The Proton rocket (Прото́н) (formal designation: UR-500) is a rocket used in an expendable launch system for both commercial and Russian government launches. The first Proton was launched in 1965 and the launch system is still in use as of 2007, which makes it one of the most successful heavy boosters in the history of spaceflight. All Protons are built at the Khrunichev plant in Moscow.^[1] They are transported for launch to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, where they are brought to the launch pad horizontally and then raised into vertical position for launch.^[2] is the 73rd day of the year (74th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // This is a list of spaceflights launched, or scheduled to be launched in 2008, including the next scheduled launch. ... UTC redirects here. ... // This is a list of spaceflights launched, or scheduled to be launched in 2008, including the next scheduled launch. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1768x2265, 643 KB) Delta 2914 launching IUE spacecraft on Jan. ... Khrunichev State Space Scientific Production Center is a Moscow-based producer of space-launch systems. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... Kg redirects here. ... In military aircraft or space exploration, the payload is the carrying capacity of an aircraft or space ship, including as cargo, munitions, scientific instruments or experiments, or external fuel, although internal fuel is usually not included. ... A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit in which objects such as satellites are below intermediate circular orbit (ICO) and far below geostationary orbit, but typically around 350 - 1400 km above the Earths surface. ... A geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) is a Hohmann transfer orbit around the Earth between a low Earth orbit (LEO) and a geostationary orbit (GEO). ... Map showing Baikonurs location in Kazakhstan. ... is the 197th day of the year (198th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... Salyut 6 was a Soviet space station launched on September 29, 1977. ... Salyut 7 was launched on April 19, 1982, the last of the Salyut space station program. ... For other uses, see Mir (disambiguation). ... ISS redirects here. ... Nitrogen tetroxide (or dinitrogen tetroxide) is the chemical compound N2O4. ... Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) (1,1-Dimethylhydrazine) is a hypergolic rocket fuel ingredient, often used in combination with the oxidiser nitrogen tetroxide. ... This article is about vehicles powered by rocket engines. ... An expendable launch system or expendable launch vehicle, ELV, is a single-use launch vehicle usually used to launch a payload into space. ... Khrunichev State Space Scientific Production Center is a Moscow-based producer of space-launch systems. ... Map showing the location of Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan The Baikonur Cosmodrome (Kazakh: Байқоңыр ғарыш айлағы, Bayqoñır ÄŸarış aylağı; Russian: Космодром Байконур, Kosmodrom Baykonur), also called Tyuratam, is the worlds oldest and largest operational space launch facility. ...

The name "Proton" originates from a series of large scientific Proton satellites, which were among the rocket's first payloads. It is also known as the D-1/ D-1e or SL-12/SL-13. Like many Soviet boosters, the name of the recurring payloads became associated with their launchers. Proton was a model of Soviet scientific artificial satellites. ...

Launch capacity to low Earth orbit is about 22 tonnes (44,000 lb). Interplanetary transfer capacity is about 5–6 tonnes (11,000–13,000 lb). Commercial launches are marketed by International Launch Services (ILS). A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit in which objects such as satellites are below intermediate circular orbit (ICO) and far below geostationary orbit, but typically around 350 - 1400 km above the Earths surface. ... This article is about the metric tonne. ... International Launch Services (or ILS)is a partnership between American defense contractor Lockheed Martin, and the Russian firm, Khrunichev, and RSC Energia for the purpose of co-marketing their respective rocket launch services. ...

Comparable rockets: Delta IV — Atlas V — Ariane 5 — Chang Zheng 5 — Angara — Falcon 9 It has been suggested that some sections of this article be split into a new article entitled Delta IV launches. ... Atlas V is a launch vehicle formerly built by Lockheed Martin and now built by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance in Decatur, Alabama. ... Ariane 5 mock-up Ariane 5 is a European expendable launch system designed to deliver satellites into geostationary transfer orbit and to send payloads to Low Earth orbit. ... Designed and developed by China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), Long March 5 (LM-5, CZ-5, or Changzheng 5) is Chinas next generation space launch vehicle family, which would include a range of classes of launch vehicles for different missions. ... The Angara rocket is a planned space-launch vehicle, designed to place heavy payloads into orbit. ... The Falcon 9 is an EELV class launch vehicle planned by SpaceX and scheduled to launch in 2008. ...

