Lin Industries Company Creates New Light Class Booster
Several foreign private companies are currently working on projects for launch vehicles and spacecraft. Thanks to such projects, it is expected that in the future they will be able to press the world leaders in the space industry, as well as help them by taking on some projects. The first Russian private organization to build its own launch vehicle may be the Lin Industries company. In early September, she announced the start of work on her next project called “Taimyr”. Soon appeared news on cooperation with several related organizations, which will help to quickly implement a new project.
The Lin Industries Company is a resident of the Skolkovo Foundation's space cluster and was established to carry out projects in the field of astronautics. Currently, the company's specialists are working on several projects of launch vehicles, spacecraft, etc. So, work is underway on several launch vehicles of the light and ultralight classes, on a satellite constellation for remote sensing of the Earth, etc. At the same time, projects of launch vehicles have the highest priority, since such equipment has great prospects.
According to experts, the volume of the market for light launch vehicles has now reached 0,5-1 billion US dollars, which equals 15-20 launches. At the same time, the number of launches and the volume of this market is constantly growing. For example, in 2013, the 22 launch of light launch vehicles took place, during which 102 spacecraft were launched into orbit. Thus, light launch vehicles launched into orbit half of all satellites launched last year. It is noteworthy that almost two-thirds of the spacecraft, derived from light launch vehicles, belong to the class of nanosatellites and were created on the basis of the CubeSat platform.
To enter the market for commercial launches, Lin Industries, a few months ago, proposed a design for an Adler launch vehicle with a payload of up to 700 kg. It is alleged that with three launches per year, the development and production of this rocket will pay off in three years. With the help of Adler missiles, it is proposed to annually put a mini-satellite, as well as a large number of micro- and nanosatellites into XBUM-3 orbit. In this case, Adler will be able to take at least 4% of the world market for light launch vehicles.
An analysis of the existing market for light launch vehicles showed that, for some tasks, the characteristics of the Adler rocket may be redundant. There is a sense in continuing to reduce payload rockets. In this regard, it was proposed to develop a rocket project with the ability to deliver 5-100 kg to a low near-earth orbit. The start of work on a new project, called “Taimyr”, was announced in early September.
It is reported that there are already agreements with several related organizations involved in the creation of spacecraft. Thus, the development of a rocket with a payload of 5 kg will indeed be justified. Nevertheless, the main model of the Taimyr family will be a rocket with a payload of 100 kg. All other versions of the launch vehicle will be a base model, modified accordingly.
As follows from the published materials, launch vehicles of the Taymyr family will be based on a universal module, which will include fuel tanks and a liquid propellant rocket engine. Such modules with a length of 8,7 m and a diameter of 0,5 m can be used either singly, which will ensure the minimum payload, and in blocks. For example, to deliver 100-kg cargo into orbit, five modules, additionally equipped with a payload compartment, will be combined into one launch vehicle.
The creation of light and ultralight launch vehicles is associated with certain difficulties, due to the small size and limitations of the maximum allowable weight and cost of production. To ensure the required characteristics, specialists from Lin Industries suggest using a number of original solutions in the design of the Taimyr rocket.
According to Alexander Ilyin, the general designer of Lin Industries, the new rocket should receive a liquid-propelled engine with a fuel injection system. The fact is that liquid fuel must be supplied to the combustion chamber under high pressure, for which a special turbopump unit (THA) is usually used. The use of TNA provides the necessary characteristics, but leads to the complexity and appreciation of the entire engine. On the Taimyr family of missiles, it is supposed to supply fuel by creating high pressure in the tanks. This approach requires the creation of high-strength tanks, however, allows almost halve the cost of the liquid engine due to savings on THA.
The Taimyr missiles must receive a new control system developed specifically for them. The developers of the rocket note that at present, most of the launch vehicles use control systems created in the eighties based on the elemental base of the time. These systems have high performance, as well as mastered the production and operation. However, they are too complex and have redundant characteristics for a number of tasks. For example, the fact of launching a micro or nanosatellite into orbit is important for some customers, and a mistake of several tens of kilometers in their launching does not bother them.
Thus, it becomes possible to simplify the control system by reducing the accuracy of the payload in orbit. The overall simplification of the system allows to reduce the requirements for the element base and, as a result, to reduce the cost of production. A. Ilyin notes that the new control system will be approximately 10 times cheaper than the existing ones. A number of original technical solutions will be patented.
