The development of the Skif laser combat station, designed to destroy low-orbit space objects with an on-board laser complex, began at NPO Energia, but due to the high workload of the NPO, since 1981, the Skif theme for creating a laser combat station was transferred to OKB-23 (KB "Salyut") (General Director DA Polukhin). This spacecraft with a laser on-board complex, which was created at NPO Astrophysics, had a length of approx. 40 m and weight 95 tons. To launch the Skif spacecraft, it was proposed to use the Energia launch vehicle.
On August 18, 1983, General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Yu. V. Andropov made a statement that the USSR unilaterally stops testing the PKO complex - after which all tests were stopped. However, with the arrival of M. S. Gorbachev and the announcement of the SDI program in the United States, work on anti-space defense was continued. For testing the laser combat station, a dynamic analogue "Skif-D" was designed, with a length of approx. 25 m and a diameter of 4 m, in terms of external dimensions, it was an analogue of the future combat station. "Skif-D" was made of thick sheet steel, the internal bulkheads were supplemented and gained weight. There is emptiness inside the layout. According to the flight program, he was supposed to splash down together with the second stage of "Energy" in the Pacific Ocean.
Subsequently, to conduct a test launch of the Energia LV, a prototype of the Skif-DM station (Polyus) with a length of 37 m, a diameter of 4, 1 m and a mass of 80 tons was urgently created.
The Polyus spacecraft was conceived in July 1985. precisely as a dimensional and weight model (GVM), with which the first launch of Energia was to be carried out. This idea arose after it became clear that the main load of the rocket - the Buran orbital ship - would not be ready by this date. At first, the task did not seem particularly difficult - after all, it is not difficult to make a 100-ton "blank". But suddenly KB "Salyut" received a request-order from the Minister of General Engineering: to turn the "blank" into a spacecraft for conducting geophysical experiments in near-earth space and thus combine tests of "Energia" and a 100-ton spacecraft.
According to the established practice in our space industry, a new spacecraft was usually developed, tested and manufactured for at least five years. But now a completely new approach had to be found. We decided to make the most active use of ready-made compartments, devices, equipment, already tested mechanisms and assemblies, drawings from other "products".
Machine-building plant them. Khrunichev, who was entrusted with the assembly of the Polyus, immediately began preparations for production. But these efforts would clearly not have been enough if they had not been backed up by energetic actions of the management - every Thursday operational meetings were held at the plant, conducted by Minister O. D. Baklanov or his deputy O. N. Shishkin. Slow or somewhat disagreeing heads of allied enterprises were "rammed" on these operatives and the necessary help was discussed, if required.
As a rule, no reasons, and even the fact that almost the same cast of performers was simultaneously carrying out a grandiose work to create "Buran", were not taken into account. Everything was subordinated to adherence to the deadlines set from above - a vivid example of administrative-command methods of leadership: "strong-willed" idea, "strong-willed" implementation of this idea, "strong-willed" deadlines and - "sparing no money!"
In July 1986, all the compartments, including the newly designed and manufactured ones, were already in Baikonur.
On May 15, 1987 from the Baikonur cosmodrome the super-heavy launch vehicle 11K25 Energia ╧6SL (test-flight) was launched for the first time. The launch became a sensation for the world astronautics. The emergence of a carrier of this class opened up exciting prospects for our country. In its first flight, the Energia carrier rocket carried as a payload the experimental apparatus Skif-DM, in the open press called the Polyus.
Initially, the launch of the Energia-Skif-DM system was planned for September 1986. However, due to the delay in the manufacture of the device, preparation of the launcher and other systems of the cosmodrome, the work was delayed by almost six months - on May 15, 1987. Only at the end of January 1987, the device was transported from the assembly and test building at the 92nd site of the cosmodrome, where it underwent training, to the building of the assembly and refueling complex 11P593 at site 112A. There, on February 3, 1987, the Skif-DM was docked with the 11K25 Energia 6SL launch vehicle. The next day, the complex was taken to the universal integrated stand-start (UKSS) 17P31 at the 250 site. Prelaunch joint tests began there. The finishing work of the UKSS continued.
