - hydrogen fuel.

"Rus-MT-50" was intended for manned flights to the Moon and Mars , so it was planned to use a universal rocket block and a cryogenic upper stage with an increased refueling in it.

The launch mass of the rocket is approximately equal to 1433 tons. A booster rocket can bring a payload of 53 to 54 tons into a low reference orbit , and 11.5 tons into a geostationary one. The diameter of the rocket is 11.6 m. ^[3]

• Booster List
• Perspective Manned Transport System

• Rus-M on RussianSpaceWeb (English) (Retrieved June 28, 2009)
• Roscosmos has suspended the development of a new launch vehicle "Rus-M"