Proton rocket
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Proton 8K82K | |
 Launch of a Proton rocket |
|
| Fact sheet | |
|---|---|
| Function | Unmanned Launch Vehicle |
| Manufacturer | Khrunichev |
| Country of origin | Soviet Union, Russia |
| Size | |
| Height | 53 m |
| Diameter | 7.4 m |
| Mass | 693,810 kg (3 stage) |
| Stages | 3 or 4 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | 22,000 kg |
| Payload to GTO |
6,000 kg |
| Launch History | |
| Status | Active |
| Launch sites | Baikonur |
| Total launches | 334 |
| Successes | 293 |
| Failures | 41 |
| Maiden flight | July 16, 1965 |
| Notable payloads | Salyut 6, Salyut 7, Mir, ISS components |
| First Stage | |
| Engines | Proton K-1 |
| Thrust | 10,470 kN |
| Burn time | |
| Fuel | N2O4/UDMH |
The Proton rocket (Прото́н) (formal designation: UR-500) is a rocket used in an expendable launch system for both commercial and Russian government launches. The first Proton was launched in 1965 and the launch system is still in use as of 2008, which makes it one of the most successful heavy boosters in the history of spaceflight. All Protons are built at the Khrunichev plant in Moscow.[1] They are transported for launch to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, where they are brought to the launch pad horizontally and then raised into vertical position for launch.[2]
The name "Proton" originates from a series of large scientific Proton satellites, which were among the rocket's first payloads. It is also known as the D-1/ D-1e or SL-12/SL-13. Like many Soviet boosters, the name of the recurring payloads became associated with their launchers.
Launch capacity to low Earth orbit is about 22 tonnes (44,000 lb). Interplanetary transfer capacity is about 5–6 tonnes (11,000–13,000 lb). Commercial launches are marketed by International Launch Services (ILS). In a typical launch of a commercial communications satellite destined for geostationary orbit, a Proton M/Breeze M can place a spacecraft with mass at separation of 9,127 pounds (4,140 kg) into an orbit with an apogee of 35,786 kilometers (22,236 mi), a perigee of 6,257 kilometers (3,888 mi) and an inclination of 19.7°.[3]
Comparable rockets: Delta IV — Atlas V — Ariane 5 — Chang Zheng 5 — Angara — Falcon 9
Contents |
[edit] History
Proton initially started life as a "super ICBM." It was designed to throw a 10-Megaton (or larger) nuclear warhead over a distance of 13,000 km. It was hugely oversized for an ICBM, and was never used in such a capacity. It was eventually utilized as a space launch vehicle. It was the brainchild of Vladimir Chelomei's design bureau as a foil to Sergei Korolev's N1 booster with the specific intent of sending a two-man Zond craft around the Moon. With the termination of the Saturn V program, Proton became the largest expendable launch system in service until the Energia rocket first flew in 1987 and the U.S. Titan IV in 1989.
Between the 1965 first flight and 1970, the Proton experienced dozens of failures. However, once perfected it became one of the most reliable heavy launch vehicles. With a total of about 300 launches, it has a 96% success rate.
Proton launched the unmanned Soviet circumlunar flights, and would very likely have launched the first humans to circle the Moon had the flight of Apollo 8 been conducted as originally planned (i.e. without going to lunar orbit). Proton launched the Salyut space stations, the Mir core segment and expansion modules, and both the Zarya and Zvezda modules of the ISS. It also launched many probes to the Moon, Mars, Venus, and even Halley's Comet (using the 4-stage D-1e version).
Proton also launches commercial satellites, most of them being managed by International Launch Services.
On March 1, 2006, a Proton-M rocket failed to launch Arabsat 4A. Following successful first, second, and third stage burns, its upper stage shut down early and failed to place Arabsat 4A into its proper geostationary orbit. An investigation concluded that a foreign particle in the upper stage oxidizer system blocked a pump nozzle, causing the shutdown. After changes were made to resolve the problems, the Proton-M successfully launched the European Hot Bird 8 satellite on August 5, 2006.[4] On February 19, 2007, the upper stage which failed to bring Arabsat 4A to its correct orbit exploded over Australia after almost a year in space, creating a cloud of space debris.[5]
On September 5, 2007, another Proton-M rocket, this time carrying the JCSAT-11 spacecraft, failed. On this occasion, a wiring fault prevented the first stage from separating from the second stage. A subsequent launch was successful.