In reality, the Energia-Skif-DM complex was ready for launch only at the end of April. All this time, from the beginning of February, the rocket with the apparatus stood on the launching device. The Skif-DM was fully fueled, inflated with compressed gases and equipped with onboard power supplies. During these three and a half months, he had to endure the most extreme climatic conditions: temperatures from -27 to +30 degrees, blizzard, sleet, rain, fog and dust storms.
However, the apparatus survived. After comprehensive preparation, the start was scheduled for May 12. The first launch of a new system with a promising spacecraft seemed so important to the Soviet leadership that the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev himself was going to honor it with his presence. Moreover, the new leader of the USSR, who took the first post in the state a year ago, has long been going to visit the main cosmodrome. However, even before the arrival of Gorbachev, the management of the launch preparation decided not to tempt fate and insure against the "general's effect" (there is such a property of any technique to break down in the presence of "distinguished" guests). Therefore, on May 8, at a meeting of the State Commission, the start of the Energia-Skif-DM complex was postponed to May 15. It was decided to tell Gorbachev about the technical problems that had arisen. The Secretary General could not wait another three days at the cosmodrome: on May 15, he had already planned a trip to New York to speak at the UN.
On May 11, 1987, Gorbachev flew to the Baikonur cosmodrome. On May 12, he got acquainted with samples of space technology. The main point of Gorbachev's trip to the cosmodrome was the inspection of Energia with the Skif-DM. Then Mikhail Sergeevich spoke to the participants of the upcoming launch.
On May 13, Gorbachev flew from Baikonur, and preparations for launch entered the final stage.
The flight program "Skifa-DM" included 10 experiments: four applied and 6 geophysical. Experiment VP1 was devoted to the development of a large spacecraft launching scheme using a containerless scheme. In experiment VP2, the conditions for launching a large-sized spacecraft, elements of its structure and systems were studied. Experiment VP3 is devoted to the experimental verification of the principles of constructing large-sized and superheavy spacecraft (unified module, control systems, thermal control, power supply, electromagnetic compatibility issues). In experiment VP11, it was planned to work out the flight scheme and technology.
The program of geophysical experiments "Mirage" was devoted to the study of the influence of combustion products on the upper layers of the atmosphere and ionosphere. Experiment Mirage-1 (A1) was to be carried out up to an altitude of 120 km during the launching phase, experiment Mirage-2 (A2) - at altitudes from 120 to 280 km with additional acceleration, experiment Mirage-3 (A3) - at altitudes from 280 to 0 km when braking.
Geophysical experiments GF-1/1, GF-1/2 and GF-1/3 were planned to be carried out with the Skifa-DM propulsion system operating. Experiment GF-1/1 was devoted to the generation of artificial internal gravity waves of the upper atmosphere. The goal of the GF-1/2 experiment was to create an artificial "dynamo effect" in the earth's ionosphere. Finally, the GF-1/3 experiment was planned to create large-scale ion production in ion and plasmaspheres (holes and ducts). The Polyus was equipped with a large amount (420 kg) of a gas mixture of xenon with krypton (42 cylinders, each with a capacity of 36 liters) and a system for releasing it into the ionosphere.
In addition, it was planned to carry out 5 military-applied experiments on the spacecraft, including shooting targets, but before the launch, the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee M. S. Gorbachev, where he declared the impossibility of transferring the arms race into space, after which it was decided not to conduct military experiments on the Skif-DM spacecraft.
The scheme of launching the Skif-DM spacecraft on May 15, 1987 was as follows. 212 seconds after the contact lift at an altitude of 90 km, the head fairing was dropped. This happened as follows: in T + 212 sec, the drives of the longitudinal connector of the fairing were blown up, after 0.3 sec the locks of the first group of the transverse connector of the HE were undermined, after another 0.3 seconds the locks of the second group were blown up. Finally, at T + 214.1 sec, the mechanical connections of the head fairing were broken and it was separated.
In T + 460 sec at an altitude of 117 km, the spacecraft and the Energia launch vehicle were separated. At the same time, a command was previously given at T + 456.4 sec to switch the four main propulsion engines of the launch vehicle to an intermediate thrust level. The transition took 0.15 sec. At T + 459.4 sec, the main command was issued to turn off the main engines. Then, after 0.4 seconds, this command was duplicated. Finally, at T + 460 sec, a command was issued to the Skif-DM squad. After 0.2 seconds after that, 16 solid propellant rocket motors were turned on. Then, at T + 461.2 sec, the first activation of the solid propellant engine of the SKUS angular velocity compensation system (along the pitch, yaw and roll channels) was made. The second activation of the SKUS solid propellant engine, if required, was performed at Т + 463.4 sec (roll channel), the third - at Т + 464.0 sec (along the pitch and yaw channels).
