Star Troop: the story of one project

Cosmonautics Day is dedicated to

- So, - the Chief of the Scientific and Production Association "Open space engineering" - looked around the staff with a close look, - congratulations, colleagues! We won a tender for the production of the Fregat spacecraft, which can and will become a jubilee project of this class carried out by our company. The task of the ship is simple: to bring another satellite to the ISS. We have already done this a hundred times, the process has been debugged to the smallest detail, but the order is serious, state-owned: please take it with special attention.

Employees, accustomed to such introductory, waited for the continuation of fiery speech.
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- And yes: under any circumstances, the ship should be launched on April 12, you know what to do on the day. And you yourself will fly on it. On the plane of the Emergencies Ministry has already flown, on the fighter too, - it's time for new accomplishments.

“Yura,” said Chief to the chief engineer, we will have time by April 12, right?

- Well, in general, yes ... But there is a nuance. The design team is now busy planning an experimental settlement on the Moon, the fitters are testing a probe that will fly to Ganymede to collect soil samples, and ergonomists are sitting on an order from the ISS - they translate the station control system into Chinese.

- I.e? - The chief of his habit always smiled, but anxiety was read in his eyes.

- That is, there are no resources.

- Yura, listen to me. Can you imagine what kind of ship it is? Can you imagine who will fly it? A match, that is, a flight, must take place in any weather!

* * *
Yura convened a meeting at which it was quickly decided to partially donate the project to an outsourcing. Not so long ago, it became clear that it is quite expensive to keep the engine assemblers on staff, since these engines require no more than twelve pieces per year. Especially since there were several reliable proven contractors. But there was no one to give the interface for controlling the aircraft, the life support system and even some details of the skin.

Half an hour later, it turned out that the well-known engine contractors themselves were sitting on urgent orders, and there is absolutely no way to buy them for the project.

- So, - Yura acted decisively - collect me information about all possible contractors that can be attracted to the project. The priority is not Moscow, not the twenty “Tegaviakosmos 2010”, imputed contact persons and adequate prices.

* * *
Two hours later, Yura looked at the list of possible candidates and released the sarcastic comments:
- What is here with us? Let's see ... Lukhmanovsky Helicopter Plant. Not bad, not bad. I like everything. The best performance in the field, several awards. Citizens, but this is a HELICOPTER! The helicopter will not fly into space. However, as soon as the laws of physics are abolished, I will inform you immediately.
- And here? What a beauty ... NPO "Dandelion", produces airships, and even sometimes balloons. Wow, they even have their own hang-glider club. Friends, tell me, how did the aircraft of this class get here? Oh, they are also flying ... Well, yes, yes, yes. I somehow did not immediately take this remarkable fact into account. Pavel, catch it! - Yura threw his colleague Dr. House's tennis ball to his colleague. - Look, he flies! Is it also an aircraft "device"?
- Next on the list is Energy, Dry, MiG, Khrunichev ... I said that I do not need market leaders. Moreover, paradoxically, the fighter jets are not space ships either. Also reactive? Also in the stratosphere? Great argument. Next time I personally will put you in the SU-27, fly it on a business trip to the moon.

* * *
After a long search, three companies were selected that could potentially help with the project. The most important parts of the ship, the life support system and the control interfaces, were decided to be designed by ourselves: deadlines for other projects moved a little, but the responsibility is too high, you can’t risk this part of the project.

The task was briefly described, deadlines indicated, and three requests for a commercial offer went to the three ends of our vast country.

The answers were not long in coming. NPO Rezinomotor from Chelyakaterinburg sent a portfolio in which sixteen cornmen, one light twin-engine plane and one launch vehicle, outwardly more similar to a Chinese cracker, flaunted themselves. Confirmation of the ability of the said apparatus to take off, the company refused to provide, citing the fact that the corresponding film was destroyed by a secret order of the FSB.

The next answer came from Kharkinska, where colleagues in good literary Russian language described the merits of their company, presented orders from defense enterprises of friendly states to prove their own competence, but, looking at the price, Jura was sad: for this money it was possible to build another base on the moon , and the banal satellite delivery to the ISS, even with Gruz, was generally golden.

The third company from Yoshkakutsk showed the greatest persistence: the guys called, wrote to the post office, threatened to come and meet in person. Moreover, they assured, this is a unique chance to work on an interesting and large-scale project, especially on conditions that are quite good by the standards of the local aerospace market. Yura gathered the facts together and decided: once contractors are hearty and interested in long-term cooperation, they will react to the project responsibly, and from the conversation it’s immediately clear that they know firsthand about the subject.

