Proton (rocket family)

Proton (Russian Протон, also known as the UR -500, GREY index 8K82 ) is the name for a Russian carrier rocket, which is used to start heavy loads (eg Space Station modules) and geostationary satellites and interplanetary space probes used heavier.

  • 4.1 Erststartversion
  • 4.2 Proton-K
  • 4.3 Proton-M
  • 5.1 Important payloads 1965-2000
  • 5.2 starts since January 1, 2005
  • 5.3 Planned start

Development and use

The missile was developed in the first half of the 1960s, first as a draft super-heavy intercontinental ballistic missile, probably the transport of 30 - should serve to 100 - megaton warheads as part of the Global Rocket 2 program of the Soviet military. A corresponding order to the OKB -52 was issued on 24 April 1962. Having this program was discontinued with effect from 15 May 1965 ordered the missile to the manned lunar program, under which it has been developed into a space rocket. Since its first launch on July 1965 and following numerous false starts 16 she has experienced extensive improvements. The current versions of the Proton rocket upper stages are now with the Blok -DM and Briz- M world's most successful and cost-effective missiles. Potential concern is the use of hypergolic fuel and toxic combination of UDMH / dinitrogen tetroxide, which can be released in case of false starts for safety and environmental reasons.

Launch facilities of the proton exist only in Baikonur, located on Kazakh soil. Since the proton is the only launcher Russia, can be placed in a geostationary orbit with heavy military early warning and communications satellites, their availability for the military is strategically important. Since these can not be guaranteed by the geographical location of Baikonur, the proton to be in the years to be replaced by the new heavy Angara -A5 rocket for which is currently being built in Plesetsk launch facility ( Plesetsk is on Russian soil ). The initial launch of the Angara was first envisaged in 2011, had financial reasons but first at 2012, then moved to 2013 and up to the flight of the heavy Angara - A5 version to replace the proton, are likely to take a few more years.

In order to bridge the waiting time until the operational use of the Angara and still remain in the highly competitive commercial business can was conducted as an interim solution, a further development of the proton to proton -M. The Proton-M is currently one of the most successful commercial vehicles worldwide, the price of a launch of the rocket should be around 70-80 million U.S. dollars. International marketing is done by the Consortium International Launch Services (ILS ), which also includes the U.S. company Lockheed -Martin to September 2006, was a member, which builds the Atlas launch vehicle. Since May 2008 a part of the majority of ILS GKNPZ Khrunichev.

As of 2012, ILS will also perform dual launches of medium-heavy satellites into GTO with the proton.

Technology

Depending on the version and mission, the proton has three to four stages ( the Erststartversion was two-stage) and can take up to 21 -ton payload into low-Earth orbit. The first stage with a mass of about 450 tons consists of a central tank with 4.1 meters in diameter and 21 meters in length for the fuel UDMH and six external tanks for the oxidizer nitrogen tetroxide with a diameter of 1.6 meters and each an attached engine RD- 253rd The external tanks are in the form of boosters and are often mistaken for these, but they are not. This design resulted, as all essential parts including the central tanks on the railway network should be transportable (limitation of the diameter for underpasses and tunnels ). Under these restrictions the design with the six outer tanks including the engines ensures optimum performance, but leaves similar to the R-7 with their strap-on boosters no payload extension by adding real boosters to. The first-stage fuel quantity allows a burn time of about 125 seconds. The second stage with a mass of about 135 tons has three RD -210 engines and a RD -211 engine is 10.9 meters long and delivers a vacuum thrust of about 2300 kN. The fuel capacity of the second stage is sufficient for a burn time of about 160 seconds. The third stage is driven by an RD -213 engine. All three stages use the hypergolic fuel and toxic combination of UDMH and nitrogen tetroxide.

To achieve geostationary orbits and starting interplanetary probes the proton addition of a fourth stage receives yet. The first launch of a four-stage Proton took place on March 10, 1967 as part of the manned lunar program. The fourth stage was called the Blok -D, in later years resulted from improvements multiple versions of this stage, which are designed for different payloads. All Blok -D versions use the combination fuel RP -1 ( a Kerosinart ) and oxygen. From 1999, a new upper stage performed - the Briz- M, which is now promoted primarily commercial payloads into space. This is used as the first three stages of the Proton and the fuel combination UDMH and nitrogen tetroxide.

Proton-M

Focus of the development presented to increase the payload, the payload volume and the flexibility of the routes to the surface dar. In the background were also aspects of the competitive struggle within the Russian space companies.

In addition to the application of the Bris -M upper stage (as opposed to Blok -DM also by the Russian producer GKNPZ Khrunichev ) of the first stage by six times RD -275 engines with about 7 % more power ( per 1 635 kN bottom shear ) were replaced. A completely new digital steering system ( manufacturer Piljugin center Moscow) allows for better fuel economy and more varied routes to the surface and is also 200 kg lighter than the previous Ukrainian, analog system. Was also digitized the telemetry system ( production association for metrology in Korolyov ). Payload fairings made ​​of composite materials are offered in sizes of 13.20 m, 11.60 m and 19.75 m length 4.35 m and 5 m diameter.

