An enthusiast from Chervonograd, regardless of the state, wants to develop the space industry

An enthusiast from Chervonograd, regardless of the state, wants to develop the space industry and produce on the moon a substance that will allow us to abandon thermal energy.
Vladimir Turko works as a miner and organizes discos in the city of Chervonograd. He descends into the mine every day, but dreams of celestial orbits. Vladimir’s main ambition is to create a fund in Ukraine that will help a person to collect helium-3 on the lunar surface and colonize Mars.
A few weeks ago, Vladimir Turko filed the project "Foundation for Space Perspective" on Spilnokosht on the Big Idea . We did not publish it. Instead, we first decided to find Vladimir and talk to him.

- You wrote that you worked in the mine and organized discos. Where did the interest in space come from?

- The interest arose in childhood. My father watched a satellite launch on TV, and I asked what it was. In the school library I read books, there was a lot of Soviet literature on space. And then he began to make drawings and models of rockets. Now he has created a group in the VKontakte group "Space Perspective Foundation" .

I plan to open an account and register an enterprise — an investment fund — to raise money for the Air Start project.
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This project was developed by our Yuzhnoye Design Bureau . Its advantage is that there is no need to build a cosmodrome - you can launch rockets from where you want. This is done on the basis of the An-225 “Mriya” aircraft. A rocket is fixed on top, the plane starts, gives a certain impulse, after which the rocket also takes off.

Thus, the launch cost is reduced tenfold compared to launch from the spaceport. It also increases the weight of the load that you can run. It is possible to launch even manned ships.

Our state does not really support this industry, but we have a lot of groundwork and great potential.

- Do you want not the state, but people to finance space flights?

- Let the state finance it, but I plan to create a private structure so that it also implements some projects and earns itself.

- As far as I understand, now in Ukraine there is a five-year Space Program 2013-17, the budget of which is 2.5 billion UAH. ($ 305 million), with the state giving only half the amount. Why not organize people to fund the state program? Why make your own program and your own ships?

- The State Concept, drawn up until 2032, also operates. They will launch the satellite "Libid" for communication and a couple more scientific satellites. But the concept does not provide for the launch of serious satellites, or a manned program, or a program for the exploration of the moon.

Already, even Iran, within the framework of its space program, launches chimpanzees into space, and plans to launch humans in 5-10 years. China already has its own station, although there is only one module. In Britain, developed a multiple ship, will take off and land as an airplane. In America, with one dollar invested in space programs, they receive 12 dollars of profit.

“Why don't the Ukrainians launch a chimpanzee?” Our official scientists are not ambitious or simply do not have the necessary knowledge?

- I think they are just counting on the funding that they are given. There are only Earth sounding programs, there is a Sich-2 satellite. From it you can order photos and use them for agriculture and forestry. We must launch the satellite "Libid" from the Alcantara cosmodrome in common with Brazil.

- You say that the American dollar invested in space returns with a 12-fold profit. When the hryvnia invested in space, can somehow return? What generally makes a profit in the space industry?

- Profit is ensured by the fact that technology from space is transferred to Earth. In addition, some materials due to gravity on Earth can not be made here. In addition, in America there are private companies that want to extract natural resources on the moon and on asteroids. NASA also has a program for intercepting asteroids and delivering them to the Moon’s orbit in order to develop them.

Ukraine is now considered the fifth in terms of space development. We have very good launch vehicles, a good Sea Launch program.

The funds invested by Ukraine in the launch of foreign satellites should be returned. But the launch of Ukrainian satellites is not so justified, because our enterprises do not order data from them.

- If it is so expensive and there are no results, then does Ukraine really need a space industry?

- Need - for the science and authority of Ukraine. If Ukraine launches the Air Launch project, it will benefit greatly. Many developing countries want satellite television and communications, as well as rescuers to use their satellites.

Ukraine can seriously take advantage of this. If we talk about the “Air launch”, then no other country has such a plane as “Mriya”. We already have one aircraft, and the second is built at 80%. Missile technology allows you to implement this project in a few years.

- In Russia, the Deputy Prime Minister recently accused Roskosmos of "muddy understanding of the purpose of space activities" and, in general, wanted to unite the space industry with the aviation industry. Can we say that the space industry is facing a crisis all over the world today?

- In Russia, there were problems. Their ambitious project to launch a device for analyzing the soil in space failed. Then the crash of the Proton rocket undermined Russia's authority. They are also building a new Vostochny cosmodrome, and also do not have time for the stated deadlines.

But Russia has a common space exploration project with Europe. And the Sea Launch program is still active.

- Is it worth it to launch astronauts? What does it give today, except for prestige? Or is it already a long past stage?

- It is a pity that when the Americans flew to the moon, they did not stay there, did not build a base. The Soviet Union also had a program of a flight to the moon, but Korolev died - the only one who led that program and spoke on an equal footing with government officials. Then developed the rocket "H1" for a flight to the moon. Its four launches were unsuccessful, and new engines were developed for the fifth launch, but after the death of Korolev this program was closed.

- Today we are talking about the colonization of the moon or again - just landing and experiments?

- The Americans had six missions, many experiments, brought 400 kg of lunar soil to the earth. Now it is very promising to extract helium-3 there — a resource that is scarce on Earth, and abundant on the Moon. It is needed for the operation of nuclear reactors. Ten tons of this resource can provide energy consumption in Russia per year. This is clean energy. If we had one, we could refuse from thermal energy.

In addition, the moon is very convenient for the work of astronauts, because there is no atmosphere, and it would be possible to build an observatory and a base for the extraction of resources.

- Is it about a fantastic plot or is it a real prospect for the coming years?

- This is a real prospect. For example, now in Australia a project has been developed for the extraction of helium-3 without human intervention.

Also an interesting project by Ilon Musk on the colonization of Mars - they want to launch the first four people there in 2021. And every next two years - to send four more people and leave them there, so that they live there and have children. The recruitment for this program is already completed. Worldwide, more than 140 thousand people have agreed to participate in the program. Each of them paid 40 dollars. Therefore, they already have some money, as well as a Falcon 9 rocket. There is a Falcon Heavy rocket plan that allows you to put cargo into orbit. It will be possible to build a spacecraft in orbit, which will be able to deliver people to Mars and create bases there.

- How much is the development of a spacecraft?

- To completely make a spaceship with tests, for example, such as Russia is currently developing, you need $ 80 million. This, of course, is very expensive, but for the economy and science it is a very important contribution.

- Are you interested in space tourism?

- Yes of course. Now there is a project of Richard Branson - the Virgin Galactic company, which deals with space tourism. Everyone is waiting for the first launch. Branson himself must fly with the children to show that this is a reliable form of tourism. There the flight costs 200 thousand dollars. The astronaut will be 5-7 minutes in zero gravity. The ship should be six people and two crew members. Therefore, at least for businessmen it is already available. After all, to fly to the International Space Station, you need $ 50 million.

- The rockets that you made in your childhood really started?

- Of the ten pieces one flew, it was such a joy! Others exploded like real rockets. I then went to school. These were small layouts the size of half a meter, however, the value does not matter.

- Do you have enough communication on space issues in Chervonograd, Ukraine, the Internet?

- On the Internet enough. I met the creator of the “Space Immigrant” group, who is currently studying in the United States, studying the legal aspects of space exploration. There are many other groups of space direction. On serious issues, I correspond with people from the National Space Agency.

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