In early October 1957, the world's first artificial Earth satellite, launched into orbit using the R-7 rocket, opened the way into space. Further work in the rocket and space field led to the emergence of new vehicles of various classes, launch vehicles, manned programs, etc. By now, the launch of a rocket with a particular payload has become quite a common and routine event. Russian specialists continue their work and celebrate the anniversary of the Sputnik-1 flight with good results in the field of launch vehicles.
Russia, which has several classes and types of launch vehicles, is sometimes pejoratively referred to as a "space cab". However, given the specifics of the industry, this name can be interpreted in a positive way. The existing fleet of rockets and upper stages allows solving various problems and launching one or another payload into different orbits. Moreover, in certain areas, Russian technology is actually a monopoly - due to well-known events of the recent past, access to the International Space Station is now provided only by devices of the Soyuz series.
Launch of the Proton-M carrier rocket
During this year, the Russian rocket and space industry is to conduct 19 launches of several types of carrier rockets. By now, most of these plans have been fulfilled: 13 rockets have successfully delivered the payload into orbit. By the end of the year, it is planned to carry out 6 more launches. The first two of them are scheduled for next week - October 12 and 13.
The main site for Russian launches so far is the Baikonur cosmodrome. This year, he has been assigned 13 starts. Three more rockets have already been launched from Plesetsk, and in the near future one more will join this list. Two rockets are planned for November and December from the newest Vostochny cosmodrome. This will be the second and third start from the newly built site.
This year, most of the launches are carried out using Soyuz launch vehicles. The manned program involves Soyuz-FG missiles with Soyuz-MS series spacecraft. Other tasks of launching into orbit are solved using the Soyuz-2.1a, Soyuz-2.1b, Soyuz-2.1v and Soyuz-U carriers. From April to December, Roskosmos is to launch a total of four rockets with astronauts on board and 9 Soyuzes with one or another automatic apparatus. Among them are three space "trucks" of the "Progress-MS" type.
Separately, it should be noted two launches of Soyuz-ST missiles carried out this year. These launches, carried out from the French Kourou cosmodrome, do not formally refer to Russian ones. Nevertheless, despite the use of a foreign cosmodrome, Russian-made launch vehicles are used in them. Thus, they can also be taken into account when analyzing the current work of Roscosmos and related organizations.
In the recent past, the domestic space industry was forced to temporarily suspend the operation of the Proton-M launch vehicles. Over the past time, the existing problems have been resolved, and these missiles returned to work. On June 8, August 17, September 11 and 28, four carriers of this type successfully launched a payload into orbit - one domestic and three foreign communications satellites. The next launch of Proton-M is scheduled for next year. According to some reports, in this flight, the launch vehicle will send a new laboratory module for the ISS into space. In addition, there are plans to launch various types of heavy satellites in the interests of various customers.
Other launch vehicles also remain in service, but they account for only two launches. On October 13, the Rokot rocket with the Briz-KM upper stage launches from Plesetsk, the task of which will be to launch the European satellite Sentinel-5P into orbit. In early December, the complex consisting of the Zenit-3SLBF rocket and the Fregat-SB upper stage will launch the Angolan communications satellite AngoSat into space.
Traditionally - for obvious reasons - Roskosmos is the main customer for launches of domestic carrier rockets. This trend continues in the current 2017. Of the 19 formally Russian launches, 10 are carried out under a contract with a domestic state corporation. First of all, these orders are related to the support of the ISS, and imply the launch of spacecraft of the Soyuz-MS and Progress-MS type.
At the same time, other payloads were launched and are planned to be launched. This year, it is planned to send three Earth remote sensing satellites of the Kanopus-V series into orbit. One of them was taken out on July 14, the other two will be launched at the end of the year. The launch of the Soyuz-2.1b rocket with the Meteor-M satellite is scheduled for the end of November.
Launch of the satellite "Kanopus-V-IK" (July 14) as presented by the artist
The second largest customer in the number of launches is the Russian Aerospace Forces, which ordered four launches. In May and June, the Aerospace Forces launched the Kosmos-2518 and Kosmos-2519 satellites into orbit. According to reports, this technique is used as part of a missile attack warning system. In August, in the interests of the Aerospace Forces, the Blagovest-1 communications satellite was launched. On September 22, the Soyuz-2.1b rocket launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome sent another satellite of the GLONASS navigation system into space. As far as is known, no new launches in the interests of the Aerospace Forces are planned until the end of the year.
