Space exploration in 2014

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PLANNED RUSSIAN SPACE MISSIONS IN 2014:

2014: The Soyuz rocket to launch a quartet of 700-kilogram 03b satellites from Kourou, French Guiana, into a 8,000-kilometer orbit for 03B Networks. On Dec. 9, 2011, Arianespace announced that 03b Networks has exercised the first of the two options in its contract with Arianespace for an additional launch in 2014 for the O3b Networks’ satellite constellation. By exercising this option, O3b has allocated a total of three launches of 12 satellites to Arianespace, with two prior missions scheduled for 2013.

Early 2014: A Proton rocket to launch Turksat 4B communications satellite from Baikonur. The 3800-kilogram satellite was to be built by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, MELCO, of Tokyo, Japan, based on the company's standard DS2000 comsat platform. The design life of 15-year on orbit service of the satellites will provide telecommunication and direct TV broadcasting services throughout Turkey, as well as in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Turksat 4B will be operated at 50 degrees east position. The agreement for the launch was announced on April 5, 2011.

2014: A Proton rocket to complete the delivery of three Inmarsat-5 satellites from Baikonur. The agreement to launch a trio of satellites on three Proton rockets in 2013-2014 was announced on Aug. 1, 2011. Based on the 702HP Ka-band satellite built by Boeing, Inmarsat-5 was conceived to form the constellation to support Inmarsat’s Global Xpress network. Global Xpress was designed to offer seamless global coverage and deliver unprecedented mobile broadband speeds of up to 50MB/s for users in the government, maritime, enterprise, energy and aeronautical sectors. Inmarsat promised to invest an estimated amount of $1.2 billion in the Global Xpress program, which includes launch costs.

Fourth quarter 2013 - or 2014: An Angara-5 rocket (heavy version) equipped with Briz-M upper stage to fly a test mission from Plesetsk. (As of beginning of 2011. In 2009, the mission was delayed from the second half of 2011; in the middle of 2010, delayed from 2012 to 2013.) As of 2011, the International Launch Services, ILS, a US-based subsidiary of Moscow-based GKNPTs Khrunichev, was requested to market the first Angara-5 mission to potential commercial customers at a discount rate.

June: A Shtil 2.1 submarine-launched rocket to launch a 19-kilogram solar sail demonstrator, along with a constellation of 50 small CubeSat satellites for multi-point and long-duration studies of lower thermosphere of the Earth under QB-50 program into a 330-kilometer orbit, with the inclination 79 degrees toward the Equator. (As of September 2010)

Fall: A Soyuz-2-1B rocket with the Fregat upper stage to launch the Luna-Glob mission into the lunar orbit. During 2009, the launch was promised in 2012. In 2007, the mission was promised as early as 2010-2011, however following an agreement with India on Chandrayaan-2/Luna-Resurs, the mission was lowered in priority, comparing to the international project. (444)

2014: A Rockot to launch the first new-generation Gonets-M1 satellite for the low-orbital communications network.

2014: Russia to launch the first pair of Arktika-M remote-sensing satellites into a highly elliptical 12-hour orbit designed to monitor high-altitude areas of the Earth. The spacecraft is to be based on the Elektro weather-forecasting satellite. (As of December 2010. (442) In 2008, the first Arktika-M was expected to fly in 2013. 299)

2014: Russia to launch a cluster of four Rezonans spacecraft to study a plasma and magnetic field around the Earth. (As of 2009. (388) In 2008, the launch was promised as early as 2012, 299 and in 2013.)

2014: Russia to launch the Strannik plasma-research satellite based on the Karat platform.

2014: A Proton rocket to launch the Science and Power Module, NEM-1, to the ISS. (As of 2008)

2014: Russia to fly a Vozvrat retrievable capsule. (388)

2014: A Soyuz-2 rocket to launch the Intergelio-Zond spacecraft to circle the Sun within 30-40 of its radii (60 radii - according to other sources). (An officially quoted launch date as of 2010.) (434)

Tourist missions onboard Soyuz

During the 2010s, four annual missions of the Soyuz spacecraft had to be conducted every year to rotate crews onboard the International Space Station, ISS. In order to fly additional commercial passengers, the so-called "fifth" or "tourist" Soyuz would be needed during each particular year.

"Tourist" Soyuz promised but continuously delayed

Published: 2008 June 12; updated June 20, July 2; 2009 Jan. 23, May 30; 2010 June 22; 2011 Aug. 26

In 2008, the head of Russian space agency flatly denied an announcement by US businessmen about the possibility of another tourist mission to the ISS.

