Just a few weeks ago officials from Roscosmos, Russia’s national space agency, expressed a desire to build an international space station on the moon, with the help of China. Although there were not many details regarding this new project, a few reports suggested that it could include facilities both in orbit around the Moon and on its surface.
Recently, a new revelation has surfaced regarding space exploration on behalf of Russia; however, this one does not seem to be related to building an international space station on the moon. Experts from the Voronezh State Technical University have come up with a full-fledged draft design of an orbital tug used in the case of an ultra-light rocket called BORIS. The tug will be developed solely for the orbital placement of artificial satellites.
The study and the research leading up to this development has been published in the collection of Academic Readings on Cosmonautics which is available at the disposal of RIA Novosti.
“The draft design of a tugboat for orbital placement of artificial satellites proposed for consideration is intended to be used as part of ultra-light launch vehicles,” says the theses of the report of Voronezh specialists.
The tug itself weighs 80 kgs, whereas it must carry 16 kgs of liquid fuel on board. The developers engaged in this study are confirmed that the liquid fuel will be enough to deliver several satellites to different orbits. The main advantage of developing this tug is the possible delivery of satellites, which, compared to the missiles without a tug, seems to gain the upper hand.
On March 22, the Fregat block used in the Soyuz rocket carried 38 satellites to different orbits, and on March 25 – 36 satellites to different points of the same orbit. More news to follow as and when it gets developed.