51 sec after separation (T + 511 sec), when the Skif-DM and Energia were already separated by 120 m, the apparatus began to turn to issue the first impulse. Since the "Skif-DM" was launched with its engines forward, it needed to turn 180 degrees around the transverse Z-axis in order to fly backward with its engines. To this turn by 180 degrees, due to the peculiarities of the control system of the apparatus, it was also required to "turn" around the longitudinal axis X by 90 degrees. Only after such a maneuver, nicknamed by specialists "overturn", could the Skif-DM be overclocked to put it into orbit.
The "overtone" was given 200 seconds. During this turn, at T + 565 sec, a command was given to detach the Skifa-DM bottom fairing (detachment speed 1.5 m / sec). After 3.0 sec (Т + 568 sec), commands were issued to separate the covers of the side blocks (separation speed 2 m / sec) and the cover of the torqueless exhaust system (1.3 m / sec). At the end of the turn maneuver, the antennas of the onboard radar complex were uncoupled, the covers of the infrared vertical sensors were opened.
In T + 925 sec at an altitude of 155 km, the first activation of four correction and stabilization engines of the BCS with a thrust of 417 kg was made. The time of operation of the engines was planned to be 384 sec, the magnitude of the first impulse was 87 m / sec. Then, at T + 2220 sec, the solar batteries began to unfold on the Skifa-DM functional and service unit. The maximum deployment time of the SB was 60 seconds.
The launch of the Skif-DM was completed at an altitude of 280 km with the second activation of four booster stations. It was carried out at T + 3605 sec (3145 sec after separation from the LV). The duration of the operation of the engines was 172 sec, the magnitude of the impulse was 40 m / sec. The estimated orbit of the spacecraft was planned with a circular height of 280 km and an inclination of 64.6 degrees.
On May 15, the start was scheduled for 15:00 pm UHF (16:00 summer Moscow time). On this day, already at 00:10 (hereinafter, the UHF) began and at 01:40 the control of the initial state of the Skifa-DM was completed. Previously, the hydrogen tank of the central unit (tank G of unit C) of the carrier was purged with gaseous nitrogen. At 04:00, nitrogen purging of the rest of the LV compartments was carried out, and after half an hour, the initial concentration in the hydrogen tank of the C unit was monitored. From 06:10 to 07:30, the settings were entered and the frequency of the "Cube" telemetry system was measured. At 07:00, the nitrogen preparation of the fuel tanks of the side blocks was switched on. Refueling of the Energia rocket began at 08:30 (at the T-06 hour 30 min) from the refueling of the oxidizer (liquid oxygen) tanks of the side and central blocks. The standard cyclogram provided for:
- start at T-5 o'clock 10 minutes filling the tank Г of the central unit with hydrogen (filling time 2 hours 10 minutes);
- at the T-4 o'clock 40 min mark, start charging the submerged buffer batteries (BB) in the oxygen tanks of the side blocks (block A);
- start at the T-4 hour mark for 2 minutes charging submerged BB in the hydrogen tank of the C block;
- at the T-4 o'clock mark, start filling the fuel tanks of the side blocks;
- to finish filling the tanks of block A with liquid oxygen at Т-3 hours 05 minutes and turn on their make-up;
- at Т-3 hours 02 minutes, complete the filling with liquid hydrogen of the central unit;
- at Т-3 hours 01 minutes, finish filling the side blocks with fuel and turn on the drainage of the filling lines;
- to complete at Т-2 hours 57 minutes the filling of the central block with an oxidizer [45, 46].
However, during the refueling of the carrier, technical problems arose, due to which the preparation for the launch was delayed in general by five and a half hours. Moreover, the total delay time was about eight hours. However, the prelaunch schedule had built-in delays, thereby reducing the gap by two and a half hours.
