Special rocket magic Ilona Mask
Any discussion of Russian rocket science can be turned into a multi-page holivar, if you write a four-letter word: “Musk”. Immediately there will be his supporters, who will remember that rockets developed back in the 60s fly from Baikonur, and the SpaceX Mask company appeared only 12 years ago, and is already making a reusable rocket. In response, it will be possible to hear about the “Mask sect of lovers” and the eccentric charlatan, who decided to challenge the Tsiolkovsky formula. In any case, the indifferent will quickly leave the discussion, and the caring will continue the fight for their ideals.
What kind of a man is this Ilon Mask, why did his appearance compel Roskosmos to talk about “competing competitors”, and his Martian dreams inspire space enthusiasts on both sides of the ocean?
I will outline the main points of the formation of Ilon as a rocket magnate, and then we will speculate on the subject of reusable rockets and the “Mask cult”.
')
Ilon Musk is a former co-owner of PayPal. After selling his stake for $ 165 million in 2002, he was left with money, but without doing anything. Then he wondered where to spend their money, and decided to send an earthly plant in a hydroponic bank to Mars. According to his idea, the picture of the green escape on the Red Planet will inspire humanity to new cosmic accomplishments.
Art from VK group elonmusk
To this end, Musk visited Russia and asked about the conversion rockets "Dnepr". Their cost is about $ 20 million dollars allowing him to carry out his plans. But instead of buying, Musk began to ponder why the old Russian missiles are ten times cheaper than the new American ones. From thinking, the idea is born of producing our own rockets and making them even cheaper than Russian ones.
His decision successfully laid down the desire of the American state to dilute the rocket monopoly of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, which in 2006 united in the United Launch Alliance (ULA) and actually put NASA and Pentagon on missiles with Russian Atlac V first-stage missiles. and later NASA. Developed Musk rockets on their own, and the state paid for launches. For four years, SpaceX created the Falcon 1 light missile, and after another four years, the Falcon 9 successfully launched - an average rocket comparable in performance to the Russian Soyuz-2.
By this time, NASA closes the Space Shuttle program and is left without manned spacecraft. To eliminate the backlog of Russia and China, the United States announced competitions for the creation of cargo and manned spacecraft. SpaceX undertakes to solve both problems, and already in 2012, the first Dragon truck starts successfully to the ISS.
In the wake of success, Musk declares his ambitious goals: reusable rocket, super heavy rocket and a colony on Mars.
In 2012, a video concept of the first idea is published.
And begin testing reusable grasshopper missile module.
Both videos are becoming a source of fierce discussions on these our internet.
Mask supporters are beginning to count the meters that the grasshopper jumps on (Grasshopper) - 2 - 5 - 9 - 40 - 80 - 250 - 325 - 744 ... Critics remind us that the Earth’s orbit is slightly higher, and Muse’s music will not necessary increase of thrust, for the successful solution of the formula Tsiolkovsky .
In the seriousness of the intentions of Mask believe the unit of investors who invest in SpaceX, and the crowd of fans. Specialists are more reserved. Skeptics say that Grasshopper jumps across Texas to reassure investors who do not understand how Musk "threw" them with a reusable rocket and the dream of Mars. Numerous rocket experts of VKontakte talk about the short-sightedness of Mask, who forgot about the parachute. And even real experts like Andrei Ionin, the main analyst of NP GLONASS, who trust Ilona, believe that the Grasshopper is needed for practicing a landing on Mars, i.e. Do not believe in reusable rocket.
Meanwhile, SpaceX continues to develop upgrades of the engines and the Falcon 9 itself, is testing a head fairing suitable for commercial launches and a future super-heavy rocket, and is launching a satellite into geostationary orbit, i.e. claims the market not only "Union", but also "Proton".
In 2013, the Grasshopper retires, and its place is taken by the more advanced Falcon 9R model.
