In 1957, the first artificial satellite went into Earth orbit. From various studies and theoretical works, science moved on to practice. The first launch of the spacecraft and all subsequent programs were based on a variety of ideas and solutions, including those proposed several decades earlier. The theory of space flight has been studied by many specialists for a long time, and one of the participants in such work was the Russian and Soviet scientist Alexander Ignatievich Shargei, better known as Yuri Vasilyevich Kondratyuk.
Path to space
Alexander Shargei was born in 1897 in Poltava. For a number of reasons, the future scientist spent his first years at his grandmother's house. In 1903, his father moved to St. Petersburg and took Alexander with him. In 1907, A. Shargei entered the gymnasium, where he studied for only a few years. In 1910 his father died and he had to return to Poltava. After graduating from the Poltava gymnasium with a silver medal, the future space flight theorist entered the mechanical department of the Petrograd Polytechnic Institute. However, the study did not last too long - just a couple of months later, A. Shargei was drafted into the army.
Soon after being drafted, the former student went to the ensigns school. Having received the necessary education and brand new shoulder straps, A. Shargei went to the Turkish front, where he served until the spring of 1918. Not wanting to participate in the civil war, the ensign did not join the White movement and tried to return home. However, he subsequently made an unsuccessful attempt to leave the country.
Yu. V. Kondratyuk. Presumably the 30s. Photo Wikimedia Commons
Seeing the difficult situation and knowing about some of the specific features of that time, A. Shargei preferred not to reveal his past - especially his military rank. In order to avoid possible problems, he, with the help of his stepmother, issued new documents. The future scientist became Yuri Vasilievich Kondratyuk, born in 1900 from the city of Lutsk. It was under the new name that the researcher received well-deserved fame.
Since the beginning of the twenties, Yuri Kondratyuk worked in various cities in the south of the country and performed a variety of duties - primarily related to technology, its construction and maintenance. In the late twenties, he moved to Siberia, where he mastered a new profession as a specialist in working with grain and building the corresponding infrastructure.
Space pioneer
During his service in the army and at civilian enterprises, connected with the solution of purely practical issues of one kind or another, Yu. Kondratyuk also studied the theory of space flight. At that time, rocketry was taking its first steps and was not yet ready to enter interplanetary space. However, this exit was impossible without theoretical calculations and justifications. Having become interested in rocket and space topics, a mechanic without formal education began his research.
The situation at the end of the tenth years of the last century, at least, did not contribute to the active work of self-taught scientists. So, Yu. Kondratyuk did not have access to existing work on space issues, which led to special consequences. For example, not knowing about the calculations of K. E. Tsiolkovsky, Y. Kondratyuk independently derived the formula for jet propulsion, and also supplemented these calculations in a certain way. Later, on the basis of such works, he was able to propose new ideas and theoretical apparatus suitable for use in future projects.
In 1919, Yuri Kondratyuk prepared his first full-fledged work. The manuscript, titled “For Those Who Read to Build,” included 144 pages describing the theoretical aspects of rocketry, numerous formulas, and all sorts of new proposals. In his work, the scientist developed already known ideas and calculations, and also came up with completely new proposals. As the events of subsequent decades have shown, without some of Y. Kondratyuk's ideas, the development of astronautics could face serious problems.
"Magnum opus" of the scientist - the book "Conquest of interplanetary spaces"
In 1925, a new work "On interplanetary travel" appeared, which considered not only the theory of rocket motion, but also the ways of its practical application for the benefit of science. At the beginning of the next year, the Scientific and Technical Department of the Supreme Council of the National Economy instructed Professor Vladimir Petrovich Vetchinkin to study the work of Kondratyuk and submit a conclusion. The professor concluded that the research of an enthusiastic scientist is of great interest and should be involved in ongoing work. In addition, the famous scientist demanded that the young specialist be transferred from the provinces to the capital.
Yu. Kondratyuk continued the theoretical study of various issues, and based on the results of new research, he made adjustments to the existing work. On the basis of previous manuscripts and new research in 1929, the book "The Conquest of Interplanetary Space" was written. It developed already known ideas, as well as proposed new ones. So, by the end of the twenties, the scientist was able to substantiate and work out a number of issues related to the design of spacecraft.
It should be noted that the work "For Those Who Will Read to Build" remained a manuscript for two decades. It was first published only at the end of the thirties - after the more voluminous and important work "The Conquest of Interplanetary Space". Nevertheless, in this case, this book was of great interest to scientists and engineers.
In the mid-sixties, the first manuscript of Yu. V. Kondratyuk was published in the collection "Pioneers of rocketry" edited by T. M. Melkumov. Soon, the American agency NASA released a translation of this book. For obvious reasons, foreign specialists until that time did not have information about all the works of their colleagues from Russia and the USSR. From the new collection, they learned, not without surprise, that some of the breakthrough ideas they were using at that time actually appeared several decades earlier.