[edit] Proton 8K82K
The (GRAU index) 8K82K version is now usually called "Proton K". It is fuelled by unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide. These are hypergolic fuels which burn on contact, avoiding the need for an ignition system, and can be stored at ambient temperatures. This avoids the need for low-temperature–tolerant components, and allows the rocket to sit on the pad indefinitely[citation needed] (the only other liquid-fueled rockets with such capability were the U.S. Titan II, Titan III, and Titan IV rockets). In contrast, cryogenic fuels need periodic topping-up of propellants as they boil off. Hypergols are, however, very corrosive and toxic fuels, requiring special handling by highly trained labor. When the spent first and second stages impact downrange, Russia must pay for cleanup of the residual fuel.
Note that the six structures around the base of the Proton are not strap-on boosters, and do not detach from the core structure. There is a central oxidizer tank, and the six units are outrigger fuel tanks. This entire assembly forms the first stage, which separates as one piece from the second stage at the lattice structure. The Soviet hierarchy requested that Proton components be built in facilities near Moscow, then transported by rail to the final assembly point near the pad. Rail limited the widths to approximately 4.5 meters, hence the diameters of the upper stages. At the assembly hall, the first-stage oxygen tank is loaded into a giant "rotisserie". One outrigger tank/engine assembly is mated, then the assembly is spun 60 degrees to accept the next fuel tank/engine, and so forth.
Outrigger tanks also reduce sloshing, compared to the short, wide fuel and oxidizer tanks that would have been used in a standard tandem configuration. They may also be cheaper to fabricate. They do however raise the specter of uneven fuel consumption and resulting flight instability. This may have been the failure mode of two ill-fated Mars probe attempts.
The first stage uses six RD-253 engines, designed by Valentin Glushko. RD-253 is a single-chamber engine and uses the highly efficient staged combustion cycle. First-stage guidance was open-loop. Though this method is quite simple, it required significant amounts of propellant to be held in reserve. This reduces payload.
The second stage ignites while still attached to the first stage (a "fire in the hole" event). Exhaust gases escape through the lattice. The forward dome of the first-stage oxidizer tank is insulated to retain integrity until stage separation.
The RD-0210 engine of the third stage consists of a main engine, and four vernier nozzles with common systems. The main engine does not gimbal; instead, the verniers provide steering. The four thrusters also act as separation aids and ullage rockets. Ducts are built into the structure to channel vernier exhaust before stage separation. This is referred to by the builders as "semi-hot fire". The stage's guidance electronics are also in charge of first- and second-stage flight.
The fourth stage has come in multiple variants, depending on the mission. The simplest, Blok D, was used for interplanetary missions. Blok D had no guidance module, depending on the probe to control flight. Three different Blok DM versions (DM, DM2, and DM-2M) were for high Earth orbits. (Low-Earth orbits often skipped a fourth stage entirely, hence the third stage's self-contained guidance capability.) The Blok D/DM were unusual in that the fuel was stored in a toroidal tank, around the engine and behind the oxidizer tank.
| Stage Number | 1. Proton K-1 | 2. Proton K-2 | 3. Proton K-3 | 4. Proton 11S824 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Mass | 450,510 kg | 167,828 kg | 50,747 kg | 13,360 kg |
| Empty Mass | 31,100 kg | 11,715 kg | 4,185 kg | 1,800 kg |
| Thrust (vac) | 10,470 kN | 2,399 kN | 630 kN | 83 kN |
| Isp | 316 s (3.10 kN·s/kg) | 327 s (3.21 kN·s/kg) | 325 s (3.19 kN·s/kg) | 346 s (3.39 kN·s/kg) |
| Burn time | 124 s | 206 s | 238 s | 470 s |
| Isp(sl) | 267 s (2.62 kN·s/kg) | 230 s (2.26 kN·s/kg) | ||
| Diameter | 4.15 m | 4.15 m | 4.15 m | 3.70 m |
| Span | 7.40 m | |||
| Length | 21.20 m | 14.00 m | 6.50 m | 5.50 m |
| Propellants | N2O4/UDMH | N2O4/UDMH | N2O4/UDMH | Lox/Kerosene |
| Engines | 6 x RD-253-11D48 | 4 x RD-0210 | 1 xRD-0212 | 1 x RD-58 |
| Other designations | 8S810K (GRAU index) | 8S811K. (GRAU index) | 11S824 (GRAU index); Block D; D-1-e. |
[edit] Proton M
The latest version is the Proton M. A Proton M can launch 3 to 3.2 tonnes (6600 to 7050 lb) into geostationary orbit or 5.5 tonnes (12,100 lb) into a geostationary transfer orbit. It can place up to 22 tonnes (48,500 lb) in low Earth orbit with a 51.6-degree inclination, the orbit of the International Space Station (ISS).
