Russian Secret !!!

[Hafizzz]

Russia Working on Mysterious Space Plane of Its Own
Russia Working on Mysterious Space Plane of Its Own | Danger Room | Wired.com

It’s official: the space race is on again.

54 years after the Soviet Union launched its Sputnik I satellite, sparking the original space race — and 20 years after the USSR’s collapse left America as the sole space superpower — the Russians are back on track. The Kremlin’s military space chief Oleg Ostapenko just announced that Russia is developing a small, maneuverable, reusable space plane to match the U.S. Air Force’s mysterious X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle.

Russian industry has already outlined the craft’s design, Ostapenko said. “As to whether we will use it, only time will tell,” he added coyly.

But it seems unlikely Russia would forgo the opportunity to match the U.S. Air Force’s accomplishment with the X-37B. That craft, a quarter-scale unmanned Space Shuttle first launched in April last year, represents one of the biggest leaps forward in space since, well, Sputnik.

The X-37 can carry anything that will fit in its pickup-truck-bed-size bay. “You can put sensors in there, satellites in there,” said Eric Sterner, from The Marshall Institute. “You could stick munitions in there, provided they exist.” The X-37 can also help repair U.S. satellites or sneak up on and disable enemy sats. Plus, it can stay in orbit for nine months, land like an airplane, then return to orbit just a few weeks later.

The initial X-37 test flight ended in December, flawlessly except for a blown tire. While “OTV 1″ is being prepped for its second flight late in 2011, its twin “OTV 2″ will boost into orbit on March 4, atop a rocket launched from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.

It should come as no surprise that Russia wants its own “X-37ski.” With Sputnik, Moscow beat America into space. But with every major space capability since in recent decades, Washington has led its eastern rival. The U.S. fielded the manned Space Shuttle in 1981. Russia built its own, similar space vehicle, the Buran, but it flew only once, in 1988.

A decade later, America built the Global Positioning Satellite system, allowing precise navigation on Earth. Today, Russia is still struggling to construct its own version of GPS, the so-called “GLONASS.” The last attempt to reinforce the GLONASS constellation failed, when a rocket failed on launch in December, destroying three of the pricey satellites.

Not coincidentally, an X-37ski could help Russia put satellites like the GLONASS craft into orbit more reliably.

It’ll probably be a few years before the Russian X-37 clone takes flight. After all, this is super-cutting-edge technology. By then, the race for nimble military spacecraft could be a three-way competition. Just last week, there were rumors — highly, highly questionable ones — that China is working on an X-37-type vehicle, too.

 

[Mani2020]

Space plane does not belong in Military aviation section ??

but this military aviation section is related to Pakistan ,you should have posted this thread in Military forum under the section of Military and world affairs

 

[nightcrawler]

Space. Space & Space ...Russians always had better Rocket engineering by their side

Here its a great documentary about Soviet Space programme & how their optics [which now are immensely degraded] were top-notch with respect to US standards. Also included are original interviews of Sputnik designers..

http://www.*******.com/file/fQmMm12o/PBS_Nova_-_AstroSpies.html

 

[Chogy]

Space. Space & Space ...Russians always had better Rocket engineering by their side

I disagree. Initially they led, but by the time of the Apollo program, the Soviets were well behind. The entire Apollo program was (by any standards) a huge success. The Soviets had some terrible explosions and loss of life.

Among others, the N1 program was a disaster:
The N-1 Moon Rocket - A brief history

The shuttle had fatalities, but any system that flew as much as it did would statistically carry such a danger.

Since then, 90% of the robotic deep-space work has been U.S. I know some of it is financial, but that's part of any successful program - the finances and organization to back it up.

 

[amalakas]

I disagree. Initially they led, but by the time of the Apollo program, the Soviets were well behind. The entire Apollo program was (by any standards) a huge success. The Soviets had some terrible explosions and loss of life.

Among others, the N1 program was a disaster:
The N-1 Moon Rocket - A brief history

The shuttle had fatalities, but any system that flew as much as it did would statistically carry such a danger.

Since then, 90% of the robotic deep-space work has been U.S. I know some of it is financial, but that's part of any successful program - the finances and organization to back it up.

perhaps, but the russian rocket engines were always better...
look it up, don't take my word for it

 

[mnd]

Among others, the N1 program was a disaster:
The N-1 Moon Rocket - A brief history

The shuttle had fatalities, but any system that flew as much as it did would statistically carry such a danger.

Are you talking about the N1 rockets, wich the US bought from Russia 2 years ago? Those rocket engines had a thrust-to-weight ratio unmached in the history, and by the time the US bought them they were 50 years old, quite a gap... the US simply had nothing similar in performance. Search Taurus II, using russian engines. Those rockets were successful, but there was no longer a need to go with a very costly program like the Moon landing. The Apollo was not that reliable... look at it´s crashes.