Breakthrough in science
In his works of the tenth and twenties, Yu. Kondratyuk proposed a number of new ideas. Some of them were actually the development of already known solutions, while others had not previously been found in scientific works. Knowing the further history of rocket technology and astronautics, it is not at all difficult to understand which of the scientist's ideas were developed, and which turned out to be unsuitable for use in practice. Indeed, some of Y. Kondratyuk's decisions turned out to be too complicated or not the most convenient, which, however, did not affect the correctness of others.
"Kondratyuk's track" on the example of the flight diagram of the American Apollo 8. Figure NASA
Even in the manuscript "For Those Who Will Read to Build", the self-taught scientist, by his own method, derived the formula for jet propulsion, previously formulated by K. E. Tsiolkovsky. He also worked out a design option for a multistage rocket with a liquid engine running on a hydrogen-oxygen fuel pair. An engine combustion chamber was proposed with an optimal fuel delivery system and a highly efficient nozzle to increase thrust.
In the first major work, ideas were also given concerning the methods of carrying out space flights. So, Yu. Kondratyuk was the first to suggest the so-called. perturbation or gravitational maneuver - the use of the gravitational field of a celestial body for additional acceleration or deceleration of a spacecraft. It was proposed to decelerate the vehicle during descent to Earth due to air resistance - this made it possible to do without engines and reduce fuel consumption.
Of particular interest is Yu. Kondratyuk's proposal regarding the optimal method of travel to other celestial bodies. According to this idea, a device consisting of two parts should be sent to a planet or satellite. After entering the orbit of a celestial body, one of its units should land, and the other should remain on its trajectory. To fly back, the lander must ascend into orbit and dock with the second component of the complex. This technique solved the assigned tasks in the simplest way and with minimal fuel consumption.
Based on some theoretical assumptions, the enthusiast has developed an optimal way of flying from the Earth to the Moon. In combination with a shared vehicle, this even made it possible to land and then return home. Subsequently, this trajectory was named "Kondratyuk's track". Moreover, it was used in several programs that involved sending different spacecraft to the moon.
The book "The Conquest of Interplanetary Space" received several prefaces at once - a couple of author's, written at different times, as well as editorial. The author of the latter was Professor V. P. Vetchinkin. In just a couple of pages, a leading specialist in his field not only gave the best opinion about the work of his colleague, but also gave a list of completely new ideas and solutions first proposed by him. On the whole, the book was designated as "the most complete study on interplanetary travel of all those written in Russian and foreign literature until recently." V. Vetchinkin also noted the solution of a number of issues of paramount importance, which have not yet been considered by other authors.
So, Yu. Kondratyuk was the first to propose to increase the heat of combustion of various fuels by using ozone instead of "traditional" oxygen. For the same purposes, it was proposed to use a solid fuel based on lithium, boron, aluminum, magnesium or silicon. These materials could be used to build combustible tanks, which, after running out of fuel, would themselves become combustible. V. Vetchinkin noted that F. A. Tsander, but Y. Kondratyuk was ahead of him.
The Progress cargo spacecraft is a modern alternative to the missile and artillery complex of Y. Kondratyuk. Photo by NASA
Yu. Kondratyuk was the first to suggest the concept of the so-called. proportional liability and derived a formula that takes into account the effect of the mass of the tanks on the total weight of the rocket. In addition, he proved that without dropping or burning empty tanks, a rocket would not be able to leave the Earth's gravitational field.
An enthusiastic scientist, noticeably ahead of his domestic colleagues, first proposed the idea of a rocket plane - a rocket with wings capable of flying in the atmosphere. At the same time, he not only made an offer, but also calculated the optimal design parameters and flight modes of such a device. Were worked out not only "rocket" and aerodynamic issues, but also the problem of thermal loads on the structure.
Finally, V. P. Vetchinkin noted the thoroughness of Yu. V. Kondratyuk when working on the issue of creating the so-called. an intermediate base - actually a space station. In particular, for stable behavior and exclusion of deceleration by the upper layers of the atmosphere, it was proposed to place it in the orbit of the Moon, and not near the Earth. In addition, an original way of delivering goods to such a base was proposed. For these tasks, a special missile and artillery complex was proposed, as well as an optical tracking and control system.
Ideas for the future
Knowing the ways of development of rocket and space technology in the XX century, it is not difficult to understand what ideas of Yu. Kondratyuk were implemented in their original form, which underwent serious modifications, and which did not find application and did not leave the pages of books. In fact, Yuri Kondratyuk's developments are still used by all the main participants in the world space industry. At the same time, in some cases, there is a curious dependence: the further the development of technology progresses, the more not the newest proposals are used.
The concept of a multistage rocket, which is now the basis of cosmonautics, was proposed before Yu. Kondratyuk, but he also took part in its development. Oxygen-hydrogen engines have also found applications in various fields. The designs of the combustion chamber and nozzle, proposed in the 1919 manuscript, were tested at the level of theory and practice, and then refined and used in new projects.
