Antares (Taurus II)

[SpaceR]

Намёк понял. :wink:
Кстати Jim на SFN пишет, что выбор уже сделан и не в пользу РД-0124 и РД-809.

Кроме того НК-31 работает на переохлаждённом ЖК, как и НК-33.

Эх...
Похоже, я всё-таки ошибся.

[Salo]

Ну так тому и быть. Подождём официальной информации.

[Bell]

А сколько там на складе НК-31 лежит? Мало же вроде было.
Неуж-то Аэроджет собирается сам изготавливать?

[Дмитрий В.]

А сколько там на складе НК-31 лежит? Мало же вроде было.
Неуж-то Аэроджет собирается сам изготавливать?

На миссии к МКС хватит.

[Salo]

http://www.aviagrad.ru/avia/digest/2006/10/25/25-10-06-02

ЖРД многоразового применения НК-33 и НК-43 (а также НК-31 и НК-39) были разработаны в Самаре в 60-е годы для РН тяжелого класса Н-1, предназначенного для полетов на Луну. После прекращения советской лунной программы в 1974 г. двигатели НК-33 (более 80 штук) для первой ступени Н-1 не уничтожили, а законсервировали и хранили в тщательно контролируемых условиях в течение 25 лет. Также были законсервированы 12 двигателей НК-43 для второй ступени РН Н-1, 10 двигателей НК-39 для третьей ступени и столько же двигателей НК-31 для четвертой ступени РН.

[Salo]

http://www.communa.ru/news/detail.php?ID=48794
Звёздные старты КБХА
Источник: «Коммуна», №№ 53-54 (25681-25682), 12.04.11г.

Могу сказать прямо: у американцев двигателя аналогичного класса с такими же высокими характеристиками нет, не случайно они уже изъявили желание покупать его у нас.

Вопрос только в том, будет ли реализовано это желание. :roll:

[Bell]

http://www.aviagrad.ru/avia/digest/2006/10/25/25-10-06-02

ЖРД многоразового применения НК-33 и НК-43 (а также НК-31 и НК-39) были разработаны в Самаре в 60-е годы для РН тяжелого класса Н-1, предназначенного для полетов на Луну. После прекращения советской лунной программы в 1974 г. двигатели НК-33 (более 80 штук) для первой ступени Н-1 не уничтожили, а законсервировали и хранили в тщательно контролируемых условиях в течение 25 лет. Также были законсервированы 12 двигателей НК-43 для второй ступени РН Н-1, 10 двигателей НК-39 для третьей ступени и столько же двигателей НК-31 для четвертой ступени РН.

Ну 10 штук это как-то несерьезно...

[Дмитрий В.]

Ну 10 штук это как-то несерьезно...

Достаточно для выполнения заказов НАСА в течение нескольких лет. А за это время найдут более долгоживущее решение, если будет желание.

[Bell]

Тогда надо ждать сообщения о подготовке контракта на поставку. И прожигов...

[Salo]

НК-39 не нужно сбрасывать со счетов. А с ними хватит и на CRS, и на несколько миссий NASA.

[Сторонний]

НК-39 не нужно сбрасывать со счетов. А с ними хватит и на CRS, и на несколько миссий NASA.

Salo, пускай оно хоть так слетает, а не то не дай бог чего случится.

[Salo]

А если случится, то уж больше он конечно никогда не полетит?

[Лютич]

Так на безрыбьи и рак рыба!
А доводя двигатель можно и эту проблему решить, поменяв геометрию камеры. Я бы ещё заменил узлы качания на рулевые КС, запитанные от основного ТНА.

Вопрос: сколько это займет по времени?
Подсказка: амерам в настоящий исторический момент насрать на мюПН, энергоэффективность и пр. Главное - сроки и бюджет.

[Дмитрий В.]

Так на безрыбьи и рак рыба!
А доводя двигатель можно и эту проблему решить, поменяв геометрию камеры. Я бы ещё заменил узлы качания на рулевые КС, запитанные от основного ТНА.

Вопрос: сколько это займет по времени?
Подсказка: амерам в настоящий исторический момент насрать на мюПН, энергоэффективность и пр. Главное - сроки и бюджет.

Это понятно. Но более высокая энергетика определяет коммерческую привлекательность.

[Salo]

http://www.spacenews.com/launch/110421-orbital-launch-failure-review-nears-conclusion.html

Orbital's principal development program remains its new Taurus 2 rocket and the Cygnus cargo vehicle it will carry to the international space station under contract to NASA.

