Hazard's stuff

This breathtaking photo was taken next to a space communication facility near Ussuriysk, Russia. The biggest RT-70 radiotelescope has a 70m diameter antenna with an area of 2500 sq. m! The telescope stands over 100m high, can rotate 360 degrees and weights over 24 thousand tons [1] [2]. Impressive gadget :) Sadly, not used nowadays, due to lack of financing and deep space missions.

Europe's space cargo carrier, ATV, after many years of work is finally in orbit. It has a problem with some of the engines, but that shouldn't stop it from reaching International Space Station.

One thing I don't like about Russian Space Agency press releases is that everything has "unique characteristics" and is "superior than western alternatives". Well, it seems European Space Agency suffers from the same problem as well. From ESA's article about successful ATV launch:

"The ATV is also the very first spacecraft in the world designed to conduct automated docking in full compliance with the very tight safety constraints imposed by human spaceflight operations. It features high accuracy navigation systems and a flight software far more complex than that used on Ariane 5."

Well, Russia has been flying Progress spacecraft in fully automatic mode since 1970s. And ESA perfectly knows that. They even have a video of Progress docking on their website. :)

The new Russian imaging satellite, Resurs-DK1, has already been described as being "8x better than West counterparts" to president Putin. Below are links to pictures of Izmir, Turkey, taken by Resurs-DK1, and picture of the same place from Google Earth (most probably from Ikonos satellite). Compare yourself.

Izmir, by Resurs-DK1
Izmir, by Google Earth

I found a nicely done clip about upcoming Fobos-Grunt interplanetary mission (in Russian). Aim of the mission is to get samples of Phobos soil and bring it back to Earth. Mission has been delayed and delayed since 90s, so I'm not sure it will fly in 2009, but its nice to see Russian Federal Space Agency getting better at PR.

Here you can download video of EROS-A satellite launch. It was put into space using mobile Topol missle launcher. Since exactly the same thing would be used if nuclear war started, this video gives you an idea of how the End of the World would look like.

The first modern remote-sensing satellite made in Russia, Monitor-E, has successfully sent first pictures. This is important as right now Russia does not have any remote-sensing satellite capable of transmitting pictures with less than 10m resolution online - in fact, the only satellite capable to send photographs online is almost dead (a Meteor-3M), and its resolution is 35 m. So far high resolution pictures were acquired using satellites designed in 1970s which photographed them to film and returned it in capsules, meaning that one had to wait for several months.

What Soviets couldn't do was done by Americans... a flying N-1 rocket! Though it's a bit smaller :)

Cassini pictures Saturn's satellite

Space Imaging has published their top 10 Earth images taken by Ikonos satellite. Nice stuff.

Donald Mitchell did a great research on images returned from Soviet planetary probes. It seems that most images published in Soviet press were heavily degraded due to poor print handling. Donald managed to get copies of original digital data returned from the probes and reconstructed them.

Soviet press:

Donald Mitchell:


Some of the images returned from Soviet probes, such views from Venera series Venus landers, or IR Mars images returned by Phobos probes, have not been surpassed in quality even today.

The 2004 MN4 asteroid got one of the highest impact risks in history. Right now it is 4 on the Torino scale, meaning that a hit is not unrealistic. The orbit of the asteroid is still not 100% known, subsequent updates will either increase or reduce its impact risk. In any case, if the risk will remain high humanity has about 25 years to prepare until the asteroid comes (and that will result in substantial progress of space technology).

After one year of standing on the launched pad and lots of preparations, the Delta-4 Heavy inaugral launched finally happened. Photographs are here. I must say that it is an impressive sight. :)

ц╓ц▐ц⌠ц■ц│ц▄ ц└ц▐ц▀ц∙ц█ц┘ц▌ц■ц│ц▄ц≤ц▌ц≥ц┼ ц├ц┴ц▄ц≤ц█ "ц╟ц▄ц┘ц⌠ц┘ц┐ц▀ - ц╥ц ц┤ц▄ц▒ц└ ц·ц┘ц▓ц┘ц  ц■ц≥ц⌠ц▒ц·ц┘ц▄ц┘ц■ц┴ц▒". цЁц▀ц∙ц·ц▌ц▐ц≈ц│ц■ц▐, ц▌ц▐ ц└ц▐ц⌠ц■ц│ц■ц▐ц·ц▌ц▐ ц█ц▌ц▐ц┤ц▐ ц┴ц▌ц■ц┘ц▓ц┘ц⌠ц▌ц≥ц┬ ц▀ц│ц└ц▓ц▐ц≈ ц┴ ц┴ц▌ц├ц▐ц▓ц█ц│ц┐ц┴ц┴.

It finally happened. :-) Details and photos here.