The Proton M's improvements include modifications to the lower stages to reduce structural mass, increase thrust, and fully utilize propellants. By using modern, closed-loop control for the first stage, its propellants could be consumed more completely, increasing performance slightly and reducing release of toxic chemicals in stage impact areas. Generally a Breeze-M storable propellant upper stage is used instead of the Block D or Block DM stage, eliminating the need for multiple fuel supplies and oxygen top-off due to boiling; however, the Proton-M has flown with a Block-DM upper stage, when launching GLONASS spacecraft. The first such launch occurred on 25 December 2007. Efforts were also made to reduce dependency on foreign (usually Ukrainian) component suppliers.
- LEO payload: 21,000 kg to 185 km orbit at 51.6 degrees
- Payload: 2,920 kg to a geosynchronous orbital trajectory.
- Apogee: 40,000 km
- Associated spacecraft: Gorizont, Raduga, Spacebus 3000
- Liftoff thrust: 965,580 kgf 9,469.1 kN
- Total mass: 712,800 kg
- Core diameter: 7.40 m
- Total length: 53.00 m
[edit] Proton M stages
| Stage | Proton KM-1 | Proton K-2 8S811K |
Proton K-3 | Proton KM-4 Briz-M |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Mass | 450,400 kg | 167,828 kg | 50,747 kg | 22,170 kg |
| Empty Mass | 31,000 kg | 11,715 kg | 4,185 kg | 2,370 kg |
| Thrust (vac) | 1,074,000 kgf | 244,652 kgf | 64,260 kgf | 2,000 kgf |
| Isp | 317 s | 327 s | 325 s | 326 s |
| Burn time | 108 s | 206 s | 238 s | 3,000 s |
| Isp(sl) | 285 s | 230 s | 230 s | |
| Diameter | 7.40 m | 4.15 m | 4.15 m | 2.50 m |
| Span | 7.40 m | 4.15 m | 4.15 m | 4.10 m |
| Length | 21.00 m | 14.00 m | 6.50 m | 2.61 m |
| Propellants | N2O4/UDMH | N2O4/UDMH | N2O4/UDMH | N2O4/UDMH |
| Engines | 6 x RD-253-14D14 | 4 x RD-0210 | 1 x RD-0212 | 1 x S5.98M |
| Status | In production | In production | In production | In production |
[edit] Proton-M Enhanced
On 7 July 2007, ILS launched the first Proton Breeze M Enhanced vehicle, which carried the DirecTV-10 satellite into orbit. This was the 326th Proton mission, the 16th Proton Breeze M mission and the 41st ILS Proton mission.[6] The Proton-M Enhanced features more efficient engines on the first stage, updated avionics, improved tankage and more powerful vernier engines on the Briz-M upper stage, and weight reduction throughout the rocket, including thinner fuel tank walls on the first stage, and use of composite materials on all other stages.
