MAKS 9A10485

The Multipurpose Aerospace System (MAKS - Mnogocelevaya Aviacionno Kosmicheskaya Sistema) is a two-stage complex consisting of an aircraft carrier (An-225 Mriya - more precisely, based on the An-225, it was planned to develop a new carrier aircraft An-325), on which an orbital plane is installed. An orbital plane can be either manned or unmanned. The An-225 design allows the installation of a cargo container with an external fuel tank with cryogenic fuel components instead of an orbital plane.

In 1981-82 years, NPO Molniya proposed the ACS project consisting of an aircraft carrying a An-124 Ruslan, which played the role of an air-launched cosmodrome, and a two-stage rocket accelerator with a manned OS in the production of a payload. With the advent of An-225 Mriya, the project was finalized and named MAKS (reusable aerospace system). OS with a hanging tank (externally everything looked mouth - OS "sat" on horseback on the fuel tank), starting from the board of "Mriya", could deliver to the near-earth orbit of two cosmonauts and a payload of up to 8 tons. Suspended top- The tank was discharged and burned in the atmosphere. The OS had deflected wing consoles, as in the Spiral. The system is based on ordinary airfields of the 1st class, necessary for MAKS means of refueling fuel components, ground technical and landing complex.

The work on the MAKS project was carried out by OAO NPO Molniya since the completion of OK Buran. In 1988, a draft project in 220 volumes was developed by large cooperation (about 70 enterprises of the aviation and space industry). In support of design technical characteristics, a large volume of experimental and research work on aerodynamics, gas dynamics, strength of structural elements and other areas was carried out.

The full-scale models of the tail part of the orbital plane and an external fuel tank were made. The first copy of the An-225 Mriya base aircraft was flight tested. Practically completed the development of design documentation for the orbital plane and fuel tank. By calculations, the costs will pay back after 1.5 years, and the project itself will yield 8.5 times the profit. This system is unique, no such device is being developed in the world. In addition, MAKS is much cheaper than missiles due to repeated use of a carrier aircraft (up to 100 times), the cost of bringing cargo to a low Earth orbit - about $ 1000 / kg; for comparison: the average cost of excavation is currently about 8000-12 000 dollars / kg, for the conversion DN "Dnepr" - 3500 dollars / kg. The advantages can also be attributed great ecological purity due to the use of less toxic fuel (three-component engine RD-701 kerosene / hydrogen + oxygen).

By once account, to date, about $ 1.5 billion had been spent on developing MAKS at current prices. By another account, about 14 billion dollars [surely rubles not dollars] have already been spent on the project. The MAKS program received a gold medal (with distinction) and a special prize of the Prime Minister of Belgium in 1994 in Brussels at the World Salon of Inventions, Scientific Research and Industrial Innovations "Brussels-Eureka-94".

After the collapse of the USSR, the constructive technological model of the external fuel tank of the Multipurpose Aerospace System (MAKS) remained on the territory of an independent Ukraine, in the workshops of the Yuzhnoye NGO. A few years ago, the Molniya NGO, the head developer of MAKS, financed a unique transportation operation - the delivery of the tank to Russia, to the territory of its subcontractor - the V.Myasishchev Experimental Machine Building Plant. The tank began to interfere with the commercial activities of the EMZ, taking a place on the open area of the LII in the Moscow region of Zhukovsk, where non-cleared machines were stored. In this situation, the former management of the EMZ (former general designer Valery Novikov) first charged Molniya with a bill for the commercial lease of the parking lot. And when Molniya refused to pay it, it could "convince" the military customer of the uselessness of the layout tank. After the "permission" of the military representative, the tank was immediately cut, and 12 tons of pure aluminum (the layout was heavier than the standard tank due to its technological features) were instantly sold out.

(NPO Molniya, a variant of the 2001 model, which participated in 2006 with minor improvements in the competition of the Federal Space Agency for the creation of a manned spacecraft of a new generation within the framework of the Clipper theme, N36 FKP) Aviation -cosmic complex.

Estimates of the lifetime of existing systems for the removal of useful cargoes into the near-earth orbit make it possible to confidently assume a 30-year period of system use. In accordance with the long-term plans for the use of MAKS, there are periodic (every 5 years) capital repairs of MAKS elements (planned repair costs - up to 15% of production costs) and deep modifications (upgrades) of elements (planned modification costs - up to 30% of costs production) 1 time in 10 years of operation. If these measures are implemented, in case of commercial necessity, the total life cycle of MAKS can be brought to 50 years.

The proposed production cycle provides for the construction of 6 serial orbital aircraft, which at a launch rate of 30 per year (16 of them with a booster block and 14 piloted ones) and the estimated life of each aircraft in 100 flights ensures MAKS service life without radical modification up to 40 years.

The technological layout of the tail section of the fuselage of a manned orbital aircraft (version of the OP-P 1994) of the Multipurpose Aerospace System was in the Hall of Static Tests of the NGO Molniya. The layout of the tail section of the plane with vertical tail (keel), fairing of the rotary mechanism of the movable wing consoles and the block of marching engines RD-701 is clearly visible.

The unique three-component, marching engine RD-701 developed by NPO Energomash. The engine operates in two stages: the first is the regime for components kerosene-liquid oxygen-liquid hydrogen, then after the development of kerosene reserves at high altitudes, the most energy-efficient components fuel liquid oxygen-liquid hydrogen. This combination of operating modes achieves optimum engine performance during the entire flight. To date, the RD-701 is the only three-component engine in the world. Characteristics (numerator - work on the first mode, denominator - on the second): thrust, tf - 204.1 / 80.9, specific impulse - 415/460 sec.

A technological model of the first version of the MAKS orbital ship was in the assembly shop of NPO Molniya. Another configuration of the propulsion system in the tail part of the fuselage (three oxygen-hydrogen LRE NC-45 of the development of the Samara NGO Trud with a vacuum thrust of 90 tons each). Another distinguishing feature of this variant is the single-cabin crew cabin - all the subsequent variants were already two-seater.

One of the important features of MAKS is the dynamic-fire separation of the second stage (bundles of the orbital aircraft with an external fuel tank) and the first stage (the An-225 Mriya carrier aircraft) in flight. A large volume of studies of the separation regime carried out allowed us to choose the optimal parameters, which, after patenting, are the exclusive know-how of Molniya.

The full-scale implementation of the MAKS project encountered the following problems:

1. weakness of scientific and, first of all, economic potential of Russia;
2. Inadequate financing of cosmonautics,
3. active counteraction of the "missile lobby"
4. the Ukrainian belonging of the AN-225 carrier aircraft and the associated fears on political instability in Ukraine (even despite the possibility of Mriya "in Russia at the Ulyanovsk Aircraft Production Complex).

In later years, numerous attempts were made to attract extra support - in the mid-1990s, JSC "International- Consortium Multipurpose Aerospace Systems", but with no support from the state for success.

In 2012, the development of the use of MAKS for the highly fashionable and profitable space tourism began. It turned out that there are a lot of rich people in the world.