ц╘ц  ц├ц▐ц▓ц∙ц█ц│ ц▐ цЁц╣ цЁц▐ц─ц ц▐ц≈. ц╬ц∙ц└ц┘ц⌠ц│ ц│ц▌ц│ц▄ц▐ц┤ц▐ц≈ц≥ц┬ ц╪ц╥ц╜ :)

ц╚ц│ц▀ ц▐ц⌠ц∙ц²ц┘ц⌠ц■ц≈ц▄ц▒ц┘ц■ц⌠ц▒ ц∙ц░ц▓ц│ц≈ц▄ц┘ц▌ц┴ц┘ ц∙ц┤ц▄ц▐ц█ ц■ц│ц▌ц┤ц│ц√ц│:
" ... ц▓ц∙ц▄ц▐ц▌ ц▀ц┴ц▌ц▐ц░ц▄бёц▌ц▀ц┴ ц⌠ ц·бёц▓ц▌ц≥ц█ц┴ ц┴ ц░ц▓ц▐ц ц▓ц│ц·ц▌ц≥ц█ц┴ ц⌡ц■ц▓ц┴ц┬ц│ц█ц┴, ц▀ц▐ц■ц▐ц▓ц≥ц┼ ц░ц┘ц▓ц┘ц█ц│ц■ц≥ц≈ц│ц┘ц■ц⌠ц▒ ц⌠ ц░ц▐ц⌠ц■ц▐ц▒ц▌ц▌ц▐ц┼ ц⌠ц▀ц▐ц▓ц▐ц⌠ц■ц≤ц─ ц█ц┴ц█ц▐ ц├ц▐ц■ц▐ц└ц│ц■ц·ц┴ц▀ц│, ц▀ц│ц√ц└ц≥ц┼ ц⌡ц■ц▓ц┴ц┬ ц▌ц│ ц░ц▄бёц▌ц▀ц┘ ц⌠ц▐ц▐ц■ц≈ц┘ц■ц⌠ц■ц≈ц∙ц┘ц■ ц▐ц└ц▌ц▐ц█ц∙ "ц⌡ц│ц┤ц∙" ц⌡ц│ц┤ц▐ц≈ц▐ц┤ц▐ ц└ц≈ц┴ц┤ц│ц■ц┘ц▄ц▒, ц▀ц▐ц■ц▐ц▓ц≥ц┼ ц▀ц▓ц∙ц■ц┴ц■ ц▐ц⌠ц▌ц▐ц≈ц│ц▌ц┴ц┘ ц▓ц┘ц ц┴ц⌠ц■ц┴ц≈ц▌ц▐ц┤ц▐ ц└ц│ц■ц·ц┴ц▀ц│ ц■ц│ц▌ц┤ц│ц√ц│! "

