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April 6, 2021
Preparations for the first launch of the Proton-M launch vehicle, 2001
20 years ago, on April 7, 2001, the first launch of the Proton-M launch vehicle was carried out from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Today it is designed to launch unmanned spacecraft into low-earth orbit and then into outer space. The launch vehicle was developed by the State Space Research and Production Center named after M.V. Khrunichev (part of the Roscosmos State Corporation) and is used to launch Russian federal and foreign commercial spacecraft.
Preparations for the first launch of the Proton-M launch vehicle, 2001
Over the past 20 years of operation, the upgraded Proton-M rocket has confirmed its high reliability along with high performance characteristics. Many systems on Proton-M have been upgraded. For example, the outdated control system, both morally and in terms of element base, was replaced by a more modern one, with a digital on-board computer.
Preparations for the first launch of the Proton-M launch vehicle, 2001
This made it possible for the rocket to maneuver in space during the active phase of the flight, which significantly expands the range of choice of inclination of the reference orbits when delivering satellites to the geostationary orbit. Specialists paid special attention to improving the environmental performance of the carrier.
First launch of the Proton-M launch vehicle, 2001
One of the most important stages of the Proton modernization was the creation of the Briz-M upper stage. The prelaunch preparation of the Briz is autonomous, and in flight it also functions autonomously. "Breeze-M" with a starting weight of 23 tons has its own control system, a propulsion engine capable of starting ten times in zero gravity and its own fuel supply. The first launch of Proton-K with the Briz-M upper stage took place on June 5, 1999, but an accident occurred at the second stage of the carrier. Exactly one year later, the Proton-K launch vehicle with the Briz-M upper stage was launched, and the Horizon-45 satellite was launched into a given orbit.
First launch of the Proton-M launch vehicle, 2001
Lighter and more voluminous nose fairings have been developed for the Proton-M launch vehicle. This makes it possible to significantly increase the volume to accommodate the payload, as well as to carry out group launches of various types of satellites. In addition, the Proton-M has solved the problem of a sharp reduction in the size of the fields allocated for the fall of the spent first stages of the carrier. The reduction in the size of the fields of incidence is carried out by means of a controlled descent of the first stage accelerator onto a platform of limited dimensions. Reducing the size of the drop fields, in turn, makes it easier to find and dispose of the remains of the first stage. It also falls to the ground almost "clean" - the cyclogram of the operation of the first stage engines ensures the complete depletion of components from its tanks. Thus, the environmental performance of the new Russian carrier is significantly improved.
First launch of the Proton-M launch vehicle, 2001
After commissioning in 2001, the rocket went through several stages of modernization. The first stage was implemented in 2004 and ended with the launch of the Intelsat-10 spacecraft weighing 5.6 tons into a geo-transfer orbit. The second stage was completed in 2007 with the launch of the DirectTV-10 satellite weighing 6 tons, the third stage ended in 2008. The fourth stage of modernization is currently being implemented. The first stage of the launch vehicle uses six RD-276 liquid-propellant rocket engines. At the second stage, three RD-0210 and one RD-0211 are installed, on the third - the RD-0212 engine block (consists of the RD-0213 main engine and the RD-0214 steering engine).
First launch of the Proton-M launch vehicle, 2001
The maximum carrying capacity of the Proton-M is 22.4 tons (into a low reference orbit). In combination with the Breeze-M upper stage, the rocket can launch a payload weighing more than 6 tons into a geostationary transfer orbit and up to 3.7 tons into a geostationary orbit.
ROSCOSMOS Press Release: https://www.roscosmos.ru/30620/
Images, Text, Credits: ROSCOSMOS/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.
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