On June 11, 2008, a private contractor selling seats onboard the Russian Soyuz spacecraft claimed that it would finance a dedicated tourist mission to the International Space Station, ISS, in 2011. The Soyuz flight, carrying one professional cosmonaut and two paid tourists, would be conducted in addition to regular launches financed by the Russian government. In the past, Russian authorities only allowed tourists to take a single seat onboard taxpayers' paid missions, to offset the cost of the cash-strapped Russian space program. However with the station construction nearly completed and its long-duration crew scheduled to increase from three to six, the regular Soyuz missions would have no seats available for paid passengers.

Although popular Western press hailed the latest claims about the dedicated tourist space mission as a new breakthrough in orbital commerce, the head of the Russian space agency, Roskosmos, Anatoly Perminov said he had no information on such plans. In the official statement published on the agency's web site, Perminov said that "there is simply no seats for space tourists." Possibly, he referred to already scheduled missions, rather than a dedicated commercial flight. As of June 12, RKK Energia, a Russian company, which builds and operates the Soyuz spacecraft, neither confirmed or denied claims made by its US-based salesmen. At the very least, the situation indicated a breakdown of communications between the Russian space agency, its main contractor and its overseas sales representatives.

Even if such mission does take place, skeptics believe that "private investors" would still use Russian taxpayers' money to pay for the full infrastructure of the manned space flight, including the spacecraft, its rocket booster, the network of ground control stations and other services. Observers also point out a potential minefield "commercial" missions present for relations between space station partners. Even though Russia does not publicly disclose amounts it charges its private clients for joy rides in space, these rates are apparently lower than those paid by NASA and other space station partners for transporting their crew members to the ISS.

In 2011, Russia plans to conduct four manned missions of the Soyuz spacecraft to the ISS to support permanent occupation of the outpost by rotating international crews. The additional tourist mission would mean five manned launches that year. Currently, Russia conducts two manned missions annually, however in 1980, six piloted Soyuz spacecraft lifted off to support Salyut-6 orbital station.

Commenting on the situation, Yuri Makushenko, Director of Business Development at RKK Energia told RussianSpaceWeb.com that "the door to the fifth (additional) Soyuz launch in 2011 or 2012 is not closed provided necessary funding." Makushenko said that such option was evaluated at RKK Energia, however the project was at the very initial stage and no actual production work on the Soyuz ship for the fifth mission in 2011 had taken place. He explained the contradictory statements by Roskosmos as possible misunderstanding.

Only on July 2, 2008, Roskosmos finally confirmed that an agreement with an unnamed private investor had been reached to start funding the construction of a dedicated spacecraft for a possible tourist mission in 2011. Terms of the agreement with the investor envisioned further tourists flights beyond 2011, the agency said. However in the January 2009 interview, (321) head of Roskosmos Anatoly Perminov, yet again, reiterated that Russian "tourist missions" to the ISS would end in 2009. And yet again, Perminov failed to mention any dedicated private Soyuz missions.

At the May 29, 2009, press-conference at the mission control in Korolev, the head of manned space flight of Roskosmos Aleksei Krasnov said that the construction of the "fifth" Soyuz spacecraft to be launched during a single year, in addition to four scheduled ships for the ISS program, was still under consideration, however it could take place in 2013 the earliest. In June 2010, Krasnov elaborated that the first funding for the construction of the "fifth" ship would be advanced to RKK Energia before the end of the year. He mentioned commercial missions ordered by the Canadian space agency, as one of the potential customers of the additional spacecraft. In April 2011, Perminov confirmed that the "fifth" annual Soyuz could fly for the first time in 2013, adding that Russia could launch five manned missions once every two-three years. However behind the scene Roskosmos officials said that they had been unwilling to spend any federal money on the production of the "tourist" Soyuz and private investors had yet to fund the mission. Still in August 2011, the head of RKK Energia, Vitaly Lopota, told the Interfax new agency that the production of the "fifth" Soyuz had been in the initial stage and it could conduct a tourist mission in 2014.

For missions in 2015 click here

This page is compiled by Anatoly Zak

Last update: December 9, 2011

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Arktika

The Arktika satellite would be based on the Elektro weather-forecasting platform. Credit: Roskosmos

In 2010, the IntergelioZond mission was promised to fly toward the Sun in 2014. Credit: Roskosmos