Only 5 launches can be classified as commercial launches in the interests of foreign clients (or 7 - taking into account two "French" launches from the Kuru cosmodrome). In early June, Proton-M with the Briz-M upper stage launched the American communications satellite EchoStar 21 into orbit. In September, Russian rockets launched communications satellites into space, built by order of Spanish and Hong Kong commercial organizations. In October and December, the Russian space industry will fulfill orders from the European Space Agency and the Angolan company AngoSat.
In general, the statistics of Russian launches in the current 2017 looks good. Domestic launch vehicles account for a noticeable share of launches, and in addition, they retain their leading positions in global statistics. However, there is a noticeable lag behind the US rocket and space industry, which currently ranks first in terms of the number of launches.
In the first nine months of 2017, 62 space rocket launches were carried out in the world, the vast majority of which were considered successful. Several American organizations account for 20 starts. Russia, with 13 launches, ranks second in the leaderboard. The third place is shared by China and ESA with 9 launches each. Thus, from the point of view of absolute numbers, the position of the Russian cosmonautics looks worthy and makes it possible to do without pessimism.
However, one cannot fail to note the specific structure of the Russian order portfolio. Two-thirds of the launches of Russian launch vehicles (if we take into account Russian-made launch vehicles built for the Kuru cosmodrome) are ordered by Roscosmos and the Aerospace Forces. Only seven out of two dozen rockets are supposed to deliver a commercial payload into orbit. The structure of orders of foreign rocket and space organizations looks different. For example, in the case of the American industry, the number of commercial launches can be compared to the number of orders from government agencies.
These circumstances have not very pleasant financial consequences. Thus, last year the volume of the world market for commercial launches reached 2.5 billion US dollars. Of this amount, only 130 million went to the Russian space industry. The remaining more than two billion were divided mainly by American companies, including private ones, and the European Space Agency. The numbers should change noticeably this year, but the current trend is not likely to change. Seven commercial launches in a year do not allow for large profits.
The Russian rocket and space industry sees this problem and is already looking for ways to solve it. If all existing plans are implemented, Russia will have a chance to significantly increase its share in the commercial space "transportation" market. According to experts, one of the main problems is the structure of the rocket fleet. In the foreseeable future, it is proposed to create several new launch vehicles that have the required characteristics, but differ in a reduced launch cost.
At the beginning of the twenties, it is planned to launch a new medium-class carrier, Soyuz-5, for testing, and by the middle of the decade it should enter service. First of all, this rocket is considered as the carrier of the manned spacecraft "Federation", but it will be possible to equip it with other payloads.
Soyuz-FG rocket with Progress MS-05 spacecraft launched on July 28
On the basis of the existing heavy rocket "Proton-M" it is proposed to create several new projects. By changing the composition of the aggregates, it will be possible to build carriers of the light and middle class, which are quite capable of competing with foreign counterparts. The Proton Medium and Proton Light projects are still at the design stage. The first flight of the mid-range modification is scheduled for 2019. Upon completion of all necessary checks, the rocket will receive a recommendation for further operation. Not later than the mid-twenties, both new "Protons" can become full-fledged commercial carriers.
It is noteworthy that the rocket under development has already attracted the attention of potential customers. Earlier it was reported that International Launch Services, which will operate the Proton Light and Proton Medium complexes, has already received its first order. The large communications company Eutelsat Communications intends to send its new spacecraft into orbit with the help of the updated Proton. Other details of this order, however, have not yet been specified.
Russia currently has a number of modern launch vehicles of several classes capable of launching various payloads into different orbits. This technique finds applications in the scientific and military fields, and also contributes to the development of communication systems. The existing nomenclature of carriers does not yet make it easy to get all the desired contracts, but new projects are already being created to solve this problem.
All this means that the remaining plans for the current 2017 will be fulfilled, and in the next 2018, Russian enterprises will carry out new launches, both ordered by domestic government organizations and commercial ones. Despite certain problems and difficulties, the space industry celebrated its anniversary with success and reason for restrained optimism.
