CYCLONE-4M LAUNCH VEHICLE: YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW
Yuzhnoye State Design Office
Yuzhnoye State Design Office introduced Cyclone-4M space launch system (SLS) to the global community two years ago, which was developed taking into account accumulated engineering skill of previous Cyclone and Zenit launch vehicles families successful development.
In the initial development stage, Yuzhnoye’s specialists made painstaking hard work to assess the launch service market, to seek the SLS prospective location area also to reduce to a minimum financial expenditures on creating the launch vehicle and launch site, after having analyzed demands and restrictions of potential investors, and worked on various technical and legal issues relating to the stationary space launch system operation.
Almost one-year of intense work have resulted in positive outcomes, Yuzhnoye defined the launch vehicle design corresponding with present-day demands and trends of spacecraft launching space market and enabling the project implementation on a tight schedule and also in conditions of circumscribed budget, all these are the key demands of commercial investors.
Province Nova Scotia (Canada) is absolutely fit for the space rockets launching. Since, there are thousands kilometers of the Atlantic Ocean length outstretched in the east. In addition to this safety factor, Nova Scotia location ensures payloads to be placed into low and medium circular and elliptical near-Earth orbits, including Sun-synchronous orbits. Also, in comparison with the Baikonur Cosmodrome, there is no need to occupy the whole city Baikonur including its population; in comparison with Sea Launch, there is no need to service the launching platform (the launches performed from the launch site are much more lower in cost than the same one made from the sea platform); in comparison with the Vostochny Cosmodrome – there are own sea ports in Ukraine and Canada located nearby companies and location area of the future launch site.
Nova Scotia
It was namely Canada’s aerospace company Maritime Launch Services Ltd (MLS), which became interested and due to the own initiative they intent to realize this ambitious project entirely at expenses of own funds, as well as financial investment involved out from commercial sources.
A number of Canadian, American, and Ukrainian companies are going to join new cooperation on creation the space launch system. Yuzhnoye SDO will be responsible for development, experimental development, and operation of the launch vehicle and related launch site systems and objects. PA Yuzhny Machine-Building Plant (Yuzhmash) will be supplier and manufacturer of the Cyclone-4M launch vehicle for MLS.
Thus, Maritime Launch Services Ltd, which is registered in province Nova Scotia (Canada) commences the implementation of commercial international project – Cyclone-4M SLS in close cooperation with Yuzhnoye SDO and the others companies.
In accordance with assessment given by Yuzhnoye’s specialists, this project implementation will make new workable opportunities for Ukraine, give complementary stimulus for further development of the national space-rocket industry and also facilitate increasing the high-tech and investment sides of Ukraine as a space power.
At the beginning of June, 2019, Gordon Wilson, Minister for Environment in Canadian province Nova Scotia, affirmed to build the spaceport in Canso Hazel Hill by Maritime Launch Services Ltd.
Environmental Assessment Approval
Approval was achieved with some terms, but any of them threaten a project implementation neither with interruption nor with ceasing. According to Steve Matier, President and CEO of MLS, who spoke to SpaceQ, MLS declared “MLS will comply with each of the conditions of the approval and will be working with the Department of Lands and Forestry to complete the Crown Land lease with the goal of a ceremonial groundbreaking at the latter half of the 2019 year. The proposed commercial spaceport will become an economic motive power in the region and will build upon Canada’s heritage in the global space community”.
This approval availability was the most important constituent element to obtain financing.
Recently, Steve Matier made a business visit to Yuzhnoye SDO and Yuzhmash, in order to see the work advance on manufacturing the component parts for the Cyclone-4M launch vehicle. Beside Mr Steve Matier, potential key investor appeared at the meeting.
All representatives of MLS delegation were positively impressed with works advance and also focused their particular attention to new production equipment including 3D-printers and etc., which at the moment are being operated to produce some components for the Cyclone-4M LV.
Technical and engineering solutions are underlaid in the basis of joint commercial Ukrainian-Canadian project by Yuzhnoye’s specialists, these solutions will ensure new Cyclone-4M involvement to the launch service market in a maximally short time, simultaneously with the high quality and reliability level, and competitive cost.
CYCLONE-4M LV FIRST STAGE BLOCK
In the process of Cyclone-4M LV first stage development, we used the tried-and-truetechnologies and also previously successfully utilized for Zenit and Antares projects, these features will make the rocket environmentally friendly and reliable. Ukrainian RD874 engine of the recent Yuzhnoye’s development is employed at first stage.
