|
Russians
Join With Australians to Develop Soyuz Derivative - Avrora
|
More
Information: |
|
Image: Asia
Pacific Space Centre
|
Russia recently
approved co-development of Avrora (Aurora), a new launch vehicle, to
be developed and marketed by Asia Pacific Space Centre (ASPC). APSC
has joined with Rosviakosmos, RSC Energia, Samara Central
Specialized Design Bureau and Progress Plant (TsSKB-Progress) and
the Design Bureau of General Machine Building (KBOM). No technology
or license on the production of rockets and spacecraft will be
offered to the Australian partners. No Russian government funds will
be invested in the venture.
The Avrora launch
vehicle is a Russian designed and manufactured rocket capable of
delivering satellites to both low earth and geosynchronous transfer
orbits. APSC plans to use a new spaceport being developed on
Christmas Island, an Australian territory located in the northeast
India Ocean.
The Avrora offers
very low development risk by relying on the heritage and flight
experience of programs such as Molniya, Soyuz, Energia and Proton.
The Avrora launch vehicle will include both three- and four-stage
versions designed to deliver payloads to LEO, GTO, and GEO from one
launch facility. Using the three-stage configuration, up to 12
metric tons (26,450 lbm) will be delivered to low earth orbit, with
inclinations ranging from 10 to 110 degrees. In its four-stage
configuration, Avrora is capable of delivering 4.5 metric tons (9900
lbm) of payload to geosynchronous transfer orbit at 11 degrees
inclination and over 2 metric tons (4400 lbm) directly to
geostationary orbit. Avrora is built around the use of four strap-on
liquid oxygen-kerosene boosters and a core stage using the NK-33
propulsion system. An enhanced variant of the Blok-E (Stage 3)
powered by the RD-0124 engine, and a derivative of the Russian Blok-DM
stage called Korvet (Upper Stage) complete the design. The Korvet is
a liquid oxygen-kerosene powered upper stage using one 11D58M engine
manufactured by NPO Voronezh. The Korvet carries up to 10 metric
tons (22,000 lbm) of propellant and is capable of interfacing with
existing commercial satellite buses using Avrora's 4.1 meter (13.45
ft) external diameter payload fairing.
The
Avrora flight tests will be launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome. The
first commercial launch out of Australia’s Christmas Island is
planned for the last quarter of 2003. After introduction,
manufacturing and launch rates are projected to ramp up to as many
as 15 launches per year by 2006.
SPACEandTECH Digest is a weekly roundup of the latest industry news of interest
to the space professional. SPACEandTECH Flash! is an internet push
service offered by Andrews Space & Technology to bring the
latest on orders, launches, and important breaking news to your
desktop. SPACEandTECH Digest and SPACEandTECH Flash! are part of
the Andrews Space & Technology www.spaceandtech.com
website, a website designed to serve the information needs of the
space industry.
If you would like to subscribe to the SPACEandTECH
Flash!
(currently a free service), contact the www.spaceandtech.com
Editor-in-Chief, Joe Hopkins, at editor@spaceandtech.com
|