 The Taurus 2 schedule has slipped by about a month since early this year. NASA has agreed to fund a test flight of the rocket without the Cygnus capsule. That inaugural flight, from a new launch complex on Wallops Island, Va., is now scheduled for early October, although the schedule "remains tight, with some slippage, and cost pressures continue," J.R. Thompson said.

    A key milestone will be U.S. government certification of the Wallops facility. "This will pace our schedule for Taurus 2 entering the market," J.R. Thompson said of the spaceport-certification process.

    Assuming a successful October Taurus 2 test flight, the vehicle's flight with the Cygnus capsule would occur in December, J.R. Thompson said.

    David Thompson said the company, a major NASA contractor, has made a preliminary review of the U.S. space agency's latest budget and concluded that, with respect to Orbital's work, the news is not that bad.

    He said Orbital's losing bid for work on NASA's Commercial Crew Development 2 program, which is intended to nurture commercially operated astronaut-transport systems, will likely lead the company to shut down those operations unless some other opportunity arises.

[Salo]

http://www.orbital.com/CargoResupplyServices/

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1104/21taurus2/

Taurus 2 risk-reduction flight approved for October launch[/size]
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: April 21, 2011

NASA has agreed to pay approximately $100 million to Orbital Sciences Corp. for a test flight of the Taurus 2 rocket to reduce risk on future launches to resupply the International Space Station, company officials said Thursday.


This artist's concept shows a Taurus 2 rocket on the launch pad at Wallops Island, Va. Credit: Orbital Sciences
 
The test flight is scheduled to blast off in early October from a new launch pad on Wallops Island, Va.

The launch will not carry Orbital's Cygnus cargo freighter, a separate development which will resupply the space station eight times through 2015. The Cygnus spacecraft should be ready for its in-orbit demonstration by December, according to David Thompson, Orbital's chairman and CEO.

Orbital and NASA agreed in principle last year to conduct the demonstration launch, but the final payment from the government was held up amid delays in passing a federal budget for the remainder of this fiscal year.

The budget was signed into law last week, giving NASA the money it needed to pay Orbital for the risk-reduction flight. The value totaled approximately $100 million, according to Barron Beneski, an Orbital spokesperson.

The Taurus 2 and Cygnus vehicles are being developed with government and company resources under a public-private partnership.

"Schedule remains tight with some slippage since our last report, and cost pressures continue," said J.R. Thompson, Orbital's vice chairman and chief operating officer.

The Taurus 2's first pair of kerosene-fueled Aerojet AJ26 engines have passed acceptance testing and are already at the Wallops launch site, along with two first stage structures destined for ground testing and the rocket's inaugural mission.

The vehicle's second stage, a solid-fueled Castor 30A motor from rocket-builder ATK, has completed structural testing in advance of the first launch, according to Orbital.

The Taurus 2's second 90-foot-long first stage recently arrived in Wallops on a barge from Ukraine, where it was designed and built by Yuzhnoye and Yuzhmash, respectively. A ground test article first stage was shipped to the United States last year, and it will be transferred to the launch pad this summer for fueling tests.

But progress in construction of the privately-operated launch pad will determine when the first launch actually happens.

"Our top priority at Wallops is completing and certifying all launch complex systems," J.R. Thompson said. "This will pace our schedule for Taurus 2 entering the marketplace."

Workers have finished pouring more than 21 million pounds of concrete at launch pad 0A. Orbital is now installing the facility's propellant tanks and fuel plumbing before moving the Taurus 2 rocket to the pad.

Speaking with investment analysts in an earnings conference call, officials said the launcher's transporter and erector system is also at Wallops awaiting integration with the launch complex. According to J.R. Thompson, the site should be finished by August, in time for a test firing of the Taurus 2's AJ26 engines on the pad in early September.

If everything goes as planned, the Taurus 2 should be ready for launch in early October.

Orbital's robotic Cygnus cargo freighter is expected to launch on the second Taurus 2 flight in December. The Cygnus craft will rendezvous with the space station in a shakeout mission for NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program.

J.R. Thompson told industry analysts the assembly and testing of the first Cygnus spacecraft is underway at Orbital's headquarters in Dulles, Va. The first edition of the Cygnus flight software has also been released, Thompson said.

If this year's two missions are successful, the company plans to begin operational resupply missions to the station in the first quarter of 2012.

