Samara university’s scientists work on improvement of the space starts

Scientists of the Samara National Research University named after  academician S. P. Korolyov design a project  on the usage of the keep out zone in the adapter section of launch-vehicle upper stage of the carrier rocket "Soyuz" for the organization of  composite nano-satellites  launch CubeSat standart.

Nowadays, nano-satellite launches are made as an additional load to conventional satelllite or salvo launch with the usage of the condensational vehicles – revamp intercontinental ballistic missiles.

At the same time, while placing to a circumterrestrial orbit of the major payload some air volumes in the  adapter section of the launch vehicle upper stage the carrier rocket "Soyuz"  keep empty in which it is possible to place nano-satellites with weight up to 20-30 kg. Besides, by the start  durability the onboard electrical power of the launch-vehicle supply of the carrier rocket is worked out not completely that gives the basic chance in addition to use the remaining energy to support a nano-satellites start.

 One of the problems in the project development is that after removal of the main payload, the orbital step passes into the mode of the uncontrollable motion. At the same time, the  nano-satellites directions are arbitrary. Therefore, it is very important to calculate and choose such program of cubesats, which would provide their safe motion in relation to each other and the missile stages, as well as would not allow too far scattering of the nano-satellites in order to form the initial conditions of the movement in the group flying.

The grant of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) was allocated to the young scientists of the Samara University to solve this problem under the leadership of the assistant of the Interuniversity department of Space Exploration –  PhD student Denis Avaryaskin. The project is planned for two years and assumes the financial support of 450 thousand rubles a year.

This year the scientists of the Samara University plan to develop a general technique of the parameters determination for each nano-satellite departure, which will provide their further safe motion, as well as to develop a program for departure of two nano-satellites.

Simulation of departure of group of nano-satelites from the transitional compartment of the orbital stage of the missile "Soyuz" is planned for 2017, as well as to study of a possibility of carrying out a flight experiment for confirmation of the drawn conclusions.

The project will become a continuation of the subject in which the staff of the Interuniversity department of Space Exploration of the Samara University had been already engaged earlier. Scientists considered the problem of departure of a nano-satelite from a stage of the carrier rocket making uncontrollable motion and determined parameters which can provide safe movement of a cubebsat. The possibility of the accompanying passing to orbit of the nano-satelites was studied for the family of carrier rockets ”Soyuz“ in collaboration with the Space Rocket Centre “Progress”.

As reference

LV "Soyuz" - one of the most reliable and actively used families of carrier rockets in the history of space exploration. Over 1850 successful launches of all types and modifications of this rocket were executed. Since 2012 all manned spacecrafts have delivered to ISS by the rockets "Soyuz".

In 2014 a quarter of all orbital starts in the world were done by "Soyuz" (22 launches from 92; on the second place carrier rockets of the “Long March”  - 15 launches). In 2015 the family of carrier rockets ”Soyuz” executed 17 of 87 launches in the world.

The project  on the usage of the keep out zone in the adapter section of launch-vehicle upper stage of the carrier rocket "Soyuz" for the organization of  composite nano-satellites  launch CubeSat standart is performed at the Samara University in the framework of the strategic academic unit "Space equipment and technologies" (SAE-1).