The space – methane for 25 billion rubles – St. Petersburg and the World

Roscosmos will drive on methane. As the representative of the Russian company, as part of development work “Propulsion launch vehicles” is planned to develop the basic elements of the cruise propulsion systems on the oxygen-carbon fuel. To implement such a plan Roskosmos requested to allocate more than 25 billion rubles for the entire period of research.

Roscosmos decided to return to the old Soviet design. In particular, it is planned to reconstruct the Russian version of the carrier “Zenith” with the engine on methane fuel. Financing development inherent in development work “Propulsion launch vehicles” (ROC) of the Federal Space Program for 2016-2025 years (PCF).

«Originally conceived that methane engines will be equipped with the missile” Phoenix “( Its development is also planned for the project FCP), but later taking into account the situation with the budget decided entirely new rocket to do, and go back to the idea of ​​recreating the Russian “Zenith”, – said one of the drafters of the French Communist Party.

The ability to use methane as the rocket fuel has been studied in the USSR. The Russian theme methane engines were worked Khimki NPO “Energomash”, Voronezh Chemical Automatics Design Bureau and Samara Samara Space “Progress”. In 2012, the NGO “Energomash” was scientific and technical advice on the establishment of a rocket engine running on natural gas, where it was proposed to start development of a twin-engine thrust of 200 tons on fuel “liquid oxygen – liquefied methane».

In 2014, the Central Design Bureau “Progress” has presented its vision of the future of the missile – a promising super-heavy carrier-class, all motors that run on compressed natural gas (CNG). This Samarians justify their choice of methane as fuel the following arguments: “The proposed fuel is a promising, actively developed by other industries, has a wide source of raw materials in comparison with kerosene, and low cost – this is an important point, given the period of creation and the planned period of operation complex, as well as possible (predicted) problems of production of kerosene in 30-50 years ».

In TsSKB already feeling the problem of missile production of kerosene. Rocket “Soyuz”, which make Samara, is now flying on an artificial fuel, because it was originally to create kerosene for these missiles were used only certain grades of oil from specific wells. This is mainly oil Anastasievsko Trinity deposits in the Krasnodar region. But oil wells are being depleted, and kerosene currently used is a mixture of songs that are extracted from several wells. According to experts, the problem is the deficit will only get worse.

In the Central Design Bureau “Progress” considered that the use of CNG engines would “provide a relatively low cost start – 1.5-2 times lower than kerosene engines, high ecological, higher specific characteristics, a single type of engine and fuel “LNG + liquid oxygen”, which greatly simplifies ground infrastructure ».

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