The third know-how intended for use in the Taimyr project is fuel. The specialists of Lin Industries decided to use kerosene as a fuel, and hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizer. It was decided to abandon the "traditional" liquid oxygen due to some of its features. The use of a new fuel pair is caused by the desire to reduce the cost of operating the launch vehicle, slightly sacrificing certain characteristics.
Hydrogen peroxide has several advantages over liquid oxygen. Under normal conditions, it is a liquid, so it does not require the use of special equipment that supports the oxidizer in a liquid state and does not allow it to boil off. In addition, hydrogen peroxide has a higher density compared to liquid oxygen, which allows to reduce the size and weight of the rocket structures. Finally, hydrogen peroxide is safer for the environment and maintenance personnel.
On September 9, the Lin Industries Company announced the official start of cooperation with the Rocket Engines Department of the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI). In accordance with the signed agreement, the MAI specialists will be engaged in the development of a new 2,5-3 ton liquid rocket engine designed to use a kerosene-hydrogen peroxide fuel pair. This engine is supposed to be used on Taimyr launch vehicle modules.
17 September, there was news about the signing of an agreement between Lin Industries and Kalibrovsky Zavod LLC. In the future, the Moscow Region enterprise will be engaged in the construction of new light and ultra-light class launch vehicles developed by Lin Industries.
It is assumed that the creation of a new project does not take much time. Tests of the Taimyr rocket are scheduled to begin next summer. The testing ground should be the Kapustin Yar test site. Thus, a number of measures aimed at simplifying and cheapening the project should lead to a reduction in the time frame for its creation. In the absence of serious problems, the first commercial launch of the Taimyr launch vehicle with small satellites on board could take place over the next one and a half to two years.
The development of electronics and space technology has led to the emergence and wide distribution of small satellites of various classes and types. Typically, such a technique is put into orbit as an additional payload to other spacecraft. However, there has been a tendency to create specialized launch vehicles designed specifically for launching small satellites of various classes.
The Taimyr rocket is one of the first domestic developments of its class and therefore is of great interest. In addition, due to the small number of competitors, it has quite large prospects. The real prospects of the new company Lin Industries will be known in the near future: tests of the new rocket will start next summer, and commercial operation may begin in 2016 year.
On the materials of the sites:
http://spacelin.ru/
http://community.sk.ru/
http://i-mash.ru/
http://i.rbc.ru/
http://zoom.cnews.ru/
The Lin Industries Company is a resident of the Skolkovo Foundation's space cluster and was established to carry out projects in the field of astronautics. Currently, the company's specialists are working on several projects of launch vehicles, spacecraft, etc. So, work is underway on several launch vehicles of the light and ultralight classes, on a satellite constellation for remote sensing of the Earth, etc. At the same time, projects of launch vehicles have the highest priority, since such equipment has great prospects.
According to experts, the volume of the market for light launch vehicles has now reached 0,5-1 billion US dollars, which equals 15-20 launches. At the same time, the number of launches and the volume of this market is constantly growing. For example, in 2013, the 22 launch of light launch vehicles took place, during which 102 spacecraft were launched into orbit. Thus, light launch vehicles launched into orbit half of all satellites launched last year. It is noteworthy that almost two-thirds of the spacecraft, derived from light launch vehicles, belong to the class of nanosatellites and were created on the basis of the CubeSat platform.
To enter the market for commercial launches, Lin Industries, a few months ago, proposed a design for an Adler launch vehicle with a payload of up to 700 kg. It is alleged that with three launches per year, the development and production of this rocket will pay off in three years. With the help of Adler missiles, it is proposed to annually put a mini-satellite, as well as a large number of micro- and nanosatellites into XBUM-3 orbit. In this case, Adler will be able to take at least 4% of the world market for light launch vehicles.
An analysis of the existing market for light launch vehicles showed that, for some tasks, the characteristics of the Adler rocket may be redundant. There is a sense in continuing to reduce payload rockets. In this regard, it was proposed to develop a rocket project with the ability to deliver 5-100 kg to a low near-earth orbit. The start of work on a new project, called “Taimyr”, was announced in early September.
It is reported that there are already agreements with several related organizations involved in the creation of spacecraft. Thus, the development of a rocket with a payload of 5 kg will indeed be justified. Nevertheless, the main model of the Taimyr family will be a rocket with a payload of 100 kg. All other versions of the launch vehicle will be a base model, modified accordingly.
