Without skids but with command boats. How does the Soyuz maker live?

– Is there a partial redirection of production to the Progress RCC under the sanctions?

— Under the conditions of international sanctions, the Progress RCC operates according to pre-agreed plans in accordance with approved programs. The enterprise determined the load for the main projects of the State Company Roscosmos. There are currently no plans to redirect production.

— Are there plans to expand the non-space product range? For what?

close

one hundred%

Baranov Dmitry Alexandrovich

RCC Progress JSC Press Service

— The problem of expanding the range in the RCC “Progress” is not acute, since the production and design departments are fully occupied. In the future, we are ready to seize such an opportunity in the interests of the enterprise.

– Then what will happen to the Rysachok aircraft, the command ship, the skids produced at the RCC, and what is planned for the new release?

– As for the children’s sled, the production of this product has been discontinued. We have been selling these products only from stock for quite some time. The production of the command ship is carried out by Progress RCC specialists under contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense. Production of this technique is possible to order. As for the Rysachok, this aircraft was exhibited at the MAKS International Aerospace Hall in 2011 and beyond and has always been of great interest.

Certification of the Rysachok aircraft was carried out at the expense of Progress’ own funds. No work has been done on the project since 2016. Consultations were held to move the project forward in 2021 but no decisions were made.

— The imposition of Western sanctions on space enterprises, including RCC Progress, was the reason for the review of cooperation in the ISS program. How exactly did the production of space technology, including that related to the implementation of the ISS program, depend on the US and Europe?

— Western sanctions cannot in any way affect the work of Progress RCC, including the framework of the International Space Station (ISS) project. The production of launch vehicles and remote sensing spacecraft is in no way dependent on the United States and European countries.

— Does the business use Western equipment and what type?

— Several thousand pieces of equipment, including foreign-made, are used at the Progress production site. The equipment was purchased at different times for the implementation of various projects for the creation of space technology. Many machines have been upgraded.

– It is known that machining tools such as cutters, drills and reamers are partially bought abroad, in Europe, is it possible to buy it in Russia now?

– Yes, there is such a possibility. In the RCC “Progress” this problem is largely solved due to the presence of the company’s own production of tools.

–Last year, funding for the development of a super-heavy rocket was halted, at what stage did development stop?

— This matter is in the responsibility of the State Corporation Roscosmos.

– Is the creation of the Soyuz-5 rocket on schedule for the first launch in 2023?

– All work on the production of the Soyuz-5 launch vehicle is proceeding according to schedule, the Progress RCC specialists are taking the necessary measures to comply with obligations.

— A significant achievement was the use of friction stir welding in Soyuz-5 tanks. This is a new technology for Russia, is there enough work experience?

— Friction stir welding for aerospace production is a new technology in our country. Its implementation is carried out as part of the project to create a promising Soyuz-5 launch vehicle. Equipment for automatic friction stir welding is produced by the Russian company CJSC Cheboksary Enterprise Sespel. For the Soyuz-5, by order of RCC Progress, Sespel produced three plants and equipment for friction stir welding of parts made of aluminum alloys. The equipment provides welding of boards with a thickness of about 30 mm. The use of this technological process will ensure that the required thicknesses are welded in one pass, with high quality and characteristics, and will increase the strength of the tanks of the new launch vehicle. RCC “Progress” specialists involved in ensuring the implementation of the technology are trained at the manufacturer.

– Then why were the first Soyuz-5 tanks sent for testing not new, but using an ordinary argon arc welding? Will the first flight samples be made using new technology?

— The tanks of the first Soyuz-5 flight launch vehicle will be built using a new friction stir welding technology. The tanks of the new launch vehicle sent for testing were made with argon-arc welding to ensure the timetable for the creation of a promising new Soyuz-5 launch vehicle.

– Soyuz-MS10 crash in October 2018. Did he have a surname, name, position? What was the reason and who was punished? Is it true that installers have been working with chest cameras ever since?

– The crash of the Soyuz-FG launch vehicle in October 2018 occurred as a result of an error when packing the launch vehicle blocks into a package. After the work of the emergency commission of the State Company Roscosmos, technological and organizational decisions were made that excluded similar situations in the future. In the assembly workshops, video and photo documentation is also carried out, which ensures high-quality assembly of rocket and space equipment.

– Roskosmos has been showing a record zero accident rate for launches since that accident – 3.5 years. What measures do you attribute this to?

– Soyuz and Soyuz-2 type launch vehicles are accepted as the most reliable launch vehicles worldwide, and the reliability coefficient has been determined as approximately 0.985 depending on the modification. Highly qualified specialists work at all stages of the creation of the Soyuz-2 launch vehicle, and a high degree of reliability during assembly is ensured by triple control of each operation. In addition, at present, many automated systems have been introduced in rocket digital technology that provide additional verification of product readiness for launch.