Soyuz rescue missile
The Soyuz rescue rocket ( SAS ; Russian система аварийного спасения , САС; German emergency rescue system ) is a safety system that every manned Soyuz spacecraft - rocket combination has. It enables rescue during the launch phase by flying the spaceship with the cosmonauts out of the danger zone.
construction
The system consists of an electronic monitoring system and a complex of solid fuel rockets attached to the tip of the Soyuz . Initially, missiles with twelve, from Soyuz-TM an approximately 60 kg lighter system with only four nozzles and four additional smaller nozzles were used. In addition to the first draft (11D828), the version for Soyuz-T, -TM- and -TMA also used a second set of rockets, which, when ignited, served as a stabilizing mass on the launch table for additional safety and at a great height. This enabled the main and not only the reserve parachute of the spaceship to be used during landing. The rescue system is activated 15 minutes before take-off.
In the event of a false start, the rockets are ignited and carry the orbital and landing module with the cosmonauts out of the danger zone within a very short time while the service module is blown off. The rockets burn for two to six seconds and the total thrust is around 800 kN. The rocket accelerates the orbital and landing module as well as the payload fairing by a speed of 50 to 150 m / s and then drops about 1.5 km from the launch site (if the launch is aborted from the launch pad). This system also includes the four conspicuous rectangular components on the sides of the payload fairing. These grid fins are used for aerodynamic stabilization. Small solid rockets at the extreme tip serve to separate the payload fairing from the spaceship. During a normal take-off, the rescue system's rocket system is dropped around 160 seconds after take-off, while the electronic monitoring system remains active and initiates an automatic landing in an emergency.
| commitment | The internal term | Length × diameter | Takeoff mass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soyuz 1-11 | 11D828 | 4.2 mx 1.915 m | 1475 kg |
| Soyuz 12-40 | 11D828M | 4.2 mx 1.915 m | 1580 kg |
| Zond | 5.94 mx 1.4 m | 2070 kg | |
| Soyuz T | 11D855 | 6.0 m × 1.4 m | 1297 kg |
| Soyuz ™ / TMA | 11D855M | 6.68 m × 1.42 m | 1975 kg |
history
Development of the system began in 1963, some time after development of the Soyuz rocket began. The first tests of the rescue system took place in 1966 and 1967. The rescue system was later revised for the Soyuz-T and Soyuz-TM spaceships.
After an unsuccessful attempt to launch the second test model of a Soyuz-A spaceship on December 14, 1966, the SAS ignited unplanned while the rocket was still in the launch frame. Although the Soyuz test model was rescued, at least one technician was killed in the explosion of the fully fueled rocket. See also Kosmos 133 .
During the flight of Soyuz 18-1 on April 5, 1975, the rescue rocket was not used because the problems did not occur until 288 seconds after take-off and it had already blown off. The SAS electronic monitoring system separated the spacecraft from the third stage, separated the landing capsule and initiated the landing. The crew was exposed to loads of 20 to 26g. The landing then took place in China.
On September 27, 1983, a Soyuz U exploded directly on the launch table, and the rescue system rescued the crew of the Soyuz T-10-1 spacecraft just a few seconds from the explosion.
The third successful use of the system took place on October 11, 2018, when the Soyuz MS-10 started malfunctioning, which shut down the second stage. The rescue system activated about 119 s after take-off, after which the landing module landed safely in the Kazakh steppe.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Russianspaceweb: Emergency escape system of the Soyuz spacecraft (English)
- ^ A b c Matthew Bodner: Soyuz demonstrates finesse in flight and failure. spacenews.com, October 11, 2018, accessed December 17, 2019 .
- ↑ Jeff Faust: Soyuz launch to ISS aborted after booster failure; crew safe. spacenews.com, October 11, 2018, accessed December 17, 2019 .
Web links
- Russianspaceweb: Emergency escape system of the Soyuz spacecraft (English)
- Forum post with pictures of the versions
- Schans na spasenije (article with a graphic representation of the Soyuz rescue system; Russian)
- Documentation with recordings of the Soyuz-T-10-1 accident and tests of the SAS (video, Russian)