R means reusable, i.e. “Reusable”. This is already a real rocket stage with legs, the analogues of which should be sent in the future to an altitude of about 100 km and return unharmed.
At the same time, SpaceX continues launches under a contract with NASA, and launches commercial satellites. They have nothing to do with the creation of a reusable rocket. But SpaceX manages to combine the execution of contracts and the development of future technologies.
In September 2013, he launches a rocket, the first stage of which is to try to maneuver for the first time after the main task. During this start-up, the stage should have taken a vertical position, which is necessary for a future soft landing.
Attempts to control the falling stage are visible from the 4th minute.
The tests ended in failure, despite the fact that the main task - the introduction into orbit of the Canadian satellite Cassiope, was solved successfully. But on the way back, the rocket stage began to rotate in the longitudinal axis, the fuel in the tanks rose up under the action of centrifugal force and the engines caught fire. Despite the failure, Musk reported: "Now we know what to do."
And so, on April 18, 2014, after numerous transfers, the launch of the first real rocket with legs took place.
The removal of the Dragon spacecraft went flawlessly, but the most interesting began later. The first stage of the rocket, after separation, began to maneuver. First, it was necessary to achieve the first goal - to verticalize the rocket. This was achieved through the second stage of testing - the disclosure of the supporting "legs." The rocket was landing / falling into the Atlantic Ocean, and, unfortunately, there was a storm.
Despite the wind and the waves, the first step was able to enter the water at low speed and in almost perfectly vertical position. That is, the test objectives were fully achieved, but the ships could not find a rocket in the storming sea, and we only had a muffled video left that we could receive on the radio.
In this video you can see the final landing - open “legs” and a wave on the surface of the ocean, diverging from the running engines.
So why is the Mask invention causing such heated discussions in Russia?
Even now, with its disposable rockets, the cost of removing the payload from SpaceX is comparable to Russian prices. And Russia only thanks to the prices and reliability of carriers holds leadership position in the world market of launches. But Falcon 9 did not have any complete files (it was one partial, when the associated microsatellites were lost). At the same time, SpaceX paid for not only production, but also the development of a rocket. The construction of the Russian models, for the most part, paid for another USSR budget. Someone believes that the current prices Mask - a conscious dumping in the hope of future orders and the displacement of competitors from the market. Even if so, he has already shown his superiority to Russian modern rocket builders, if we compare the time of creation of the Angara and Falcon.
Musk is not a superhero. 4-5 years on a rocket is real. The same “Proton” was created in 3 years. But, as it seems to me, between the creators of “Proton” and Mask are much more in common than between the creators of “Proton” and “Angara”. Mask is obsessed with space, his phrase is known, that he dreams of ending life on Mars, and not from hitting the surface. Similarly, Korolev and Chelomei were obsessed with space. The deadlines with which they solved the tasks are amazing, in comparison with today's Russian cosmic burden.
The current goal of Russian space enterprises is the state order. And the longer it lasts the better for them. The goal of Ilona Mask is Mars, and the state order is only a means that he takes advantage of. Whether he makes a reusable rocket or not is not so important. The whole point is in his striving upward, in the development and continuous improvement of technology. This is what inspires his supporters around the world.
Although many people hope and truly believe in a miracle in his Falcon 9 Reusable. If he really creates it, it will bring the prices for launching into low near-earth orbit, leave even the cheap Dnipro behind, and open a new stage in space exploration.
And I want it to happen! For the Soyuz, the Proton and the unborn Angara to become too expensive and useless rockets. Then, Roskosmos will have to wake up from bureaucratic hibernation, recall the Soviet youth, and finally take up the breakthrough developments of the future to make up for competitors. Can he do that? I do not know. However ...
In the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute. prof. NOT. Zhukovsky completed the first stage of integrated research of reusable launch vehicles (MRKN). The TsAGI specialists have formed proposals for the improvement of the promising system for launching into orbit, developed by the GKNPTs named after M.V. Khrunicheva in cooperation with more than twenty enterprises of the aerospace industry.
