TKS-Based Spacecraft

Encyclopedia : T : TK : TKS : TKS-Based Spacecraft

In March 2005, Khrunichev enterprise, Russia's leading developer of rocket technology and spacecraft, unveiled ambitious plans for the country's participation in the US-led exploration of the Moon. The Moscow-based company proposed a super heavy-lift rocket booster, along with a new generation of partially reusable spacecraft, which could be used to support manned expeditions to the Moon.

Follow-on to the TKS series

In addition to the heavy-lift launch-vehicle, Khrunichev concurrently proposed a new manned spacecraft, loosely based on the company's long-lasting TKS family of space tugs and modules. A partially reusable vehicle could carry up to 6 people -- not coincidentally a full crew of the International Space Station -- but also clearly featured capabilities for deep-space missions. The spacecraft, would put Khrunichev on a collision course with its old-time rival -- RKK Energia -- which earlier proposed Kliper spacecraft with similar capabilities.

The new spacecraft would be launched by a "man-rated" version of the Angara-3 booster, which was designated Angara-A3M.

The interior of the new version of the TKS spacecraft was designed to accommodate as many as six people

Technical specifications of the follow-on to the TKS series of spacecraft:

Liftoff mass 14 tons

Crew 2-6 people

Number of flights 10

Payload to LEO 6,350 kilograms

Payload from orbit 1,870 kg

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.