RD874 is a cluster-type liquid-propelled rocket engine with thrust value of 319 tf (at sea level), it is composed of four RD870 liquid propulsion modules developed by domestic design engineers, based on proven constructive solutions. Yuzhnoye’s engineering specialists provided the possibility for forward cutoff for two of four RD870 engine modules in order to minimise g-loads of first stage in flight.
RD870 engine modules are single-chamber, made according to oxidizing generator afterburning scheme, with turbopump propellant feed system.
Adoption phase: at present, the set of works is being performed to prepare hardware for production operation and subsequent ground development testing of separate engine elements and engine module in whole.
CYCLONE-4M LV SECOND STAGE BLOCK
As second stage, the Cyclone-4 ILV updated third stage operated on high-temperature propellants is used.
Second stage block
RD861K engine is used as Cyclone-4M LV second stage main engine and generates nominal thrust of 7916 tf in vacuum. The open-cycle RD861 engine is bipropellant, single-chamber liquid-propellant rocket engine with turbo-pump-feed system and generator gas injection in diverging part of the nozzle.
RD861K engine is capable of multiple (up to 5) burns in flight, made according to scheme without gas generator afterburning. The turbopump assembly turbine uses oxygen-rich gas as a working fluid generated in gas generator at propellants combustion.
RD861K engine
On August, 2019, two cycles of scheduled hot-fire tests of the medium-class Cyclone-4 LV third stage, which will be adopted as Cyclone-4M LV second stage, were performed.
The RD861K engine structure and technical specifications ensure its five-time ignition in outer space during the payload launching into reference orbit.
The main task of performed hot-fire tests appeared the functional test of RD861K engine pneumohydraulic liquid propellant supply system, thrust vector control system, liquid jet system, as well as, actually, the RD861K engine operation itself, including its five-time ignition, but taking into account various intervals.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/D6rkLbSSSZY
Adoption phase: RD861K engine ground development testing is close to its completion.
PAYLOAD UNIT
Cyclone-4M LV payload unit is an updated and equipped constituent part adopted from the Cyclone-4 LV. High-pressure thermostating system is excluded from the payload unit design, fittings of fastening pyrolocks mounting payload unit to the launch vehicle structure are reinforced, lower face frame in the payload unit adapter is strengthened, and spacecraft adapter (of the latest Yuzhnoye’s development) is used.
This year summer, development tests of payload fairing shells separation-system were successfully performed.
Cyclone-4M LV payload unit
In summary, one must say that the Cyclone-4M SLS as itself comprehends following:
· Orientation to place payload into low near-Earth orbits (includingSun-synchronous orbits and launching to the International Space Station if required);
· Possibility to loft both one spacecrafts and several ones with subsequent deployment of the satellite constellation;
· Advanced two-staged rocket structure based on technical elements and solutions with the high level of development and reliability;
· Possibility of the launch vehicle manufacturing solely by the efforts of Ukrainian companies cooperation.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/wo9a8bvLDgE
Yuzhnoye SDO creates project for space launch system in whole. In addition to the launch vehicle, we develop the project for launch site including related infrastructure, as follows:
- launch complex site;
- processing complex site;
- command center site.
Decision with regard to the project implementation and commencement of the launch site construction activities nearby town of Canso (province Nova Scotia, Canada) will be confirmed soon.
Beginning from the second half of 2022 year, the Cyclone-4M space launch vehicle will provide services in the area of payload delivery with mass up to 5,000 kg into the low near-Earth orbit (600 km). The preliminary price of the launch has been estimated at forty five million dollars. The same price is estimated to deliver payload with mass up to 3,350 kg into the Sun-synchronous orbit (600-800 km).
The Cyclone-4M SLS is a completely commercial project approved by the global space community.
Owing to attraction of international financial resources in order this ambitious project to be implemented, Ukrainian companies in the field of space industry will have the opportunity to conclude new commercial contracts and, besides, SE PA Pavlograd Mechanical Plant (PMZ) will be able at last to increase its work load from manufacturing of experimental hardware on out to subsequent transition to the batch production in amount of 6-8 launch vehicles per year! All that will result in plant facilities renewal, new workplaces, assignments to state budget, and also new benchmark in the Ukrainian space history.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/XBzmrfpqlI0
Mykola Dniprovets
Good job! 👍