It is planned that the new family of MRKN will ensure the removal of payloads weighing from 20 to 60 tons without fields of the first stage fall, which is a qualitatively new step in the domestic rocket production ...
Wait and see.
What kind of a man is this Ilon Mask, why did his appearance compel Roskosmos to talk about “competing competitors”, and his Martian dreams inspire space enthusiasts on both sides of the ocean?
I will outline the main points of the formation of Ilon as a rocket magnate, and then we will speculate on the subject of reusable rockets and the “Mask cult”.
')
Ilon Musk is a former co-owner of PayPal. After selling his stake for $ 165 million in 2002, he was left with money, but without doing anything. Then he wondered where to spend their money, and decided to send an earthly plant in a hydroponic bank to Mars. According to his idea, the picture of the green escape on the Red Planet will inspire humanity to new cosmic accomplishments.
Art from VK group elonmusk
To this end, Musk visited Russia and asked about the conversion rockets "Dnepr". Their cost is about $ 20 million dollars allowing him to carry out his plans. But instead of buying, Musk began to ponder why the old Russian missiles are ten times cheaper than the new American ones. From thinking, the idea is born of producing our own rockets and making them even cheaper than Russian ones.
His decision successfully laid down the desire of the American state to dilute the rocket monopoly of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, which in 2006 united in the United Launch Alliance (ULA) and actually put NASA and Pentagon on missiles with Russian Atlac V first-stage missiles. and later NASA. Developed Musk rockets on their own, and the state paid for launches. For four years, SpaceX created the Falcon 1 light missile, and after another four years, the Falcon 9 successfully launched - an average rocket comparable in performance to the Russian Soyuz-2.
By this time, NASA closes the Space Shuttle program and is left without manned spacecraft. To eliminate the backlog of Russia and China, the United States announced competitions for the creation of cargo and manned spacecraft. SpaceX undertakes to solve both problems, and already in 2012, the first Dragon truck starts successfully to the ISS.
In the wake of success, Musk declares his ambitious goals: reusable rocket, super heavy rocket and a colony on Mars.
In 2012, a video concept of the first idea is published.
And begin testing reusable grasshopper missile module.
Both videos are becoming a source of fierce discussions on these our internet.
Mask supporters are beginning to count the meters that the grasshopper jumps on (Grasshopper) - 2 - 5 - 9 - 40 - 80 - 250 - 325 - 744 ... Critics remind us that the Earth’s orbit is slightly higher, and Muse’s music will not necessary increase of thrust, for the successful solution of the formula Tsiolkovsky .
In the seriousness of the intentions of Mask believe the unit of investors who invest in SpaceX, and the crowd of fans. Specialists are more reserved. Skeptics say that Grasshopper jumps across Texas to reassure investors who do not understand how Musk "threw" them with a reusable rocket and the dream of Mars. Numerous rocket experts of VKontakte talk about the short-sightedness of Mask, who forgot about the parachute. And even real experts like Andrei Ionin, the main analyst of NP GLONASS, who trust Ilona, believe that the Grasshopper is needed for practicing a landing on Mars, i.e. Do not believe in reusable rocket.
Meanwhile, SpaceX continues to develop upgrades of the engines and the Falcon 9 itself, is testing a head fairing suitable for commercial launches and a future super-heavy rocket, and is launching a satellite into geostationary orbit, i.e. claims the market not only "Union", but also "Proton".
In 2013, the Grasshopper retires, and its place is taken by the more advanced Falcon 9R model.
R means reusable, i.e. “Reusable”. This is already a real rocket stage with legs, the analogues of which should be sent in the future to an altitude of about 100 km and return unharmed.
At the same time, SpaceX continues launches under a contract with NASA, and launches commercial satellites. They have nothing to do with the creation of a reusable rocket. But SpaceX manages to combine the execution of contracts and the development of future technologies.