History

Proton initially started life as a "super ICBM." It was designed to throw a 10-Megaton (or larger) nuclear warhead over a distance of 13,000 km. It was hugely oversized for an ICBM, and was never used in such a capacity. It was eventually utilized as a space launch vehicle. It was the brainchild of Vladimir Chelomei's design bureau as a foil to Sergei Korolev's N1 booster with the specific intent of sending a two-man Zond craft around the Moon. With the termination of the Saturn V program, Proton became the largest expendable launch system in service until the Energia rocket first flew in 1987 and the U.S. Titan IV in 1989. A Minuteman III missile soars after a test launch. ... A megaton or megatonne is a unit of mass equal to 1,000,000 metric tons, i. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 kilometers (11 mi) above the hypocenter A nuclear weapon derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions of fusion or fission. ... A B61 nuclear bomb in various stages of assembly; the nuclear warhead is the bullet-shaped silver cannister in the middle-left of the photograph. ... A Saturn V launch vehicle sends Apollo 15 on its way to the moon. ... Vladimir Nikolayevich Chelomei (Влади́мир Никола́евич Челоме́й) (June 30, 1914—December 8, 1984) was a Soviet mechanics scientist and rocket engineer. ... Sergei Pavlovich Korolev (Серге́й Па́влович Королёв) (December 30, 1906– January 14, 1966) was the head Soviet rocket engineer and designer during the space race, known only as the chief designer during his lifetime. ... Two N1 Moon rockets appear on the pads at Baikonur Cosmodrome in early July 1969. ... The name Zond (meaning probe in Russian) is the name given to two series of Soviet unmanned space missions from 1964 to 1970 to gather information about nearby planets and test spacecraft. ... For the moon designated Saturn V, see Rhea. ... An expendable launch system or expendable launch vehicle, ELV, is a single-use launch vehicle usually used to launch a payload into space. ... An artists conception of a Soviet Buran space shuttle lifting off atop the Energia booster. ... The Titan IV family (including the IVA and IVB) of space boosters were used by the US Air Force. ...

Between the 1965 first flight and 1970, the Proton experienced dozens of failures. However, once perfected it became one of the most reliable heavy launch vehicles. With a total of about 300 launches, it has a 96% success rate.

Proton launched the unmanned Soviet circumlunar flights, and would very likely have launched the first humans to circle the Moon had the flight of Apollo 8 been conducted as originally planned (i.e. without going to lunar orbit). Proton launched the Salyut space stations, the Mir core segment and expansion modules, and both the Zarya and Zvezda modules of the ISS. It also launched many probes to the Moon, Mars, Venus, and even Halley's Comet (using the 4-stage D-1e version). This article is about Earths moon. ... Apollo 8 was the Apollo space programs second successful manned mission. ... Two bodies with a slight difference in mass orbiting around a common barycenter. ... The Salyut (Russian: Салют, Salute or Firework) program was a series of space stations launched by the Soviet Union in the 1970s. ... For other uses, see Mir (disambiguation). ... Zarya module as seen from STS-88 (NASA) Zarya (meaning sunrise), also known as the Functional Cargo Block or the FGB (the Russian Acronym), was the first module launched of the International Space Station. ... Zvezda service module with a Progress docked on the right and the Zarya FGB docked on the left. ... ISS redirects here. ... Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the solar system, named after the Roman god of war (the counterpart of the Greek Ares), on account of its blood red color as viewed in the night sky. ... (*min temperature refers to cloud tops only) Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 9. ... This article is about the comet. ...

Proton also launches commercial satellites, most of them being managed by International Launch Services. For other uses, see Satellite (disambiguation). ... International Launch Services (or ILS)is a partnership between American defense contractor Lockheed Martin, and the Russian firm, Khrunichev, and RSC Energia for the purpose of co-marketing their respective rocket launch services. ...

On March 1, 2006, a Proton-M rocket failed to launch Arabsat 4A. Following successful first, second, and third stage burns, its upper stage shut down early and failed to place Arabsat 4A into its proper geostationary orbit. An investigation concluded that a foreign particle in the upper stage oxidizer system blocked a pump nozzle, causing the shutdown. After changes were made to resolve the problems, the Proton-M successfully launched the European Hot Bird 8 satellite on August 5, 2006.^[3] On February 19, 2007, the upper stage which failed to bring Arabsat 4A to its correct orbit exploded over Australia after almost a year in space, creating a cloud of space debris.^[4] is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Arab Satellite Communications Organization (often abbreviated as Arabsat or ASCO) is a leading communications satellite operator in the Middle East, headquartered in the city of Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ... Geostationary orbit A geostationary orbit (GEO) is a geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earths equator (0° latitude), with orbital eccentricity of zero. ... Hot Bird or Hotbird is the common name of a family of satellites operated by Eutelsat, located at 13°E over the Equator (orbital position) and with a transmitting footprint over Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. ... is the 217th day of the year (218th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... [[Media:Italic text]]{| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

On September 5, 2007, another Proton-M rocket, this time carrying the JCSAT-11 spacecraft, failed. On this occasion, a wiring fault prevented the first stage from separating from the second stage. A subsequent launch was successful. is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... JSAT Corporation (JSAT) is satellite operator with a fleet 9 satellites in orbit. ...

