"Phoenix" Super-heavy Rocket

The 2015 version of the project "Phoenix" would enable a superheavy booster during the second half of the 2020s. The RcF kicked out of the PCF 15 in April 2016, given the required 2.4 trillion rubles. Flight tests of the superheavy booster were still planned for the second half of the 2020s, in the base case of the PCF of 2.85 trillion rubles from 2014 to the launch year.

Then the project (even before the budget cuts) - redesigned the superheavy booster with a requirement for 200 tons of payload into a circular orbit of 200 km of the Earth. But such a design instantly dragged the superheavy boster, even with the baseline funding, into the 2030s because it was just too expensive.

In essence, "Phoenix" is the basis for a modular carrier rocket. It is based on the experience of the "Zenith" in roughly the same range of payloads (up to one-third more). The original ILV-based plan was for "Phoenix", whose flight tests will begin in the 2023-2025 years, the increased "Zenith" with a payload within 17-20 tonnes which will fly from the launch pads of "Zenith" and "Sea Launch".

It promised to be cheap. Very cheap. It will cost in the face of the whole project of 30 billion Rubles (7+ billion. Dollars), to first flight. At launch it would cost the state about $ 30-35 million for the first launches, and leave the state at a price to the level of "Proton" ($16-20 mln.). Anyway, it's not a superheavy with especially large diameter, so a whole new building would not be required, as it could use the current facilities. A vertical MIC under the modular superheavy booster is not needed.

The heavy modification has 5 URMs on the basis of the first original stage. There are no options that need a new upper stage under heavy loads (or preferably a new RB, because at Phoenix with three starting RB still be weighted). Perhaps even hydrogen third stage will be as RB. But the first modification with kerosene / oxygen will fly based on the experience of the Angara-A5V.

Roscosmos postponed the launch of super-heavy rocket to the Moon to 2035. The estimated first manned flight to the moon Russian super-heavy carrier rocket from the Baikonur East shifted by five years - from 2030 to 2035, follows from the presentation of the project of the Federal Space Program 2016-2025, presented "Roskosmos" to journalists on 20 January 2016, reports "Interfax-AVN ". According to an earlier version of FCP is calculated from the budget of about 2 trillion rubles, creating a "rocket key components and technologies of super-heavy class" was to ensure the possibility of manned flights to the moon by 2030.

The new draft of the PCF with a budget of 1.4 trillion rubles, the foundation for a manned flight to the Earth's satellite will be created only after 2035. The economic situation has forced Roskosmos also abandon plans to develop a missile system to return the first stage, which was to be developed by an analog-owned company SpaceX Elon Musk. The project cost is approximately 12.5 billion rubles, said the "Notepad".

Provision of state policy in the field of space activities on the basis of the formation and maintenance of the required composition of the constellation of spacecraft, ensuring the provision of services for the socio-economic sphere, science and international cooperation, including in order to protect the population and territories from emergency situations at-native and man-made disasters, as well as the implementation of the manned program, the creation of launch vehicles and equipment, creation of scientific and technical groundwork for promising space systems. Stage I - 2016-2020 A, II stage - 2021-2025 years.

Launching with 5 RB in the first stage of the ridges close to 2000 tons and the payload will reach the level of 70-75 tons, maybe a little more. Launch pad to make a single, both with "Angara", all versions can take off from the same table. Except for the light, for longitudinal "Phoenix", without hinged blocks fly except heavy platform even with the "zenitovskih".

Tentatively, the flights of the top two versions will start at the end of the 2020s years, somewhere in 2027-2029, when will build a new launch pad, prepare the infrastructure and so on. They would be introduced almost simultaneously, depending on the infrastructure, which has been built for the basic version of "Phoenix".

The most severe modification that will that specially for the lunar program, and use in the usual order would be extremely rare. Modular modification "Phoenix" with six launching boosters (Reinforced central +5 attached ("hinged"), and forced the third stage of the hydrogen with the new engines to increase the throw-weight. In this case, the starting weight will come close to the values ??thereof at the "H-1F" / "Energy" (about 2800-3000 tons), and the payload can be raised to the level of 100-105 tons. More on the basis of the modified design of "Zenith" not particularly vybesh (six hinged boosters will, to put it mildly, be difficult), and it is not necessary. After that, better to concentrate on the development of a large superheavy boooster for the Martian program rather slowly, and doing it with the view of entering the flight tests have 2040s. Anyway, a superheavy of 105 tonnes is enough. The first flight of the modification was put in the years 2031-2032.

The "Phoenix" Launcher was proposed instead of the abandoned "Rus-M" and other modular heavy-duty vehicles, as long as it does not have a monolithic superheavy large diameter tanks. And it really is not needed. Modular even cheaper is because the basic version stamped will be heavy with three blocks once or twice a year, with heavy satellites, even without the commercial contracts.

And the heavy version of the application will find 75 tons of payload is more adequate to be used not only for manned flights to the moon. The heavy version of "Phoenix" with 75 tonnes + payload or 50-55 tonnes to the GSO, it is logical that they want to place there the orbital radar, electronic warfare, or complex, or something with a laser on board that will interfere with other satellites, knocking them out or or turning their momentum transfer. Or maybe all together.

At 150 meters in height, the size of a healthy frigate, to place 200+ tons into orbit - would be of no use to anyone, and even to fly to the moon is useful only to the beginning of 2040s when there will grow something bigger base to visit two of the crew of 3-4 people. The point of having it in the first half of the 2030s will not be simple. Or will sell if the United States launches for Mars program.

Flight tests of Russia’s new medium-class carrier rocket, Phoenix, from the Angara launch pad at Vostochny may start in 2034, March 2017 documentation indicated.