ц╞ц■ц└ц┘ц▄ц┘ц▌ц┴ц┘ ц⌠ц■ц∙ц░ц┘ц▌ц┘ц┼:
" ц║ ц≈ц≥ц·ц┴ц⌠ц▄ц┴ц■ц┘ц▄ц≤ц▌ц▐ц┼ ц█ц▐ц²ц▌ц▐ц⌠ц■ц┴ ц▌ц│ "цЁц▐ц─ц ц┘" ц▌ц┘ц■ц∙ ц⌠ц▐ц≈ц⌠ц┘ц█. ц╢ц≥ ц■ц▐ц▄ц≤ц▀ц▐ ц▌ц┘ ц░ц│ц└ц│ц┼ - ц▐ц■ц└ц┘ц▄ц┘ц▌ц┴ц┘ ц░ц┘ц▓ц≈ц▐ц┼ ц⌠ц■ц∙ц░ц┘ц▌ц┴ ц░ц▓ц▐ц┴ц⌠ц┬ц▐ц└ц┴ц■ ц░ц▐ ц⌠ц┴ц┤ц▌ц│ц▄ц∙ ц▐ц■ ц°ц▄ц┘ц▀ц■ц▓ц▐ц▄ц┴ц■ц┴ц·ц┘ц⌠ц▀ц▐ц┤ц▐ ц┴ц▌ц■ц┘ц┤ц▓ц│ц■ц▐ц▓ц│. ц╪ц■ц▐ ц■ц│ц▀ц│ц▒ ц┌ц∙ц▄ц≤ц▀ц│ ц⌠ ц▓ц│ц⌠ц■ц≈ц▐ц▓ц▐ц█ ц┬ц▄ц▐ц▓ц┴ц└ц│ ц▌ц│ц■ц▓ц┴ц▒ ц┴ ц└ц≈ц∙ц█ц▒ ц ц│ц░ц│ц▒ц▌ц▌ц≥ц█ц┴ ц°ц▄ц┘ц▀ц■ц▓ц▐ц└ц│ц█ц┴ ц┴ц  ц⌠ц┘ц▓ц┘ц┌ц▓ц│, ц▌ц│ ц▀ц▐ц■ц▐ц▓ц≥ц┘ ц▐ц⌠ц│ц√ц└бёц▌ ц┬ц▄ц▐ц▓ц┴ц└ ц⌠ц┘ц▓ц┘ц┌ц▓ц│. ц╬ц┘ц▓ц┘ц  ц▌ц┘ц┤ц▐ ц■ц┘ц·бёц■ ц■ц▐ц▀, ц░ц▓ц▐ц░ц▐ц▓ц┐ц┴ц▐ц▌ц│ц▄ц≤ц▌ц≥ц┼ ц⌠ц┴ц┤ц▌ц│ц▄ц∙ ц⌠ ц│ц▀ц⌠ц┘ц▄ц┘ц▓ц▐ц█ц┘ц■ц▓ц│. ц╚ц▐ц┤ц└ц│ ц┬ц▄ц▐ц▓ц┴ц⌠ц■ц▐ц┘ ц⌠ц┘ц▓ц┘ц┌ц▓ц▐ ц▌ц│ ц▐ц└ц▌ц▐ц█ ц┴ц  ц°ц▄ц┘ц▀ц■ц▓ц▐ц└ц▐ц≈ ц░ц▐ц▄ц▌ц▐ц⌠ц■ц≤ц─ ц≈ц▐ц⌠ц⌠ц■ц│ц▌ц│ц≈ц▄ц┴ц≈ц│ц┘ц■ц⌠ц▒, ц▌ц│ ц▌бёц█ ц≈ц▐ц ц▌ц┴ц▀ц│ц┘ц■ ц⌠ц▀ц│ц·ц▐ц▀ ц▌ц│ц░ц▓ц▒ц√ц┘ц▌ц┴ц▒. ц╟ц▐ ц°ц■ц▐ц█ц∙ ц⌠ц┴ц┤ц▌ц│ц▄ц∙ ц░ц▓ц▐ц┴ц⌠ц┬ц▐ц└ц┴ц■ ц ц│ц░ц∙ц⌠ц▀ ц▐ц■ц└ц┘ц▄ц┘ц▌ц┴ц▒ ц░ц┘ц▓ц≈ц▐ц┼ ц⌠ц■ц∙ц░ц┘ц▌ц┴. "

Hereе║is a webpage regarding NASA's project to study possibility to use Linux for spaceflight applications. Quite interesting, since some of the reportsе║(circa 2002)е║mentionе║ that a few teams had already chosen Linux as the on-board OS. I'm wondering what is currentе║the status. Also reports contain other interesting stuff, such as what CPUs were used for various NASA projects in the past.

BISER-6 is apparently the newest digital computer subsystem which is used for Russian spacecraft (Proton-M, Angara, TSYKLON-3). It is based on subsystem developed for Zenit rockets and Fregat boosterе║during 1980s. 32-bit architecture compatible with ц╔цЁ ц╪ц╥ц╜ (clone of IBM mainframes), 8 Mhz clock. This isn't so bad, currently the most popular western CPU for space applications is RAD6000 CPU, which runs up to 20 Mhz. Where BISER-6 really lacks is the amount of RAM: 224 Kb compared to 128 MB on RAD6000SC.

Soyuz TMA-5 has successfully docked with ISS. The docking was done in manual mode, as autopilot had turned off due to higher velocity than expected. It is not clear what caused it yet. (More)

Here is a interview with the first person to have seen Buran when it returned to Earth after its first flight - Mig-25 reconaissance laboratory pilot Mahomed Talboev. The Buran computer was flying like a first class pilot and actually Talboev had to use his "air fight" skills in order to "catch" it. Cool stuff.

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New propulsion concept could make 90-day Mars round trip possible.
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Soyuz TMA-5 has been successfully launched, and is enroute to the ISS. Video of the launch can be found here, fast forward to actual action which starts around 17:00. It is the first time I saw that the cosmonauts use "pointy stick" to press buttons on the control the computer. :)
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Here is an interesting article describing evolution of control/interface systems of Soyuz. (More)

Introducing Soyuz On-Board Control Computer: 2x2 KB RAM; 3x16 KB ROM. Everything a rocket scientist would dream about. :) (More)

I found an interesting document with comparison of price per kg to orbit for various space vehicles, including Russian and Chinese ones. (More)

I have placed some videos of the only Buran launch and landing here. Also some nice photographs can be found on buran.ru. Unlike Shuttle, Buran was fully automated - in fact its only flight was done without any crew on-board. You can find Buran vs Shuttle comparison here. It is said to see all this multi-billion $ effort wasted.

UPDATE: For those who may ask why don't we resurrect Buran project, here is a post which explains why it is impossible.
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A nice video of Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne flight which happened a few days ago can be found here. (More)