Ikar (rocket upper stage)

Ikar rocket stage
country	Russia
Manufacturer	ZSKB progress
First flight	February 9, 1999
Calls	6th
Last flight	November 22, 1999
Data
height	2.56 m
diameter	2.72 m
Takeoff mass	3160 kg
Max thrust	2.94 kN
fuel	UDMH / N 2 O 4

Ikar was a multiple re-ignitable upper stage of the Soyuz rocket, which was used to launch multiple satellites in different orbits. The name comes from Ikarus ( Russian Икар Ikar ).

Development and use

The Franco-Russian consortium Starsem was responsible for the development . The Ikar stage was the drive module of the Russian Kometa-reconnaissance satellites derived (Russian Янтарь.) And was used for civilian purposes to Globalstar - Satellite launch. In 1999, 24 Globalstar satellites were launched into space on six flights, four per flight.

If you include the use as a drive module for the Jantar satellites, variants of the Ikar upper level were used more than 170 times.

Ikar is no longer in production and has been replaced by the new and more powerful Fregat upper level since 2000 . Since 2013, the smaller Volga upper level has also been used, which is technically very similar to Ikar.

technology

The main engine of the upper stage (17D61 of the Melnikov design office) had a thrust of 2.94 kN and 16 control engines in groups of four. Ikar weighs 3160 kg at the start and has an empty weight of 820 kg. It has a length of 2.56 m, a diameter of 2.72 m and a burn time of 600 seconds. UDMH and nitrogen tetroxide are used as fuel . Ikar can be controlled from the control center as well as work autonomously. Ikar can be re-ignited up to 50 times and is therefore also suitable for launching several satellites in different orbits. The Soyuz-U / Ikar combination has a mass of 308 t and a height of 47.285 m.

Web links

• Ikar stage in the Encyclopedia Astronautica (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Eugen Reichl: The rocket type book . 1st edition. 2007, ISBN 978-3-613-02788-6 .
2. ↑ Soyuz User's Manual, Issue 2 - Revision 0, March 2012 (PDF; 5.6 MB), pages 1–4