– Earlier you reported that all work on the production of PH “Soyuz-5” is on schedule. What has been done so far? What will be done in the near future?
— At the beginning of June of this year, the specialists of JSC TsNIIMash and JSC RCC Progress (part of the state company Roscosmos) successfully conducted static tests of fuel tank prototypes of the first stage of the bench block of the promising Soyuz. 5 launch vehicles. According to the test results, the static strength of the power ring of the bench block and the lower part of the fuel tank of the first stage of the Soyuz-5 launch vehicle, designed for cold and fire tests, was confirmed.
Currently, three friction stir welding units have been installed at RCC Progress’ production site. The first of the installations has been put into operation, more than 20 shells have already been welded in the installation
(Three-layer structures with aluminum filling and CFRP coating, necessary to protect the payload in the atmospheric flight stage and ground operation – socialbites.ca) For ground experimental testing and testing of the Soyuz-5 launch vehicle, it is made of 1580 alloy. It is planned to produce more than 30 shells by the end of 2022 (formerly socialbites.ca saidThat the mixing welding facilities were created and installed by Cheboksary business Sespel at Progress RCC. 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 with high quality and characteristics in one pass and increase the strength of the tanks of the new launch vehicle).
– As you mentioned above, the material of the Soyuz-5 launch vehicle’s tanks is 1580 aluminum alloy and it is used for the first time. Why is he good?
“Compared to the alloy used in the manufacture of the Soyuz-2 launch vehicle, it has improved mechanical properties at an acceptable cost. Alloy 1580 will make it possible to increase the mass of the payload put into orbit up to several hundred kilograms.
– It was previously reported that for the first time, a belt-inertial unit with precision elements on small-sized and lightweight fiber optic gyroscopes will be used in a new rocket. Explain, please, for what, for what and why is it better than the previous block?
— Indeed, this is the first time a belt-inertial unit (SIB) has been used on a Russian-designed launch vehicle. The novelty of the BIB device lies in the fact that it is built on fiber optic gyroscopes (a gyroscope is a device that can respond to a change in the orientation angles of the body on which it is mounted relative to the inertial reference frame – socialbites.ca).
A fiber optic gyroscope is an optical-electronic device for changing the absolute angular velocity with respect to the inertial cavity. The BIB device is installed on the launch vehicle at the starting point of the required coordinate system and maintains the position of the initial coordinate system in inertial space throughout the flight. The BIB also determines the position of the launch vehicle relative to this coordinate system and provides the control system with information about the angles of rotation of the rocket, namely pitch, yaw and roll angles (this is necessary information about the flight of the rocket). , because any movement in the wrong direction can lead to a deviation from the course – “socialbites.ca”).
The advantages of the BIB compared to the previously used complex of command devices are small dimensions and weight, low energy consumption and the absence of moving mechanical elements that are difficult to manufacture.
– Will Soyuz-5 really launch from the launch pad, which was previously used for launching Ukrainian Zeniths?
— Yes, the Soyuz-5 launch vehicle was designed taking into account the requirements for launching from the launch pad, which was previously used for launching Zenit launch vehicles. This launch pad involves taking, installing and launching a launch vehicle from it in automatic mode without manual operations. This imposes restrictions on the number of rocket connections with ground equipment.
This approach significantly reduces the number of “ground-to-board” connections, which means the rejection of relay connections and the consequent simplification of the onboard cable network and a reduction in conversion of transceiver and onboard equipment.
– We know the Soyuz-5 will use an engine emergency protection system. Is this defense ready? Has it been tested? Where will these tests be done?
— We are currently finalizing the design of the emergency protection system for the RD171MV, RD0124MS engines. NPO Avtomatiki JSC (Yekaterinburg), a subsidiary of RCC Progress JSC, is starting to build prototypes and conduct autonomous tests of devices.
Two types of tests are planned to test the system. One type will be carried out during fire tests of the RD0171MV engine at JSC NPO Energomash and the RD0124MS engine at the JSC Chemical Automation Design Bureau.
The other was during firing tests of the Ӏ and ӀӀ blocks of the Soyuz-5 launch vehicle stage at the Rocket and Space Industry Research and Test Center.
— To our knowledge, this will be the first time such an engine protection scheme has been used. At what stages of the launch vehicle flight will it be used?
– Indeed, the emergency engine protection system (SAZ D) RD171MV, RD0124MS will be used for the first time.
In fact, it will consist of three computers (one at Ӏ stage and two at ӀӀ stage) that will work according to complex algorithms created by engine development organizations.
The system will operate throughout the entire operation of the engine and will control the operation of the engines throughout the entire flight of the launch vehicle.
– When and by what transport are the Soyuz-5 PHs scheduled to be sent to Baikonur?
– In the preliminary design, the rail transportation options of the rocket to the cosmodrome were studied. The main feature of the railway equipment set is a low three-car coupler. The latter is due to the dimensions of the rocket. for the same reason
will be transported in special units in protective covers, not in containers.
The first stage of the Soyuz-5 launch vehicle is longer than any train car, so a coupler is used. Produced by JSC “Transport Engineering Central Design Bureau”. The Soyuz-5 launch vehicle can be transported by rail in one stage.