Dnepr-1

Dnepr [ dn ʲ e ː pʁ ] (Russian Днепр, Ukrainian Дніпро named after the river Dnepr) is a Russian / Ukrainian carrier rocket.

Technology

Dnepr is based on the world's largest ever built intercontinental ballistic missile R- 36MUTTH ( NATO code SS -18), which was prepared earlier in KB Yuzhnoye / PO Juschmasch in Dnepropetrovsk / Ukraine. The intercontinental ballistic missiles to be rebuilt as part of the conversion program launchers and can therefore be offered very cheap in the market. The three-stage Dnepr -1 is 34.3 m high, has a diameter of 3 m and a full gas tank weighs 211 tons. As fuel, unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine ( UDMH ) and dinitrogen tetroxide is employed. The payload into a 300 km high orbit is 3700 kg, so the rocket is stronger than some pure space rocket. The first two stages are taken from the R -36M without modifications, as the third stage comes a MIRV bus is used, which for launching of warheads used in the R -36M at different trajectories. The bus of the Dnepr only differs by a modified control system. The bus is necessary for injecting the satellite into the correct orbit, but also by its high payload is empty mass, thereby playful. A real upper level was for the Dnepr once in planning, but was not implemented. With such a stage, the load could be significantly increased. Dnepr is launched as well as the R -36M from a missile silo, but currently stand at Baikonur three silos available since 2006, active missile base Dombarowski ( Baikonur Jasny ) in southern Russia is used for civilian launches.

Starts

The commercial provider of the rocket is the Ukrainian company ISC Kosmotras. According Kosmotras there are currently about 150 embedded R -36M intercontinental ballistic missiles that can be converted into Dnepr rocket. As the R- Dnepr 36MUTTH is currently (SS -18 Mod 4 ) is used, it may in future but also the R- 36M2 (SS -18 Mod 5) are used. The first orbital launch of a Dnepr - 1 was carried out on 21 April 1999, since there were seventeen starts with commercial payloads, of which sixteen had been successful. As a starting cost 30 million U.S. dollars will be given (22 million euros ). The following are some of these start-ups are described in detail.

On June 29, 2004 with a missile equal to eight small satellites carried into orbit: the Saudi Arabian communications satellite SaudiComsat -1 and SaudiComsat -2 ( 12 kg each ) and SaudiSat -2 (35 kg), the U.S. Liaison satellite LatinSat -C and LatinSat -D ( 15 kg ), the U.S. amateur radio satellite AMSAT- echo (12 kg), the Italian research satellite UniSat -3 (12 kg) and the French research satellite Demeter (125 kg).

On 23 August 2005 at 21:10 GMT clock the fifth mission followed. With this launch two Japanese satellites were transported into a low orbit. This was as a primary payload for the satellite Kirari, were checked with the optical communication techniques on behalf of the Japanese space agency JAXA. The test satellite INDEX to test various new devices and technologies for use in space.

In May 2012, reports surfaced that the program could be set due to unprofitability and high environmental risks. One could easily replace the Dnepr rockets against the more environmentally friendly models Soyuz -2 -1B or Angara. As the continuation of the program was uncertain, one planned for 2012, starting with the Korean earth observation satellites Kompsat 5 was rejected that. The planned September 2012 launch, which should be undertaken among others, the Japanese weather satellite WNISat 1, has been postponed due to delays on the part of the launcher.

In February 2013, the Ukrainian Space Agency announced for the year 2013 eleven Dnepr missions, there were but started only two.

Start list

This is a complete start list of the Dnepr rocket. State of the list: November 21, 2013

¹ Gross Weight = ( Satellite Adapter, enclosure etc. )

² NOT necessarily the target orbit of the payload - but the path to the payload of the advanced level should be suspended.

Planned start

State of the list: November 21, 2013