[edit] Launches
| Date | Flight | Version | Payload | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 8, 1996 | Proton D1-e | Astra 1F | first commercial flight[7][8] | |
| May 20, 1999 | Proton (Block DM) | Nimiq-1 | Success | |
| February 12, 2000 | Proton (Block 1 DM) | Garuda 1 | Success | |
| April 18, 2000 | Proton-K/DM-2M | Eutelsat SESAT 1 | Success | |
| 2002-11-25 | Proton-K/DM-2M | Astra 1K | Block DM-3 miscommanded, leaving payload in unusable orbit | |
| 30 December 2002 | Proton Breeze M | Nimiq-2 | Success | |
| 7 June 2003 | Proton Breeze M | SES Americom AMC-9 | 300th flight of a Proton[9] | |
| 15 March 2004 | Proton Breeze M | Eutelsat W3A | Success | |
| 16 June 2004 | Proton Breeze M | Intelsat-10 | Success | |
| 5 August 2004 | Proton Breeze M | Hispasat Amazonas | Success | |
| 28 February 2006 | Proton Breeze M | Arabsat-4A | Launch failure[10] | |
| 5 August 2006 | Proton Breeze M | Eutelsat HotBird-8 | Success | |
| 9 November 2006 | Proton Breeze M | Arabsat-4B | Success | |
| 10 April 2007 | Proton Breeze M | Anik F3 | Success | |
| 7 July 2007 | Proton Breeze M Enhanced | DirecTV-10 | First flight of an enhanced Proton M | |
| 5 September 2007 | Proton Breeze M | JCSAT-11 | Failure — Failed to reach orbit due to malfunction of 2nd stage. | |
| 17 November 2007 | Proton Breeze M | Sirius-4 | Success | |
| 28 January 2008 | Proton Breeze M | Ekspress-AM33 | Success | |
| 11 February 2008 | Proton Breeze M | Thor 5 | Success | |
| 15 March 2008 | Proton Breeze M | AMC-14 | Failure - premature shutdown of Briz-M upper stage[11] |
- Planned
| Date | Flight | Payload |
|---|---|---|
| August 2008 | Proton Breeze M | Express-AM44 and Express-MD1 |
| TBD 2008 | Proton Breeze M | Inmarsat 4 F3 |
| TBD 2008 | Proton Breeze M | Nimiq 4 |
| 4th Quarter 2008 | Proton Breeze M | Astra 1M[12] |
| December 2008 | ISS assembly flight 3R | Multipurpose Laboratory Module and European Robotic Arm |
| 1st Quarter 2009 | Proton Breeze M | Ciel-2[13] |
| TBD 2009 | Proton Breeze M | ProtoStar II |
| 2nd Quarter 2009 | Proton Breeze M | Sirius FM 5 |
| TBD 2009 | Proton Breeze M | Nimiq 5 |
| TBD 2009 | Proton Breeze M | MSV-1 |
| TBD 2009 | Proton Breeze M | BADR-5 or Arabsat 5B |
| TBD 2010 | Proton Breeze M | Echostar 14 |
[edit] Future Developments
Significant upgrades were temporarily put on hold following announcement of the new Angara launch vehicle. The single largest upgrade was the KVRB stage. This cryogenic stage would have greatly increased capacity. The engine was developed successfully, and the stage as a whole had progressed to hardware. However, as KVRB is noticeably larger than Blok D, the vehicle's aerodynamics, flight control, software, and possibly electronics would have to be reevaluated. In addition, the launch pad can supply existing Protons with common hypergol fuels from single sources. The upper stages, in particular, are fed by common loading pipes running along the rocket. Switching to a stage with different fuels requires the addition of extra support articles; switching to cryogens requires that such support articles top off the stage periodically.
Heavy variants of Angara will be simpler and cheaper than Proton (and like the new Atlas V rocket, will not use hypergolics; instead, it will use the same RP-1 fuel as that used on the Soyuz rocket). They will also be designed from the start to accept a KVRB stage, and will already have a LOX supply at the pad; only a hydrogen supply will be called upon. However, delays in Angara development mean that Protons will continue to fly for some time.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Proton Fact Sheet. ILS.
- ^ Proton Verticalization, Pad 39, Baikonur. flickr.
- ^ ILS PROTON TO LAUNCH AMC-14 SATELLITE. ILS.
- ^ Status. Proton. Space Flight Now.
- ^ Rocket Explodes. Space (2007-02-21).
- ^ DIRECTV 10. Khrunichev.
- ^ First Commercial Proton Launch. ILS.
- ^ ASTRA 1F. SES Astra.
- ^ 300th Mission Flown by Proton Vehicle. ILS.
- ^ Proton rocket fails in Arab satellite launch. Spaceflight Now.
- ^ Spaceflight Now - Proton rocket suffers launch failure
- ^ SES Launch Schedule. SES.
- ^ SES Launch Schedule. SES.
[edit] External links
- Proton rocket specifications sheet
- Proton M Debuts With Successful Ekran Launch on April 7, 2001
- Proton 8K82K / Briz-M. Astronautix.
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