The second suborbital manned flight of the New Shepard spacecraft; the creation of a super-heavy rocket; the prospects for the Rd-180. A note on the history of space exploration
Аннотация: The second suborbital manned flight of the New Shepard spacecraft; the creation of a super-heavy rocket; the prospects for the RD-180. A note on the history of space exploration.
The second suborbital manned flight of the New Shepard spacecraft; the creation of a super-heavy rocket; the prospects for the RD-180. A note on the history of space exploration.
On October 13, 2021, the second suborbital manned flight of the New Shepard spacecraft was successfully completed (the American company Blue Origin was founded in 2000 by the American billionaire, founder of the Amazon Internet company Jeffrey Bezos).
The vigorous activities of Blue Origin and other organizations working in the space field are gradually directs, leads towards the finish the export of Russial RD-180 liquid-propellant rocket engines to the United States.
As of April 8, 2021 (more than 20 years since the first launch of the Atlas LV with the RD-180), 116 engines have been delivered to the United States, 92 launches have taken place, all of which have been recognized as successful.
On April 16, 2021, Roskosmos announced the dispatch of the last batch of 6 RD-180 engines to the United States.
Rockets of the Atlas family launched a variety of space devices into space.
In 2014, the Russial side signed a contract with Blue Origin to create an analogue of the Russial RD-180; the new BE-4 engine was introduced in early 2017.
"OCT 13, 19:23 TASS-DOSSIER. (...) [Blue Origin] has developed the BE-4 liquid propellant rocket engine ... It will be used in the first stage of the American medium-heavy Vulcan launch vehicle developed by ULA ... The Vulcan rocket equipped with two BE-4s will replace the Atlas V launch vehicle, the first stage of which is equipped with the Russial RD-180 engine. (...)
The company is also working on the creation of the BE-7 engine for Blue Moon Lunar lander [Excursion Module] ...
In addition, Blue Origin has developed a heavy launch vehicle, New Glenn ... with a reusable first stage (powered by seven BE-4 engines) that can be used up to 25 times ... (maximum payload 45 tons) ... Its first test launch may take place in late 2022 of the year." [unofficial translation] (https://tass.ru/info/11945021?utm_source=yxnews&utm_medium=desktop)
At the end of 2018, a launch vehicle project with six side blocks,equipped with RD-171, and one central one, equipped with RD-180, was chosen as the basic appearance of the new Russial super-heavy rocket. The readiness of the rocket was planned for 2027, and the launch of the carrier was planned for 2028 from the Vostochny cosmodrome.
On December 15, 2020, Roscosmos signed a contract in the amount of 1.47 billion rubles for the development of a technical design for the Yenisei super-heavy launch vehicle by mid-November 2021. The terms of reference states that the Yenisei will include ... the central block - the first stage of the Soyuz-6 rocket with RD-180MV engines...
On September 15, 2021, Dmitry Baranov, General Director of the Progress RCC, told the media that the technical design of an oxygen-kerosene (RD171MV and RD-180MV engines) superheavy rocket had been completely discontinued. Baranov did not rule out that in the future, the corresponding work could be resumed, if such a decision is made by Roskosmos. [The materials of the Internet encyclopedia are used].
Thus, not only has Roskosmos completed the sale of seats in Soyuz spacecraft for astronauts from the United States (for flights to the ISS). But also the export of RD-180 space engines to the United States is approaching to an end.
The US lunar program is becoming more and more real.
As for the Russian space industry, manned flights to the Moon without a super-heavy rocket are very problematic.
So, in real time, all interested people can observe qualitative changes in the capabilities and prospects of the Russial space industry.
October 14, 2021 05:27
Translation from Russian into English: October 14, 2021 06:30.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский "Второй суборбитальный пилотируемый полет космического корабля New Shepard, создание сверхтяжёлой ракеты и перспективы РД-180. Заметка об истории освоения космоса.".
{ 2453. Второй суборбитальный пилотируемый полет космического корабля New Shepard, создание сверхтяжёлой ракеты и перспективы РД-180. Заметка об истории освоения космоса.
MMСCCСXXIII. The second suborbital manned flight of the New Shepard spacecraft; the creation of a super-heavy rocket; the prospects for the RD-180. A note on the history of space exploration. }