A person, no matter what nationality he belongs to, is always proud of his country. He is proud of his ancestors, proud of the victories of his ancestors, proud of the artists and the works created by him, proud of even the unique natural "masterpieces" that can only be found in his country. A person looks at things created by previous generations and understands that this citizen of his country was the first in this eternal race to a better life. Is this good or bad? Probably good. Because a person feels his involvement in the great history of mankind and the history of his country. Man is not only ready to continue the great deeds of his ancestors, but also to protect what has already been created.
The situation is exactly the same with states, cities, towns, factories, factories … In the same way, there are those who are proud to be "the founders of democracy." Others live in the "cradle of the revolution". Still others are in the "financial center of the world." Etc. There are many examples.
The 20th century gave mankind a lot of things that are significant on a global scale. Just listing these accomplishments would take me several pages in fine print. And surely something significant would have been missed. But there are things that no one can miss. In particular, space exploration. It was the 20th century that gave us a dream come true. More precisely, the beginning of a dream come true. We went beyond our own planet and for the first time thought about those who may be living somewhere there … We saw with our own eyes how small our Earth is … And how big the cosmos is.
Our country was among the pioneers of space exploration. True, it was called then differently: the USSR. But ours … Citizens of all the former republics of the Soviet Union can, quite deservedly, say the same today. Today we live in different countries, but together we were the pioneers of space exploration. How together we defeated fascism.
It seemed to us that it was impossible to deprive the people of this proud title. However, the history of modern Ukraine shows the opposite. The greatest minds that were and, I hope, are in Ukraine, in the development, design and creation of spacecraft, are almost not in demand today. An agrarian power cannot afford, as they now say at the government level in Ukraine, to allow itself to build an independent space industry.
Today, the pain from the rupture of our (Ukraine and Russia) relations in the space industry has subsided somewhat. Not because we have become "callous" and incapable of experiencing. No, just in the two years that have passed since the breakup, Russia has managed to replace much of what was produced in Ukraine with its own developments or with imports from other countries.
Let me remind readers of some joint Russian-Ukrainian projects. Those that have brought or could have brought enormous profits for both countries.
"Sea Launch". 1995 project. A truly international project. The founders of which are the American "BOEING", the Russian "ENERGY", KB "YUZHNOE", the plant "YUZHMASH" and the Norwegian shipbuilding company "AKER SOLUTION" (modern name). A beautiful project. Launch of middle class spacecraft on a Ukrainian carrier from the Odyssey site (a former Japanese oil platform near Christmas Island). After the Americans left the project, Energia received up to 95% of the shares (2010).
But after the "Maidan" Ukraine, the Ukrainian authorities considered the project "Moskal" and stopped cooperation. On August 22, 2014, Sea Launch was stopped, and on December 24, Dmitry Rogozin announced the impossibility of cooperation with Yuzhmash … But during the lifetime of the project, 36 launches were made, 32 of which were successful! Ukrainian politicians (not designers and engineers of the space industry) declare the continuation of the production of Zenit-3SL rockets, but everyone understands that a rocket consisting of 70% of Russian components will not fly into the sky …
Ground Launch. "By-product" of "Sea Launch". It was MC's developments that were used to develop the possibilities of using Zenit already for launches from Baikonur. The missiles were completely Russian-Ukrainian. Zenit-3SLB and Zenit-3SLBF. During the five years of the project's existence (from 2008 to 2013), 5 launches were made. All successful.
True, Ukrainians have been dreaming for 3 years already … The Ukrainian dream is "Air Launch". Fortunately, while there is a theoretical possibility to make this dream come true. I mean the famous An-225 Mriya aircraft. Only now the situation in industry and in general in the Ukrainian economy today is such that the dream will remain a mriya …
And there was also "Rokot". Lightweight three-stage missiles. The rockets were produced by the Khrunichev center, but the control systems for the boosters were supplied from Kharkov (the Elektropribor plant, now Hartron). The rocket is capable of launching up to 2 tons of cargo into orbit. Used mainly for the needs of the Russian Ministry of Defense. For 15 years, 23 launches were made. Abnormal two. Probably not sure exactly, the most budgetary rocket ($ 20 million with all costs).
Dnipro. "Civilian version" of the famous Soviet ballistic missile RS-20 (according to NATO classification SS-18 Satan). One of the most powerful missiles in the world. It was this "Satan" that was replaced by the "Mace". It was produced at Yuzhmash … 22 launches from Baikonur were made in 16 years. A freak one.
Well, how can you not remember the famous (or famous, given that I remember the legend about the founding of Kiev) "Lybede". This is the first Ukrainian geostationary satellite, produced in Canada and safely rotting away in the city of Zheleznogorsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory. Originally, in 2009, a good project. For $ 254 million, Ukraine receives a satellite, which should be launched in 2011 … For this, the above-mentioned "Ground Launch" should be used. But … "No money." "The power of the satellite must be increased …" The launch is postponed indefinitely (until complete destruction, I suppose). The cost of the satellite has grown not only for storage in a warehouse, but also in connection with the replacement of Ukrainian components with Russian ones on Zenit-3SLBF missiles.
But what is written above, already, alas, refers to history. And the descendants will deal with history. We are "short-sighted" in this matter. And the big, as you know, is seen at a distance. What about today? Do not Ukraine and Ukrainian politicians understand that the loss of the space industry "throws" the country down to the level of a third-rate power. Are there even powers?