Proton 8K82K

The (GRAU index) 8K82K version is now usually called "Proton K". It is fuelled by unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide. These are hypergolic fuels which burn on contact, avoiding the need for an ignition system, and can be stored at ambient temperatures. This avoids the need for low-temperature–tolerant components, and allows the rocket to sit on the pad indefinitely (the only other rockets with such capability were the U.S. Titan II, Titan III, and Titan IV rockets). In contrast, cryogenic fuels need periodic topping-up of propellants as they boil off. Hypergols are, however, very corrosive and toxic fuels, requiring special handling by highly trained labor. When the spent first and second stages impact downrange, Russia must pay for cleanup of the residual fuel. Main Agency of Missiles and Artillery of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union (Главное ракетно-артиллерийское управление МО РФ, ГРАУ) is a department of Soviet/Russian Ministry of Defense which is subordinated to the Chief of Armament and Munition of the Armed Forces, vice-minister of defense (начальник вооружения ВС РФ - заместитель Министра обороны РФ). In particular, the GRAU is responsible for assignment... Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) (1,1-Dimethylhydrazine) is a hypergolic rocket fuel ingredient, often used in combination with the oxidiser nitrogen tetroxide. ... Nitrogen tetroxide (or Dinitrogen tetroxide) (N2O4) is a hypergolic propellant often used in combination with a hydrazine-based rocket fuel. ... Hypergolic rocket fuels spontaneously ignite when their two components come into contact with each other. ... Titan II launch vehicle launching Gemini 11 (Sept. ... The Titan IIIC is a space booster used by the United States Air Force. ... The Titan IV family (including the IVA and IVB) of space boosters were used by the US Air Force. ... Cryogenic fuels are fuels that requires storage at extremely low temperatures. ... Corrosion is the destructive reaction of a metal with another material, e. ... Toxic redirects here, but this is also the name of a song by Britney Spears; see Toxic (song) Look up toxic and toxicity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Note that the six structures around the base of the Proton are not strap-on boosters, and do not detach from the core structure. There is a central oxidizer tank, and the six units are outrigger fuel tanks. This entire assembly forms the first stage, which separates as one piece from the second stage at the lattice structure. The Soviet hierarchy requested that Proton components be built in facilities near Moscow, then transported by rail to the final assembly point near the pad. Rail limited the widths to approximately 4.5 meters, hence the diameters of the upper stages. At the assembly hall, the first-stage oxygen tank is loaded into a giant "rotisserie". One outrigger tank/engine assembly is mated, then the assembly is spun 60 degrees to accept the next fuel tank/engine, and so forth. The second stage of a Minuteman III rocket A multistage (or multi-stage) rocket is a rocket that uses two or more stages, each of which contains its own engines and propellant. ...

Outrigger tanks also reduce sloshing, compared to the short, wide fuel and oxidizer tanks that would have been used in a standard tandem configuration. They may also be cheaper to fabricate. They do however raise the specter of uneven fuel consumption and resulting flight instability. This may have been the failure mode of two ill-fated Mars probe attempts.

The first stage uses six RD-253 engines, designed by Valentin Glushko. RD-253 is a single-chamber engine and uses the highly efficient staged combustion cycle. First-stage guidance was open-loop. Though this method is quite simple, it required significant amounts of propellant to be held in reserve. This reduces payload. Valentin Petrovich Glushko (born September 2, 1908 in Odessa, Ukraine, died January 10, 1989) was a Russian engineer and rocketry pioneer. ...

The second stage ignites while still attached to the first stage (a "fire in the hole" event). Exhaust gases escape through the lattice. The forward dome of the first-stage oxidizer tank is insulated to retain integrity until stage separation.

The RD-0210 engine of the third stage consists of a main engine, and four vernier nozzles with common systems. The main engine does not gimbal; instead, the verniers provide steering. The four thrusters also act as separation aids and ullage rockets. Ducts are built into the structure to channel vernier exhaust before stage separation. This is referred to by the builders as "semi-hot fire". The stage's guidance electronics are also in charge of first- and second-stage flight. A gimbal is a mechanical device that allows the rotation of an object in multiple dimensions. ... In rocketry, ullage is the space within a fuel tank but above the liquid fuel. ...

The fourth stage has come in multiple variants, depending on the mission. The simplest, Blok D, was used for interplanetary missions. Blok D had no guidance module, depending on the probe to control flight. Three different Blok DM versions (DM, DM2, and DM-2M) were for high Earth orbits. (Low-Earth orbits often skipped a fourth stage entirely, hence the third stage's self-contained guidance capability.) The Blok D/DM were unusual in that the fuel was stored in a toroidal tank, around the engine and behind the oxidizer tank.