As follows from the published materials, launch vehicles of the Taymyr family will be based on a universal module, which will include fuel tanks and a liquid propellant rocket engine. Such modules with a length of 8,7 m and a diameter of 0,5 m can be used either singly, which will ensure the minimum payload, and in blocks. For example, to deliver 100-kg cargo into orbit, five modules, additionally equipped with a payload compartment, will be combined into one launch vehicle.
The creation of light and ultralight launch vehicles is associated with certain difficulties, due to the small size and limitations of the maximum allowable weight and cost of production. To ensure the required characteristics, specialists from Lin Industries suggest using a number of original solutions in the design of the Taimyr rocket.
According to Alexander Ilyin, the general designer of Lin Industries, the new rocket should receive a liquid-propelled engine with a fuel injection system. The fact is that liquid fuel must be supplied to the combustion chamber under high pressure, for which a special turbopump unit (THA) is usually used. The use of TNA provides the necessary characteristics, but leads to the complexity and appreciation of the entire engine. On the Taimyr family of missiles, it is supposed to supply fuel by creating high pressure in the tanks. This approach requires the creation of high-strength tanks, however, allows almost halve the cost of the liquid engine due to savings on THA.
The Taimyr missiles must receive a new control system developed specifically for them. The developers of the rocket note that at present, most of the launch vehicles use control systems created in the eighties based on the elemental base of the time. These systems have high performance, as well as mastered the production and operation. However, they are too complex and have redundant characteristics for a number of tasks. For example, the fact of launching a micro or nanosatellite into orbit is important for some customers, and a mistake of several tens of kilometers in their launching does not bother them.
Thus, it becomes possible to simplify the control system by reducing the accuracy of the payload in orbit. The overall simplification of the system allows to reduce the requirements for the element base and, as a result, to reduce the cost of production. A. Ilyin notes that the new control system will be approximately 10 times cheaper than the existing ones. A number of original technical solutions will be patented.
The third know-how intended for use in the Taimyr project is fuel. The specialists of Lin Industries decided to use kerosene as a fuel, and hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizer. It was decided to abandon the "traditional" liquid oxygen due to some of its features. The use of a new fuel pair is caused by the desire to reduce the cost of operating the launch vehicle, slightly sacrificing certain characteristics.
Hydrogen peroxide has several advantages over liquid oxygen. Under normal conditions, it is a liquid, so it does not require the use of special equipment that supports the oxidizer in a liquid state and does not allow it to boil off. In addition, hydrogen peroxide has a higher density compared to liquid oxygen, which allows to reduce the size and weight of the rocket structures. Finally, hydrogen peroxide is safer for the environment and maintenance personnel.
On September 9, the Lin Industries Company announced the official start of cooperation with the Rocket Engines Department of the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI). In accordance with the signed agreement, the MAI specialists will be engaged in the development of a new 2,5-3 ton liquid rocket engine designed to use a kerosene-hydrogen peroxide fuel pair. This engine is supposed to be used on Taimyr launch vehicle modules.
17 September, there was news about the signing of an agreement between Lin Industries and Kalibrovsky Zavod LLC. In the future, the Moscow Region enterprise will be engaged in the construction of new light and ultra-light class launch vehicles developed by Lin Industries.
It is assumed that the creation of a new project does not take much time. Tests of the Taimyr rocket are scheduled to begin next summer. The testing ground should be the Kapustin Yar test site. Thus, a number of measures aimed at simplifying and cheapening the project should lead to a reduction in the time frame for its creation. In the absence of serious problems, the first commercial launch of the Taimyr launch vehicle with small satellites on board could take place over the next one and a half to two years.
The development of electronics and space technology has led to the emergence and wide distribution of small satellites of various classes and types. Typically, such a technique is put into orbit as an additional payload to other spacecraft. However, there has been a tendency to create specialized launch vehicles designed specifically for launching small satellites of various classes.
The Taimyr rocket is one of the first domestic developments of its class and therefore is of great interest. In addition, due to the small number of competitors, it has quite large prospects. The real prospects of the new company Lin Industries will be known in the near future: tests of the new rocket will start next summer, and commercial operation may begin in 2016 year.
On the materials of the sites:
http://spacelin.ru/
http://community.sk.ru/
http://i-mash.ru/
http://i.rbc.ru/
http://zoom.cnews.ru/
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