The production is carried out by the Group GKNPZ Khrunichev in Moscow - Fili, after a web transport is carried out final assembly of the rocket in the assembly complex MIK -92 at the cosmodrome Baikonur. The start is on the ramps PU -24 and PU - 39th The first start of the development took place on April 7, 2001, after the Briz- M upper stage has been previously tested successfully in conjunction with the older Proton-K. For Russian payloads the Proton-K has been temporarily still used in parallel, as it was slightly cheaper than Proton-M.

Versions

  • Proton: two stages ( first start July 16, 1965, last start July 6, 1966 )
  • Proton K: three stages - last departure 2000
  • Proton-K/Blok-D (D-1, D -2, DM, DM-2, DM- 2M, DM5, DM1, DM2, DM3, DM4 ): four stages ( first start ( Blok -D) July 6, 1966 - currently in use ( Blok DM2 and later ) ), production will cease in 2007
  • Proton-K/Bris-M: four stages, transitional version on Proton-M/Bris-M ( 5 first start July 1999)
  • Proton-M: 3 steps, first used in 2012 with the MLM module of the International Space Station
  • Proton-M/Bris-M: four stages ( first start April 7, 2001 - currently in use ). From DirecTV 10 in an improved version, where both the proton and Briz- M have been improved and this combination is now able to bring 6.3 tons to GTO. The Proton-M the engines of the first stage have been improved ( 12 % thrust ) and the tank walls to be thinner, still composites come now to reduce the structural mass in the second and third stage used. In the Briz- M stage the printing fee of six small tanks were converted to two large, and changed the avionics and engines.

Specifications

Erststartversion

  • Levels: 2
  • Height: 32 m
  • Diameter first stage: 7.40 m (with external tanks )
  • 2nd stage diameter: 4.10 m
  • Start Weight: 585 tonnes ( approximately 541 t of fuel )
  • Off thrust: 8,844 kN
  • Vacuum thrust: 10,020 kN
  • Payload: 12 t ( NEO )
  • Fuel: UDMH / dinitrogen tetroxide
  • GRAU index: 8K82

Proton-K

  • Levels: 3/4
  • Height: 49 m
  • Diameter first stage: 7.4 m (with external tanks )
  • Diameter 2 / 3 Level: 4.1 m
  • Diameter 4 Level: 3.7 m ( Blok DM)
  • Start Weight: 684 tonnes ( approximately 634 t of fuel )
  • Off thrust: 9,500 kN ( 6 × RD -253 )
  • Payload: about 19.76 t ( NEO ), about 4.8 t ( interplanetary ), about 2.6 t ( GEO)
  • Fuel: UDMH / dinitrogen tetroxide ( Blok - DM: RP-1/LOX )
  • ( Blok -DM)
  • GRAU index: 8K82K

Proton-M

  • Levels: 3/4
  • Height: 57.2 m (with 4.Stufe and fairing )
  • Diameter first stage: 7.4 m (with external tanks )
  • Diameter 2 / 3 Level: 4.1 m
  • Diameter 4 Level: 4.1 m ( Bris- M)
  • Start Weight: 690 t
  • Off thrust: 9,800 kN ( 6 × RD -275 )
  • Load capacity: about 21 t ( NEO ), about 4.8 t ( interplanetary ), about 3.2 t (GEO)
  • Fuel: UDMH / dinitrogen tetroxide
  • GRAU index: 8K82KM

Start list

Important payloads 1965-2000

  • Proton (satellite) 1-4 ( 1965-68 )
  • Lunar probes Zond 4-8 ( 1968-70 )
  • Moon Luna probes 15-24 ( 1969-76 )
  • Salyut space stations 1-7 ( 1971-82 )
  • Mars probe Mars 2-7 ( 1971-73 )
  • Venus probes Venera 9-16 ( 1975-83 )
  • TKS unmanned spaceships 1-3 (1977-1983)
  • Space probes Vega 1-2 ( 1984-85 )
  • Mir space station base module and 5 Science modules ( 1986-1996 )
  • Two great Russian ISS modules ( Zarya and Zvezda (1998-2000 ) )

Starts since January 1, 2005

This list is incomplete, but all are listed since 1 January 2005 of starts. State of the list: March 16, 2014

Planned start

State of the list: March 21, 2014

Granat Space observatory Hypergolic propellant Angara (rocket family) RD-253 Booster (rocketry) R-7 Semyorka Fili (Moscow) Spaceport Nauka (ISS module) Salyut programme TKS (spacecraft) Kosmos (satellite) KazSat Hot Bird 13B Thor 5 AMC-14 Astra 1M Ciel 2 ProtoStar Sirius FM-5 AsiaSat 5 DirecTV-10 Intelsat 16 EchoStar XIV SES-1 EchoStar Telstar SES-3 Intelsat 22 Intelsat 23 Yamal-402 Satmex Eutelsat 3D Astra 2E Dnepr-1 Energia Molniya (rocket) Rokot Shtil' Start-1 Voskhod (rocket) Fregat Ikar (rocket stage) List of orbital launch systems
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