As part of the 12th International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2015, the Russian Space Agency demonstrated the hull of the command compartment of a new generation manned transport vehicle. This spacecraft is currently still under development. In the future, it will have to replace the reliable Soyuz-TMA spacecraft, which is currently used to deliver astronauts to the International Space Station. It is worth noting that the elements of a promising manned transport vehicle were demonstrated to the general public for the first time.
On the opening day of the air show, which was traditionally held at the end of August in Zhukovsky near Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Governor of the Moscow Region, was able to get acquainted with the promising developments of the Rocket and Space Corporation (RSC) Energia in the field of unmanned space complexes, manned astronautics and launch vehicles. Andrey Vorobyov, General Director of the Roscosmos State Corporation Igor Komarov and a number of other high-ranking guests of MAKS-2015. Vladimir Solntsev, who holds the post of President of RSC Energia, told them about the corporation's successes in implementing key projects of the Federal Space Program, as well as the most promising developments in the field of domestic manned astronautics at the moment.
At the RSC Energia stand, a hull made of composite materials and an updated design and layout model of the reentry vehicle of a new generation manned transport vehicle (PTK NP) were demonstrated. The specialists were able to personally get acquainted with the new elements of the interior of the spacecraft, imitation of thermal protection and a number of other changes that were supposed to demonstrate the progress of work on this project. The body of the reentry vehicle was shown to the general public for the first time.
In addition, the visitors of MAKS-2015 were able to get acquainted with large-scale models of a telecommunication satellite and Earth remote sensing spacecraft, as well as the PTK NP docking unit, an onboard complex control unit made of domestic components and a reduced model of the International Space Station (ISS). They were also able to see the famous descent vehicle of the Soyuz-TMA manned transport spacecraft, which had returned from space.
Currently, the Rocket and Space Corporation Energia is holding a creative competition for the best name for a new generation of manned transport spacecraft, which in the future is planned to be used for flights to the Moon. The competition started on August 30 and will run until November 2, 2015. The results of the competition will be announced on January 15, 2016. The winner of the competition will be determined by the results of public voting and the work of the jury of the competition. The main prize for the lucky one will be a trip to the Baikonur cosmodrome in spring 2016 with the opportunity to be present at the launch of the Soyuz transport manned spacecraft. The chairman of the jury of the competition is Igor Komarov, who holds the position of General Director of the state corporation Roscosmos.
The elements of a manned transport ship demonstrated at the exhibition, which does not yet have an official name, should eventually replace the Progress cargo ship and the manned Soyuz-TMA. In the near future, Energia Corporation is going to test capsules. According to the plans of the corporation, the first test flight of the new spacecraft should take place in 2021. The launch of the new apparatus using the new Russian Angara rocket is planned to be carried out from the Vostochny cosmodrome, which is currently under construction.
As the president of RSC Energia Vladimir Solntsev told RIA Novosti reporters, testing of the world's first carbon-fiber corps of the command compartment for the PTK NP is planned to begin next year. According to him, the uniqueness of the development lies in the fact that no one in the world currently makes spacecraft, which are 80% made of carbon fiber. At MAKS-2015, the command compartment hull was shown for the first time, and in 2016 RSC Energia will begin its service life tests. According to Solntsev, due to the widespread use of carbon-fiber structures, the total weight of the new-generation manned transport ship was reduced by one ton.
“All the carbon fiber we use is of Russian origin. We are preparing this ship for testing and subsequent launches with the help of the new Angara launch vehicle,”stressed Vladimir Solntsev. Shown at the air show, the command compartment hull is a three-layer structure. For the first time for a domestic spacecraft, the inner and outer skin were made of black sheet carbon fiber. Aluminum honeycombs are used as filler, frames were made of monolithic carbon fiber. Thanks to such solutions, the weight of the command compartment hull is only 637 kilograms.
The new generation manned transport ship, which Energia Corporation is working on, is designed to deliver people and cargo to the Moon, as well as to orbital stations located in near-earth orbit. The spacecraft being created is reusable, and during its development the newest technologies are used, which sometimes simply have no analogues in the world astronautics. In particular, the PTC NP reentry vehicle will be made of modern composite materials, and a reusable docking unit is also provided. The modern onboard electronic equipment installed on the spacecraft should provide a more effective solution to the tasks of approaching and docking a manned transport vehicle, as well as increasing the safety of its crew members during the launch and descent of the vehicle to Earth.
According to the information on the official website of RSC Energia, the number of the crew of the PTK NP will be up to four people. In the mode of performing an autonomous flight, the transport ship will be able to stay in orbit for up to 30 days, and when flying as part of an orbital station - up to one year. The total mass of the spacecraft during the flight to the Moon will be 19 tons, during the flight to the orbital station - 14.4 tons, the mass of the reentry vehicle - 9 tons. The maximum length of the ship is 6.1 meters. Nominal overload during descent - 3g. The latest Russian heavy-class "Angara A5V" rocket will be used to launch the NPP into orbit.