Model granary "Mastodon" in the Memorial Museum Center of Yu. V. Kondratyuk, Novosibirsk. Photo Sites.google.com/site/naucnyjpodviguvkondratuka
Of particular importance for astronautics are gravity assist and a shared spacecraft for flights to other celestial bodies, first proposed by Y. Kondratyuk. Humanity has already sent several dozen automatic interplanetary stations into space, and it was a perturbation maneuver using the gravity of the Earth or other celestial bodies that was used to bring them to the required flight paths to the target. Also in the field of AMC, a shared system with an orbital and landing module is most actively used. A similar architecture has been used in the lunar programs of several countries: the most famous example of this kind is the Apollo series of vehicles.
However, not all of Yu. V. Kondratyuk found use. First of all, the reason for this was the further development of science and technology. Certain proposals expressed in the writings of the enthusiast were based on the state of the art of the tenth and twenties, which imposed the most serious restrictions. The emergence and development of new technologies in the future made it possible to simplify the solution of a number of problems in the space field.
In the book "The Conquest of Interplanetary Space" Yu. Kondratyuk expressed fears that even a very rarefied atmosphere could extinguish the speed of the orbital station and lead to its fall, as a result of which such a complex should be placed in the orbit of the Moon. However, in reality, the stations work quietly in the Earth's orbit. From time to time they are forced to carry out orbit correction, but this procedure has long since passed into the category of simple routine procedures.
It was proposed to supply the "intermediate base" with the help of a complex missile and artillery complex based on a special weapon capable of launching cargo projectiles with a rocket engine. In practice, such tasks are solved using specialized transport spacecraft, which are delivered into orbit using launch vehicles. This method is much simpler and more economical than using a specialized complex tool.
It was proposed to monitor the station in orbit, including for the timely launch of a projectile with a load, using a telescope. The station was supposed to carry a giant metal mirror, and it was planned to equip the cargo projectile with pyrotechnic torches. Fortunately, already in the thirties and forties, radar appeared, which made it possible to track spacecraft without monstrous mirrors and telescopes.
Not only space
In the twenties, Yu. V. Kondratyuk changed several jobs and managed to master a number of specialties related to the design and operation of various mechanisms. At the end of the decade, he designed and built a special granary in Kamen-na-Obi. The wooden structure for 13 thousand tons of grain was distinguished by comparative ease of construction, but at the same time it met all the requirements.
Monument at the alleged place of death of Y. Kondratyuk. Photo Wikimedia Commons
However, in 1930, the responsible persons found violations during the construction of the elevator, as a result of which the designers and builders were accused of sabotage. After the trial, Yu. Kondratyuk was sent to a closed design bureau of the coal industry, which worked in Novosibirsk. There, the designer developed several new methods of building mines, promising samples of equipment and mechanization of enterprises. Some of these proposals were implemented in the form of projects or specific structures.
While working in the "sharashka", the scientist-enthusiast became interested in the subject of wind power plants. At the end of 1932, he and his colleagues developed their own version of such a complex, and with him won the competition of the People's Commissariat of Heavy Industry. At the request of the latter, the engineers were released ahead of schedule and transferred to Kharkov. In 1937, the construction of the first power plant of Y. Kondratyuk started in Crimea, but it was not completed. The industry leadership decided to stop work on the subject of high power wind farms. However, the inventor continued to develop compact and relatively low-power systems of this kind.
It is known that in the mid-thirties Yu. V. Kondratyuk was called to the Jet Research Institute, but he refused such an offer. The reason for this was the need to continue work in the energy sector. According to other sources, the scientist feared that participation in missile projects for military purposes would arouse increased interest from the security agencies, and the story with the substitution of documents would be revealed.
In 1941 Yuri Kondratyuk lived and worked in Moscow. Soon after the start of the Great Patriotic War, he voluntarily joined the people's militia. The middle-aged volunteer was enrolled as a telephone operator. Later he served in various communications units from various formations. According to various sources, Yu. V. Kondratyuk died at the end of February 1942 during the fighting in the Bolkhovsky district of the Oryol region. A monument is erected at the supposed place of the death of the outstanding scientist and designer.
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At the beginning of the 20th century, the entire rocket and space theme rested only on enthusiasts who wanted to open up new horizons of science and technology. One of them was Alexander Ignatievich Shargei, better known as Yuri Vasilievich Kondratyuk. Showing great interest in promising topics, he carried out a lot of necessary calculations and, on their basis, proposed many important ideas. Moreover, not having access to other people's work in the same area, he independently derived all the necessary provisions and formulas.
At a certain period, Yuri Kondratyuk stopped active work on rocket and space topics, concentrating efforts in other areas. However, his work attracted the interest of his colleagues and was developed. A few decades after the publication of the main works of an enthusiastic scientist, all this led to the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite, manned vehicles, etc. Without being directly involved in assembling and launching missiles, Yuri Kondratyuk was able to make the most serious contribution to the general theoretical basis of the most important industry.