* * *
The start of the project was given. The relevant documents were signed and an advance payment was made. Contractors had to make four engines and a first and second stage lining of the launch vehicle. Everything else "Open Space Engineering" was designed on its own. The coordination of the project was also left inside the NGO.

The first email from colleagues contained the following: “Yuri, you could not send the documentation in a different format: we usually worked with paper drawings, and your files would not open with us”. Experienced Yura gave a link to the appropriate software and conducted a brief educational program on Skype to work with project documentation.

The next round of negotiations was not long in coming: “It’s written in the assignment that the skin should be titanium. We have not worked with titanium before: we can make either steel, or we will have to increase development time. ” Yura explained that the contract parameters are fixed clearly, and either we follow the agreements and move to the bright moment of starting together, or ... Colleagues assured that they understand everything and that they do not need a second "or".

Further outgoing letters from Jura were of the following content:
"Yes, we are ready to advise you."
"The first cosmic speed - 7.9 km / s"
"The second cosmic speed - 11.2 km / s"
“Yes, I know that for Jupiter, the speed is different. The speed depends on the parameters of the planet. "
“Yes, forget you finally about Jupiter! We have Earth, Earth - do you understand? Tiny, blue, third from the sun. Just beyond Venus. ”
"Yes, the launch vehicle must have four engines"
"No, with two will not work"
"With three too"
“What does it mean either engine or plating? Need trim and four engines
“No, four”
“Change project manager”
“Hello Andrei, your colleague Edward assured that you will not be able to solve our problem. This is true?"
“Exactly. Difficult, but possible. I'm counting on you, Andrei. Do not fail. "

* * *
The next milestone of the project has risen. Yura called on Skype once, another. I dialed the office phone of the responsible manager. From the sixth time a man’s voice picked up the phone.
- Hello, this is Yuri from the OK Engineering NGO. can i hear andrew
- What? - asked the voice.
- Andrey, - Yura found a yellow piece of paper on the table - Andrey Veniaminovich Popov.
- And Andrew is not.
- And where he?
- Yes, he asked for leave, he has a wedding.
“Is Edward on the spot?” Asked Yura, tormented by bad forebodings.
- Which one?
“Do you have them there, darkness, Edward?” - the gloomy essence of the situation gradually reached Yura.
- So he has a witness to him, Andrew, then.
- Who am I talking to?
- Mikhail Trofimovich.
- Very nice, Mikhail Trofimovich. You see, Andrei promised to get in touch yesterday, and I cannot reach him. The question is very important.
- Well, why are you fussing, give the guys at the wedding a walk! - the voice in the tube was warming and filled with almost fatherly pride, - They will have big heads, they will go far!
- In what sense? - Yura lost the thread: Mikhail Trofimovich was definitely not in the know.
- Well so soon release! We have the best aircraft model club in Yoshkutsk! From the Volga region to Lake Baikal, we take prizes.
- Wait a second. But what about the portfolio, awards ... - every second of the conversation added gray hair to Jura.
- Well, right, rewards. Portfolio. That's right. Our models always take prizes.
- Models ... - Yura was on the verge of collapse.
- And Andrei and Edik didn’t warn you that the wedding will last for three days? We always walk for three days!
- No, you know, was not in the know. We let all our soothsayers go all digging dugouts, prepare, so to speak, for the next, 2012, year, - Yura hung up in their hearts. Deadline had two months left ...

* * *
On the eleventh of April, the team gathered for a reporting meeting.
- Well, how are we doing? - Chef smiled. - I see, did you have time on time? Yura, and you always say that we do not have time, there are no resources ...

Jura's eye twitched. He said nothing.

- In general, tomorrow is a solemn day! Well done - nice work. Here we launch a rocket - and then to everyone ... No, not bonuses ... No, not leave ... Better! New interesting projects, attracted by another successful case!

The chef was in high spirits, which could not be said about the rest. Suspended green faces, circles under the eyes ... Yura had to shave under the typewriter so as not to frighten other team members with an early gray hair.

The chef continued:
- I was told here at the Association of Aerospace Unions told a joke: can you imagine, some contractors managed to make wood nozzles! Carved, varnish coated. From far away unnoticed. Well, at least the meticulous receivers got caught: they noticed in time.

The staff laughed restrainedly, Jura’s eye twitched more and did not stop. He recalled how at night on the weekend they, together with the crew, frantically reworked these damned nozzles behind the brave little tailors from the aircraft modeling circle.

“Well,” the chef smiled encouragingly at Yura, ignoring the winks, “as your famous namesake said,” “Let's go!”