In fact the US lagged (and still lags) in some technologies to the USSR, and now Russia. That is, rocket technology, and space station construction. Russian rockets had better thr/wheight, fly further, carry more payload... space station construction methods were attempted to be aquired by the US from Yelstinn´s Russia. But military officials just threatened to kill him for treason. That´s why one of the conditions of the ISS, was that the main modules were to be made by Russia.

You cannot be the best in everything...

 

[Chogy]

perhaps, but the russian rocket engines were always better...
look it up, don't take my word for it

Did you even read my link?

If so, you'll see the NK-15 and variants sucked. I am not disputing that some Russian engines were (and remain) excellent. But a successful program is so much more than having a good engine. The integration of them into a functioning system is the hard part.

In the same way, Russia has some good jet engines, some good airframes, some decent avionics. It's putting them together into a package that optimizes them all that is difficult.

The simple fact is that the Soviet space program has faded dramatically, and you can't say it's all budget. Their GLONASS program has not gone well at all. And when was the last space probe or space telescope launched by Russia that was of any great note?

You cannot be the best in everything...

That doesn't concern me. The U.S. used to be a great nation in ship-building, but not any more. There are dozens of areas where we lag. But Space is not one of them. Our space program has been one of our crown jewels and is a matter of great pride to most Americans. We put men on the moon over 40 years ago. I'd say that's something special.

 

[rockstarIN]

@Chogy, but Russians were only went for space stations? why?

 

[mnd]

Did you even read my link?

If so, you'll see the NK-15 and variants sucked. I am not disputing that some Russian engines were (and remain) excellent. But a successful program is so much more than having a good engine. The integration of them into a functioning system is the hard part.

There was nothing wrong with the engines, not worse than the Apollo, just that the program did not received further funding because it was no longer necessary. US purchase of those rusty engines says it all, and they are old as hell.

The simple fact is that the Soviet space program has faded dramatically, and you can't say it's all budget. Their GLONASS program has not gone well at all. And when was the last space probe or space telescope launched by Russia that was of any great note?

Apart from the completion of the Mir, the GLONASS and the construction of the ISS, nothing. There´s nothing bad about the GLONASS, not in the systems, it was delayed cuz of funding, but currently operational. And check the figures. Russia made last year more space launches than the rest of the world combined, double than the US.

That doesn't concern me. The U.S. used to be a great nation in ship-building, but not any more. There are dozens of areas where we lag. But Space is not one of them. Our space program has been one of our crown jewels and is a matter of great pride to most Americans. We put men on the moon over 40 years ago. I'd say that's something special.

The USSR put the first satellite, US attempted to follow, and the rocket exploded, it was called Kaputnik, it followed with the creation of the first ICBM, the R-7, the first animal in space, and the first man in space. The US Apollo and space program in general was also largely based on German work, look at the general constructor alone.

After the moon, The USSR built the Mir, an achievement unmached by the rest of the world, and the US did nothing notable after that (relatively speaking).

Nobody´s saying the US space program was worse, at the contrary. But we are talking about specific technollogies, like rocket engineering and space stations, were the lag is evident. In the arms race, in fact, US wanted USSR and now Russia to impose a limit on heavy ICBM´s, US could not compete with them, simply because it had´nt the capacity to buld such missiles.

 

[siegecrossbow]

I always thought that the Soviet Space program focused on Space Stations following the Apollo program. They had a lead in that area for a very long time.

 

[somebozo]

ISS today will not be complete without Russian help who mastered putting space stations way long ago! I wish Russia all the best and good luck in persuing its new space age.

 

[Super Falcon]

russian secrets almost not anymore

 

[nightcrawler]

The only American rocket that I really liked [when compared with the Soyuz/Energia Soviet types] is Delta IV Heavy. It has been tested quiet recently with very good results & a very appropriate thrust/payload profile. It really will compete against the Soyuz family

 

[Chogy]

After the moon, The USSR built the Mir, an achievement unmached by the rest of the world, and the US did nothing notable after that (relatively speaking).

Sigh. I'm not arguing against Soviet/Russian technology so much as their organizational skills. You can only blame funding for so much.

Regarding your quote here, you MUST be kidding me. Every week, there is another sci/technology thread announcing some cool discovery from a NASA device, be it space telescope, multiple Mars landers/rovers, landing on asteroids and comets, collecting deep-space dust, fly-by's of Jupiter, Saturn, and pictures from Voyager, the first man-made object to exit the solar system.

I find these to be infinitely more awe-inspiring than how many telecommunication satellites a nation launched.

 

[casual]

3 way race huh?

it's a tough call between usa and china