[Salo]

Пишут, что закончены с положительным результатом межведомственные испытания 14Д23:

http://www.avanturist.org/forum/index.php/topic,101.2900.html

Он уже слетал четыре раза. Без замечаний, правда первый раз чудом не упали. Теперь-освоение и подготовка серийного производства, потом серия. Машинка получилась весьма удачная, востребованая и ей уготована весьма долгая жизнь. Правда не в плане пилотируемых полетов. А так три наших ракеты да Таурус (тьфу-тьфу, что б не сглазить)

[Петр Зайцев]

Пишут, что на время никаких жидких ступеней не будет (вернее, пишут, что будет ТТРД на больше, чем 12 пусков). Видать не все там гладко со всякими РД-809, не говоря уж о РД-0124.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1104/25castor30xl/

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1104/25castor30xl/

Orbital picks upgraded solid motor for Taurus 2 rocket[/size]
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: April 25, 2011

Orbital Sciences Corp. has selected an upgraded Castor 30 solid-fueled upper stage to provide a performance boost for the Taurus 2 rocket and meet NASA's contractual requirements for cargo deliveries to the International Space Station, officials announced Monday.


File photo of a Castor 30A solid rocket motor. Credit: ATK
 
The Castor 30XL motor, built by ATK, will be used as the second stage on the Taurus 2 rocket beginning on its fifth flight scheduled for 2013. The Castor 30XL contract is worth $57 million, according to ATK.

ATK is already providing a basic version of the Castor 30 motor for the first four Taurus 2 missions. A Castor 30A second stage will help propel the first two Taurus 2 rockets into orbit this year, then a higher-performing Castor 30B motor will be used on the third and fourth flights in 2012, officials said.

The Castor 30XL is a lengthened version of the Castor 30A, which is designed to ignite at high altitudes above 100,000 feet, produce up to 89,000 pounds of thrust and fire for 146 seconds. The Castor 30XL's performance details were not released.

Both stages are the same diameter, but the extended Castor 30 stage is more than 19 feet long, nearly 8 feet longer than the Castor 30A. The larger motor means the Taurus 2 rocket will be able to lift more cargo into orbit.

"The Castor 30XL is another important addition to our expanding portfolio of commercial propulsion products, which include the GEM, Orion and Castor solid rocket motor lines," said Scott Lehr, ATK Aerospace Systems vice president and general manager of strategic and commercial systems. "We leveraged our heritage flight-proven and cost-effective technologies to develop a customized, higher-performing second stage solution for Orbital's Taurus 2 launch vehicle."

Orbital Sciences shopped around for an enhanced second stage to increase the lift capacity of the Taurus 2 rocket, studying liquid-fueled engines from the U.S. and foreign propulsion markets.

"We settled on a lower cost, less risky approach to an enhanced mission performance solution to meet contractual requirements, which consists of selected weight savings and a solid motor upgrade instead of a liquid propulsion solution," said James R. Thompson, Orbital's vice chairman and chief operating officer.
 
Orbital Sciences holds a $1.9 billion Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA to serve the International Space Station with eight flights of the Taurus 2 rocket and the robotic Cygnus cargo freighter. The contract requires Orbital to deliver 20 metric tons, or about 44,000 pounds, of equipment to the complex over the eight missions.

NASA is partially funding the development of the Taurus 2 and Cygnus vehicles in a public-private partnership called the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services, or COTS, program.

But engineers will have to beef up the Taurus 2 rocket to meet the requirement. The first operational resupply flight will haul up to 3,500 pounds of provisions and experiments to the station, but flight experience and the addition of the more powerful Castor 30XL stage will allow later flights to deliver up to 6,000 pounds per mission.

NASA is transitioning to a mixed fleet of vehicles following the space shuttle's retirement this summer. Commercial resupply craft from Orbital Sciences and SpaceX will take up U.S. responsibility for space station logistics, and Russian, European and Japanese vehicles will continue to deliver supplies.

The steady increase in Taurus 2 capability will satisfy the cargo numbers in Orbital's contract with NASA. It will also make the Taurus 2 more competitive in securing agreements to launch NASA unmanned science missions, U.S. military satellites and commercial spacecraft.

"We have had a long and successful history of working with Orbital as their solid propulsion provider," Lehr said. "We are very pleased to be able to provide an upgraded stage to support their critical NASA COTS and CRS progams, as well as other NASA, DoD and commercial mission requirements."

The Taurus 2 rocket's first stage is powered by two kerosene-fueled Aerojet AJ26 engines. The AJ26 is a modified Russian NK-33 engine originally built in the 1960s and 1970s for the Soviet Union's doomed N1 moon rocket. The first stage tank structures are designed and manufactured in Ukraine.

Its launch site is at Wallops Island, Va.

Orbital Sciences officials announced Thursday the Taurus 2 rocket's first launch will be a demonstration flight for NASA without a payload. A follow-up Taurus 2 mission in December will test the Cygnus spacecraft's ability to approach the space station and be grappled by the lab's robot arm.

The first operational Cygnus flight is scheduled for early 2012.