In September 2013, he launches a rocket, the first stage of which is to try to maneuver for the first time after the main task. During this start-up, the stage should have taken a vertical position, which is necessary for a future soft landing.
Attempts to control the falling stage are visible from the 4th minute.
The tests ended in failure, despite the fact that the main task - the introduction into orbit of the Canadian satellite Cassiope, was solved successfully. But on the way back, the rocket stage began to rotate in the longitudinal axis, the fuel in the tanks rose up under the action of centrifugal force and the engines caught fire. Despite the failure, Musk reported: "Now we know what to do."
And so, on April 18, 2014, after numerous transfers, the launch of the first real rocket with legs took place.
The removal of the Dragon spacecraft went flawlessly, but the most interesting began later. The first stage of the rocket, after separation, began to maneuver. First, it was necessary to achieve the first goal - to verticalize the rocket. This was achieved through the second stage of testing - the disclosure of the supporting "legs." The rocket was landing / falling into the Atlantic Ocean, and, unfortunately, there was a storm.
Despite the wind and the waves, the first step was able to enter the water at low speed and in almost perfectly vertical position. That is, the test objectives were fully achieved, but the ships could not find a rocket in the storming sea, and we only had a muffled video left that we could receive on the radio.
In this video you can see the final landing - open “legs” and a wave on the surface of the ocean, diverging from the running engines.
So why is the Mask invention causing such heated discussions in Russia?
Even now, with its disposable rockets, the cost of removing the payload from SpaceX is comparable to Russian prices. And Russia only thanks to the prices and reliability of carriers holds leadership position in the world market of launches. But Falcon 9 did not have any complete files (it was one partial, when the associated microsatellites were lost). At the same time, SpaceX paid for not only production, but also the development of a rocket. The construction of the Russian models, for the most part, paid for another USSR budget. Someone believes that the current prices Mask - a conscious dumping in the hope of future orders and the displacement of competitors from the market. Even if so, he has already shown his superiority to Russian modern rocket builders, if we compare the time of creation of the Angara and Falcon.
Musk is not a superhero. 4-5 years on a rocket is real. The same “Proton” was created in 3 years. But, as it seems to me, between the creators of “Proton” and Mask are much more in common than between the creators of “Proton” and “Angara”. Mask is obsessed with space, his phrase is known, that he dreams of ending life on Mars, and not from hitting the surface. Similarly, Korolev and Chelomei were obsessed with space. The deadlines with which they solved the tasks are amazing, in comparison with today's Russian cosmic burden.
The current goal of Russian space enterprises is the state order. And the longer it lasts the better for them. The goal of Ilona Mask is Mars, and the state order is only a means that he takes advantage of. Whether he makes a reusable rocket or not is not so important. The whole point is in his striving upward, in the development and continuous improvement of technology. This is what inspires his supporters around the world.
Although many people hope and truly believe in a miracle in his Falcon 9 Reusable. If he really creates it, it will bring the prices for launching into low near-earth orbit, leave even the cheap Dnipro behind, and open a new stage in space exploration.
And I want it to happen! For the Soyuz, the Proton and the unborn Angara to become too expensive and useless rockets. Then, Roskosmos will have to wake up from bureaucratic hibernation, recall the Soviet youth, and finally take up the breakthrough developments of the future to make up for competitors. Can he do that? I do not know. However ...
In the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute. prof. NOT. Zhukovsky completed the first stage of integrated research of reusable launch vehicles (MRKN). The TsAGI specialists have formed proposals for the improvement of the promising system for launching into orbit, developed by the GKNPTs named after M.V. Khrunicheva in cooperation with more than twenty enterprises of the aerospace industry.
It is planned that the new family of MRKN will ensure the removal of payloads weighing from 20 to 60 tons without fields of the first stage fall, which is a qualitatively new step in the domestic rocket production ...
Wait and see.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/221931/
All Articles