Fwd: Geared to the Moon

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Date: September 8, 2013 3:50:52 PM GMT-06:00
To: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Subject: FW: Geared to the Moon

 

 

 

Geared to the Moon

08.09.2013 ::

 

     In the Moscow suburb of Khimki in the NGO "Energomash" gather new generation of engines for missiles "Union" and "Zenith". History of NPO "Energomash" is inextricably linked with the name of its creator - Academician VP Glushko, who recently turned to 105 years.

     September. Midnight Moscow time. Baikonur Cosmodrome. The launching of the "Zenith" with the spacecraft, "Amos-4."

     The most important and probably the brightest part in this case, the motors that make for NPO "Energomash" Academician Glushko.

     In the next two hours this room trespassing. No one should interfere with the birth of the heart missiles. Near the programmer and precision equipment. Technics microns welds block gazovoda.

     "We are making motors that make the most thankless and hard work - they tear off a rocket from the ground against the force of gravity," - says the chief designer of NPO "Energomash" Vladimir Chvanov.

     Here they say that no one technique will not work without a heart, an ardent motor. For more than 80 years of development and design office "Energomash" develops and produces a flaming engine.

     "Here's the engine - the engine of the German V-2 rocket. According to the German drawings has been recreated from the beginning to the end ", - says Vladimir Chvanov.

     On his way to design engines for our first of R-1, R-2, R-5. Only now they had a range of small - about 1,000 kilometers. With this power of the cosmos could only dream of.

     Therefore, the creator of "Energomash" famous designer Valentin Glushko, together with engineers nights poring over the drawings. To come up with a new one, and most importantly, super-powerful engine that would wrest mankind from the bondage of gravity.

     "It ED-40, an experimental engine with a thrust of 7 tons. It has an internal fire wall is made of a copper-bronze alloy "- continues to tell Vladimir Chvanov.

     From this emerged the engine RD-107. The engine, which raised into space the first satellite and the first cosmonaut. He also glorified "Energomash" for all the world as a company where they make the most powerful and reliable engines for space.

     From scratch to build a rocket engine requires one and a half years. The work is distributed among the departments.Some of them do different parts of the future motor.

     This device is a powerful water knife. Under the pressure of six thousand atmospheres thin jet of water cuts the workpiece of the strongest materials. Tried to grind out of steel bars even human portraits. As an experiment. However, particularly at the time of such delights not.

     "It uses a coordinate measuring machine that is working in the 3D model automatically controls manufactured parts.We are getting ready for output only protocol that confirms the quality of manufactured parts, "- says the Deputy Executive Director for Quality Vladimir Kwak.

     Soldering components is a few hours at a temperature of 1000 degrees. Again, check for quality. Then the parts are collected in units and sets the engine of the future. Complex units and generators gazovodov acquire their shape.

     "This is a collection entire processing chain of manufacturing components and assemblies. Manufactured item, machined, milled tested ", - says the head of the assembly and welding shop Basil Tcharykov.

     Important operation - Check the combustion chamber, Is there any flaws inside after welding and soldering. As a medical check-up, the patient - machinery. Each minus - a reason to withdraw the item from the stream. Later everything produced in the workshops, were brought to the main assembly hall - the heart of "Energomash." Here, in sterile conditions, collected by the engines.

     "Here we collect the engines now for three missiles - is rocket" Zenit ", RD - 171M, rocket" Atlas ", RD-180 engine and the Russian carrier rocket" Angara ", the RD-191. In particular, we are engaged in the modernization of engines for the carrier rocket "Soyuz", - says deputy chief designer for Science Peter Liovochkin.

     Designers say "union" engine will be simpler, easier, and will be adapted to the particular rocket.

After the final assembly of engines tested on the bench. Motor cycle to go through the work to be performed in flight. It is only then it is sent missilemen.

     The plant understand that the current production of rocket engines - it's still a tactical problem. But the development of new, advanced models have a strategy.

     "The first time we set sights on milestone of 1,000 tons of thrust. Today, the RD-171M provides 800 tons in the void, today engine RD-175 will provide 1,000 tons of thrust, while he will be fully fit in the compartment of the existing missile "Zenit" - says Peter Liovochkin.

     Today, a more powerful rocket engine in the prior art is difficult. Output: a new fuel or implement, or to seek a breakthrough solution, technical leap.

     "Technical leap - the so-called detonation combustion, which will allow us to oxygen-kerosene engines for specific impulse approaching the best on the characteristics of the oxygen-hydrogen engines. Today gas escape velocity of the nozzle of our motors 3000 meters per second. Increase this rate - that is the task to fly farther, or verbose "- continues Peter Liovochkin.

     The implementation of this method will increase the engine power by a quarter. Perhaps it is for the new engines of Khimki go expedition of humans to other planets.

 

Roskosmos TV studio

 

 

===============================================================