The delays happened for two reasons. First, a leak was found in the detachable joint of the pipelines along the control pressure line for undocking the detachable thermostat connection and shooting off the electrical board on block 30A due to the abnormal installation of the sealing gasket. It took five hours to fix this contingency.
Then it was discovered that one of the two side valves in the liquid hydrogen thermostatting line, after issuing an automatic command to close them, did not work. This could be judged by the position of the valve end contacts. All attempts to close the valve failed. Both of these valves are attached to the launch vehicle on the same base. Therefore, it was decided to open the serviceable closed valve "manually" by sending a command from the control panel, and then issue the "Close" command to two valves at the same time. During the execution of this operation, the information about its closing was received from the "stuck" valve.
To be on the safe side, the commands to open and close the valves were manually repeated two more times. The valves closed normally each time. In the course of further preparation for launch, the "stuck" valve worked normally. However, this contingency took another hour off the schedule. Another two hours of delays occurred due to malfunctions in the operation of some ground equipment systems of the universal integrated stand-start.
As a result, only at 17:25 the three-hour readiness for the launch was announced, and the input of operational data for the launch began.
The hourly readiness was announced at 19:30. At the T-47 mark, refueling with liquid oxygen of the central unit of the launch vehicle began, which was completed in 12 minutes. At 19:55, the launch readiness of the apparatus began. Then the "Broach 1" command passed in the T-21 mines. After 40 seconds, the radio equipment turned on on Energia, and in the T-20 mines, prelaunch preparation of the launch vehicle began and the kerosene level in the fuel tanks of the side blocks was adjusted and pressurized. 15 minutes before the start (20:15), the preparation mode of the Skifa-DM control system was activated.
The "Start" command, initiating the automatic sequence of the launch of the launch vehicle, was issued 10 minutes before the launch (20:20). At the same time, the adjustment of the level of liquid hydrogen in the fuel tank of the central unit was activated, which lasted 3 minutes. 8 minutes 50 seconds before the start, pressurization and refueling of the oxidizer tanks of block A with liquid oxygen began, which also ended after 3 minutes. In the T-8 mines, the automatic propulsion system and pyrotechnics were cocked. In T-3 mines the "Broach 2" command was executed. 2 minutes before the launch, a conclusion was received about the readiness of the apparatus for launch. In T-1 min 55 sec, water was to be supplied to cool the gas chute. However, there were problems with this, water in the required amount was not supplied. 1 min 40 sec before the lift contact, the central block motors were moved to the "start position". The prestarting pressurization of the side blocks has passed. In the T-50 sec, the 2 ZDM service area was withdrawn. 45 seconds before the start, the afterburning system of the launch complex was turned on. In T-14.4 sec, the engines of the central unit were turned on, in T-3.2 sec, the engines of the side units were started.
At 20 hours 30 minutes (21:30 UHF, 17:30 GMT) the signal "Lift contact" passed, site 3 ZDM departed, the transition docking block separated from the "Skif-DM". The huge rocket went off into the velvet-black night sky of Baikonur. In the first seconds of the flight, a slight panic arose in the control bunker. After detaching from the docking support platform (block I), the carrier made a strong roll in the pitch plane. In principle, this "nod" was predicted in advance by specialists in the control system. It was obtained because of the algorithm incorporated into the Energia control system. After a couple of seconds, the flight stabilized and the rocket went straight up. Later this algorithm was corrected, and when Energia was launched with Buran, this "nod" was gone.
Two stages of "Energy" have worked successfully. In 460 seconds after the launch, the Skif DM separated from the launch vehicle at an altitude of 110 km. In this case, the orbit, more precisely, the ballistic trajectory had the following parameters: maximum altitude 155 km, minimum altitude minus 15 km (that is, the pericenter of the orbit lay below the Earth's surface), inclination of the trajectory plane to the earth's equator 64.61 degrees.
In the process of separation, without comment, the vehicle's withdrawal system was triggered with the help of 16 solid propellants. At the same time, disturbances were minimal. Therefore, according to the telemetry data, only one solid propellant motor of the system for compensating angular velocities along the roll channel was triggered, which provided compensation for the angular velocity of 0.1 deg / s along the roll. 52 seconds after the separation, the aircraft's "overtone" maneuver began. Then, at T + 565 sec, the bottom fairing was shot off. After 568 seconds, a command was issued to shoot the covers of the side blocks and the protective cover of the SBV. It was then that the irreparable happened: the stabilization and orientation engines of the DSO did not stop the rotation of the apparatus after its regular turn by 180 degrees. Despite the fact that the "overtone" continued, according to the logic of the operation of the program-time device, the covers of the side blocks and the torqueless exhaust system were separated, the antennas of the "Cube" system were opened, and the covers of the infrared vertical sensors were removed.
