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ORIGINS OF SPACE FLIGHT | ||||||||
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Astronomy: a prequel to space flight Over many centuries, the idea of space travel took shape with humanity's improving understanding of the Universe. Before any flying machines could attempt to escape the Earth gravity, generations of astronomers were building a realistic stage for space exploration, while their tools served as the earliest space research instruments. |
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| EARLIEST EXPERIMENTAL SATELLITES | |||||||||
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After millennia of dreams, centuries of scientific research and decades of engineering experimentation, the Space Age has began in 1957 with the launch of the Earth's first artificial satellite. Sputnik: The Soviet satellite project (1946-1958) Sputnik-2: Laika's mission (1957) |
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MANNED
SPACECRAFT |
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"Hot" topics:
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The Soviet Union started human conquest of space sending the first piloted spacecraft into orbit in 1961. Since then, several generations of the transport ships and orbital stations have been developed in the country. Much more ambitious projects of giant orbital settlements, lunar bases and expeditions to Mars have been conceived, but could not be implemented due to tremendous cost. Yet, along with the United States, Russia remained one of two nations in the world sending people in space in the 20th century. HISTORICAL PROJECTS: Reusable spacecraft (Abstract page) Myasishev Project 48: An early Soviet attempt to develop reusable spacecraft Raketoplan/Kosmoplan: Vladimir Chelomei's early attempt to develop reusable and planetary spacecraft The pioneers: The first manned space flight projects, Vostok and Voskhod missions (1946-1966) The
Moon Race: The early Soyuz missions, L1, N-1/L3 programs (1967-1974)
The Martian expedition: Russian plans for the manned expedition to Mars (1960s-1990s) First space stations: Salyut-1-7 (1969-1985) The Almaz military space station program: OPS-1; OPS-2; OPS-3; OPS-4; LKS: Vladimir Chelomei's alternative to Buran (1974-1983) Spiral orbiter | Technical description Buran: Energia-Buran reusable spacecraft program (1974-1993) Mir: The first permanent manned outpost in space (1986-2001) Kliper: A study of a reusable orbiter to replace Soyuz (2000-2006) TKS follow-on: Proposals for a follow-on series to the TKS spacecraft by Khrunichev enterprise (2005-2009) FLYING TODAY: International Space Station: A multinational effort to build human forepost in the Earth orbit PLANS FOR THE FUTURE: OPSEK: A project of a space station to succeed the ISS PTK NP: A program of development of the next-generation manned spacecraft
Retrievable Progress cargo ship Space Exploration Initiative, SEI: A NASA program for a manned lunar base, which could involve international partners, including Russia
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| PLANETARY SPACECRAFT | |||||||||
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INTO
DEEP SPACE
As soon as rockets learned to fly beyond the atmosphere, the spacecraft designers on both sides of the Atlantic drafted the plans for planetary exploration. The Soviet space probes opened race to the Moon, Venus and Mars. The projects of unmanned missions to Mercury and Jupiter were also under consideration in the former USSR.
Plans for unmanned missions to Sun, Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn |
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| MILITARY SPACECRAFT | |||||||||
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IN
THE UNIFORM: Military satellites
An invisible army of military satellites was orbiting Earth since the down of the space era. In fact, the absolute majority of satellites the Soviet Union had launched during its existence served military purposes. Ironically, for several decades, the USSR would not even admit the existence of the military space program in the country. As a result, numerous spacecraft have never been seen or heard of until the last decade of the 20th century. As their US counterparts, the Russian satellites served as spies for the government, as space sentries looking for the incoming missiles, provided secret communications and weather forecasting and scanned surface of the oceans in search for potential targets for the Soviet cruise missiles. In depth:
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COMMERCIAL
AND APPLICATION SPACECRAFT |
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BUSINESS
IN SPACE: Application and commercial satellites
Although most satellites, the Soviet Union developed during its existence, originated as defense-related systems, many of them were slowly making their way into civilian sectors of the Russian economy. While some spacecraft combined their military and civilian roles, a number of satellites was built specifically for civilian purposes. In depth: |
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SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY SPACECRAFT |
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SPACELABS:
Science satellites
A very first satellite the Soviet Union launched in 1957 helped to advance the understanding of the upper atmosphere. Since then, the Russian spacecraft made their contribution in the mankind's understanding of the Universe. The Earth-orbiting satellites studied cosmic radiation, distant objects and physical phenomena in deep space. In depth:
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