I would like to quote from the speech of Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Yaroslav Yatskiv at a round table at the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau on May 26: “Ukraine's potential is not yet high enough for us to explore the Moon on our own. European Space Agency. And what we can do better should be included in these international missions, we should be taken as an accomplice."
I think most readers have already understood what will be discussed next. Nothing more, nothing less than Ukraine's participation in … the exploration of the Moon! Do not be surprised, but the words that you read above are just about that.
It is clear that today the potential of Ukraine in the space field is of little interest to anyone. Of course, from those countries that have this industry. Modern science is no longer moving by leaps and bounds. The account goes to parsecs … Yes, and we are moving in at least one direction, but still different "paths". The "path" of Ukraine so far largely coincides with the Russian one, but … We do not cooperate in the space field. The Americans, and the French, do not need Ukrainian technologies …
But there are countries that, for various reasons, were not among the pioneers of the space industry. They do not have any serious achievements yet. And according to their potential, they can quite afford it. There are several such countries. And the first on the list is China. It is the Chinese who are interested in Ukrainian technologies. More precisely, in the Soviet technologies that Ukraine got during the collapse of the USSR.
Many readers have heard of China's ambitious lunar exploration project. The Chinese are serious about landing on a satellite of the Earth and not just exploring, but mastering the planet. I often mention the hard work of the Chinese people. And especially about purposefulness. If they said, then they will do it. If not today, then tomorrow, not tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow. Fortunately, the economy allows us to allocate huge funds for space.
There were reports in the media that China wants to buy from Ukraine the technology for creating the "E block" of the Soviet descent module, on which the landing of a Soviet cosmonaut on the moon was planned in the late 60s - early 70s of the last century. At that time there was a "space race" between the USSR and the USA. Both countries have developed and implemented many new technologies. Both countries tried to "wipe their nose" to each other. Accordingly, both sides succeeded. Now in one, now in another confrontation.
In the matter of landing on the moon, they "wiped off" us. Let me remind you that in the USSR the project of the lunar ship L-3 was developed. The device was to be launched into space with a heavy rocket N-1. Then, already in the orbit of the moon, one of the cosmonauts from the orbital module passed into the descent module. Thus, one member of the expedition was on the surface of the moon, and the second was waiting for him in orbit. Transitions from module to module were carried out by going into outer space.
It is clear that many of the technical solutions for this ship were truly revolutionary. Much of what was created during the development of the project is used today in modern missiles. But after the unsuccessful test of the N-1 rocket in 1974, the project was scrapped. L-3 was "put on the shelf". And today this particular project is of great interest to the Chinese …
To prevent the "crying" of some especially patriotic readers about the drain of Soviet technologies by "Svidomo Ukronazis" to a potential "partner", I would like to refer them to the video of the launch of Chinese manned spacecraft. Look carefully. A very instructive video.
Compare the Soviet "Unions" and the Chinese "Shenzhou". Compare the space suits of Soviet cosmonauts and Chinese taikonauts. Found the difference? No, of course they are.
"Shenzhou" is not an exact copy of "Union", but its continuation. The device is more spacious, comfortable and modern. But … Soviet. And where did the Chinese get it from? Where did these Taikonauts come from? Why does the Soviet Sokol spacesuit "fit" so well on them? It's simple. In the 90s, it was we who sold Soviet space technologies to the Chinese. We are Russia. And not only sold, but also trained these same taikonauts in our training centers. We sold for a "penny" what cost us billions.
I do not know, to be honest, it was the right decision or the wrong one. On the one hand, we sold unique technologies to those who needed them. And on the other? We sold for a pittance. Allowing thereby to save hundreds, and maybe thousands of times more funds than spent on the purchase, the same China. We have practically "made" the Chinese manned space program.
But back to Ukraine. Will the sale of block E of module L-3 take place? Namely, this block is the main one in the future deal. Block E is what Soviet science has the right to be proud of. This block serves both for landing on the Moon and for the return launch to the orbital module. To exclude technical inaccuracies, I will quote from an article by Andrey Borisov: “The height of the“block E”reaches 1.72 meters, its diameter is 2.38 meters, and its weight is 525 kilograms. The rocket unit consisted of two engines - the main 11D411 (RD858) and the reserve 11D412 (RD859). for safety reasons when launching the lander from the lunar surface). "Block E" successfully passed ground tests, all three flight tests within the framework of L3 were successful. By 1974, about 20 "blocks E" were created in the Ukrainian SSR."
It seems to me that today the sale of technologies for Ukraine is the only way to retain at least some place in the global space industry. A chance to keep the same Yuzhmash. It is clear that it is no longer possible to restore the status of a space power. The state of the country's economy is such that every day the lag will only increase. And soon this lag will become noticeable already in science. The most "fresh" ideas will, if not "pass by" Ukrainian scientists and designers, then "will remain behind the glass window" for sure.
Someone will leave for the same China, someone will simply leave by age, someone will leave for other reasons … The Ukrainian school of designers and scientists in this field will die. As it happens, unfortunately, with aircraft manufacturers, with shipbuilders … If today there is still a ghostly hope for some kind of revival of cooperation, then tomorrow it will no longer exist. It's a pity…