Then, on the rotating Skif-DM, the engines of the DKS were switched on. Not gaining the required orbital speed, the spacecraft went along a ballistic trajectory and fell in the same place as the central unit of the Energia launch vehicle - into the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
It is not known whether the solar panels were opened, but this operation had to take place before the Skif-DM entered the earth's atmosphere. The time-program device of the device worked properly during withdrawal, and therefore, most likely, the batteries opened. The reasons for the failure were identified at Baikonur almost immediately. In conclusion, based on the results of the launch of the Energia Skif-DM complex, it was said:
… The operation of all SC units and systems … in the areas of preparation for launch, joint flight with the 11K25 6SL launch vehicle, separation from the launch vehicle and autonomous flight in the first segment, prior to insertion into orbit, passed without comment. lifting contact) due to the passage of the command of the control system to turn off the power supply of the power amplifiers of the stabilization and orientation motors (DSO) due to the passage of the command of the control system, which was not provided for by the sequence diagram, the product lost its orientation.
Thus, the first impulse of additional acceleration with a standard duration of 384 seconds was issued with an uncanceled angular velocity (the product made approximately two full pitch turns) and after 3127 seconds of flight, due to failure to obtain the required additional acceleration speed, it descended into the Pacific Ocean, in the area of the block fall zone. " C "launch vehicle. The depths of the ocean at the place where the item fell … is 2.5-6 km.
The power amplifiers were disconnected by the command of the 11M831-22M logic unit upon receipt of a tag from the Spectrum 2SK onboard time program to reset the covers of the side blocks and protective covers of the product's momentless exhaust system … Previously, on 11F72 products, this tag was used to open the panels solar panels with simultaneous blocking of DSO. When re-addressing the PVU-2SK label for issuing commands to reset the BB and SBV covers of the product … NPO Elektropribor did not take into account the connection on the electric circuits of the 11M831-22M device, which blocks the DSO operation for the entire section of the first corrective pulse issuance. KB "Salyut" during the analysis of functional diagrams of control systems developed by NPO "Electropribor" also did not reveal this tie
The reasons for not placing the product … into orbit are:
a) the passage by an unforeseen cyclogram of the CS command to turn off the power supply of the power amplifiers of the stabilization and attitude control motors during the programmed turn before the first acceleration pulse is issued. Such an abnormal situation was not detected during ground testing due to the failure of the head developer of the NPO Elektropribor control system to check the functioning of the systems and units of the product … on the flight cyclogram in real time at the complex test bench (Kharkiv).
Carrying out similar work at the manufacturer's KIS, at the Salyut design bureau or at the technical complex was impossible because:
- factory complex tests are combined with the preparation of the product at the technical complex;
- a complex stand and an electrical analogue of the product … were dismantled at the Salyut design bureau, and the equipment was handed over to complete the standard product and the complex stand (Kharkov);
- the technical complex was not equipped with software and mathematical software by NPO Elektropribor.
b) The lack of telemetry information on the presence or absence of power supply to the power amplifiers of the stabilization and attitude control motors in the control system developed by NPO Elektropribor."
In the control records, which were made by the recorders during the complex tests, the fact that the DSO power amplifiers were turned off was accurately recorded. But there was no time left to decipher these records - everyone was in a hurry to launch Energia with Skif-DM.
When the complex was launched, a curious incident occurred. The Yenisei Separate Command and Measurement Complex 4, as planned, began to conduct radio monitoring of the orbit of the launched Skif-DM on the second orbit. The signal on the Kama system was stable. Imagine the surprise of OKIK-4 specialists when it was announced to them that Skif-DM, without completing its first orbit, sank into the waters of the Pacific Ocean. It turned out that due to an unforeseen error, the OKIC was receiving information from a completely different spacecraft. This sometimes happens with the "Kama" equipment, which has a very wide antenna pattern.
However, the unsuccessful flight of the Skif-DM gave a lot of results. First of all, all the necessary material was obtained to clarify the loads on the 11F35OK Buran orbital spacecraft to support flight tests of the 11F36 complex (the index of the complex consisting of the 11K25 launch vehicle and the 11F35OK Buran orbital spacecraft). During launch and autonomous flight of the vehicle, all four applied experiments (VP-1, VP-2, VP-3 and VP-11), as well as part of the geophysical experiments (Mirage-1 and partially GF-1/1 and GF -1/3). The Conclusion following the start-up stated:
"… Thus, the general tasks of launching the product … determined by the launch tasks approved by the IOM and UNKS, taking into account the" Decision "dated May 13, 1987 to limit the scope of target experiments, were fulfilled in terms of the number of solved tasks by more than 80%.
The solved tasks cover almost the entire volume of new and problematic solutions, the verification of which was planned at the first launch of the complex …
Flight tests of the complex as part of the 11K25 6SL launch vehicle and the Skif-DM spacecraft were for the first time:
- the performance of the super-heavy launch vehicle with an asymmetric lateral position of the launched object has been confirmed;
- a rich experience of ground operation at all stages of preparation for the launch of the super-heavy rocket and space complex was obtained;
- obtained on the basis of spacecraft telemetry information … extensive and reliable experimental material on the launch conditions, which will be used to create spacecraft for various purposes and the ISS "Buran";
- testing of a 100-ton class space platform has begun to solve a wide range of tasks, in the creation of which a number of new progressive layout, design and technological solutions were used."
During the launch of the complex, tests and many structural elements passed, which were later used for other spacecraft and launch vehicles. Thus, the carbon fiber head fairing, first tested in full-scale on May 15, 1987, was later used when launching the Kvant-2, Kristall, Spektr and Priroda modules, and has already been manufactured to launch the first element of the International Space Station - Energy block FGB.
In a TASS report dated May 15, dedicated to this launch, it was said: The Soviet Union has begun flight design tests of a new powerful universal LV Energia, intended for launching reusable orbital vehicles into near-earth orbits, as well as large-sized scientific and national spacecraft. A two-stage universal launch vehicle … is capable of launching more than 100 tons of payload into orbit … On May 15, 1987 at 21:30 Moscow time, the first launch of this rocket was carried out from the Baikonur cosmodrome … satellite mock-up. After separation from the second stage, the overall-weight mock-up was to be launched into a circular near-earth orbit with the help of its own engine.
The station "Skif-DM", intended for testing the design and onboard systems of a combat space complex with laser weapons, received the index 17F19DM, had a total length of almost 37 m and a diameter of up to 4.1 m, a mass of about 80 tons, an internal volume of approx. 80 cubic meters, and consisted of two main compartments: a smaller one - a functional service unit (FSB) and a larger one - a target module (CM). The FSB was a long-established design bureau "Salyut" and only slightly modified for this new task a 20-ton ship, almost the same as the supply transport ships "Kosmos-929, -1267, -1443, -1668" and modules of the station "Mir ".
It housed motion control systems and an onboard complex, telemetry control, command radio communications, thermal management, power supply, separation and discharge of fairings, antenna devices, and a control system for scientific experiments. All devices and systems that could not withstand vacuum were located in a sealed instrument and cargo compartment (PGO). The propulsion compartment (ODE) housed four propulsion engines, 20 attitude and stabilization engines, and 16 precision stabilization engines, as well as tanks, pipelines and valves of the pneumohydraulic system serving the engines. On the side surfaces of the ODE, there were solar batteries that unfold after entering orbit.
The central unit of the Skif-DM spacecraft was adapted with the Mir-2 spacecraft module.
The DU module "Skif-DM #" included engines 11D458 and 17D58E.
Basic characteristics of the Energia launch vehicle with the Skif-DM test module:
Launch weight: 2320-2365 t;
Fuel supply: in the side blocks (blocks A) 1220-1240 t, in the central block - stage 2 (block C) 690-710t;
Block weight at separation:
lateral 218 - 250 t, central 78 -86 t;
Weight of the test module "Skif-DM" when separated from the central unit, 75-80 tons;
Maximum velocity head, kg / sq.m. 2500.