Specific impulse (usually abbreviated Isp) is a way to describe the efficiency of rocket and jet engines. ... Nitrogen tetroxide (or dinitrogen tetroxide) is the chemical compound N2O4. ... Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) (1,1-Dimethylhydrazine) is a hypergolic rocket fuel ingredient, often used in combination with the oxidiser nitrogen tetroxide. ... Main Agency of Missiles and Artillery of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union (Главное ракетно-артиллерийское управление МО РФ, ГРАУ) is a department of Soviet/Russian Ministry of Defense which is subordinated to the Chief of Armament and Munition of the Armed Forces, vice-minister of defense (начальник вооружения ВС РФ - заместитель Министра обороны РФ). In particular, the GRAU is responsible for assignment...

Proton M

The latest version is the Proton M. A Proton M can launch 3 to 3.2 tonnes (6600 to 7050 lb) into geostationary orbit or 5.5 tonnes (12,100 lb) into a geostationary transfer orbit. It can place up to 22 tonnes (48,500 lb) in low Earth orbit with a 51.6-degree inclination, the orbit of the International Space Station (ISS). Geostationary orbit A geostationary orbit (GEO) is a geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earths equator (0° latitude), with orbital eccentricity of zero. ... A geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) is a Hohmann transfer orbit around the Earth between a low Earth orbit (LEO) and a geostationary orbit (GEO). ...

The Proton M's improvements include modifications to the lower stages to reduce structural mass, increase thrust, and fully utilize propellants. By using modern, closed-loop control for the first stage, its propellants could be consumed more completely, increasing performance slightly and reducing release of toxic chemicals in stage impact areas. Generally a Breeze-M storable propellant upper stage is used instead of the Block D or Block DM stage, eliminating the need for multiple fuel supplies and oxygen top-off due to boiling; however, the Proton-M has flown with a Block-DM upper stage, when launching GLONASS spacecraft. The first such launch occurred on 25 December 2007. Efforts were also made to reduce dependency on foreign (usually Ukrainian) component suppliers. The Briz-M, also known as the Proton KM, is a Russian orbit insertion booster stage manufactured by Chelomei and used with the Proton rocket. ... Block D (Блок Д in Russian) is upper stage of rockets used by USSR/Russia. ... GLONASS GLONASS (Russian ГЛОНАСС; ГЛОбальная НАвигационная Спутниковая Система; Globalnaya Navigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema. ... is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

• LEO payload: 21,000 kg to 185 km orbit at 51.6 degrees
• Payload: 2,920 kg to a geosynchronous orbital trajectory.
• Apogee: 40,000 km
• Associated spacecraft: Gorizont, Raduga, Spacebus 3000
• Liftoff thrust: 965,580 kgf 9,469.1 kN
• Total mass: 712,800 kg
• Core diameter: 7.40 m
• Total length: 53.00 m

Gorizont, (Russian: , Horizon) is a series of 35 Russian geosynchronous communication satellites launched between 1978 and 2000. ... Raduga (which literally is Russian for rainbow) can mean: MKB Raduga, a Russian maker of missile systems VBK-Raduga, an unmanned reentry capsule used to return material from the Russian Mir space station. ... KGF is the short form of Kolar Gold Fields in Karnataka. ... The kilonewton, symbol kN, is an SI unit of force. ...

Proton M stages

The Briz-M, also known as the Proton KM, is a Russian orbit insertion booster stage manufactured by Chelomei and used with the Proton rocket. ... KGF is the short form of Kolar Gold Fields in Karnataka. ... Specific impulse (usually abbreviated Isp) is a way to describe the efficiency of rocket and jet engines. ...

Proton-M Enhanced

On 7 July 2007, ILS launched the first Proton Breeze M Enhanced vehicle, which carried the DirecTV-10 satellite into orbit. This was the 326th Proton mission, the 16th Proton Breeze M mission and the 41st ILS Proton mission.^[5] The Proton-M Enhanced features more efficient engines on the first stage, updated avionics, improved tankage and more powerful vernier engines on the Briz-M upper stage, and weight reduction throughout the rocket, including thinner fuel tank walls on the first stage, and use of composite materials on all other stages. is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... DirecTV-10 is a Boeing 702 model satellite which was built for DirecTV at the Boeing Satellite Development Center. ... For other uses, see Weight (disambiguation). ...

Launches

Main article: List of Proton launches

Planned

Image File history File links WikiNews-Logo. ... Wikinews is a free-content news source and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. ... This is a list of launches made by the Proton rocket. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... SES Astra SA, a subsidiary of SES Global, is a Luxembourg-based (in Betzdorf) corporation which owns and operates the Astra series of geostationary satellites, which transmit approximately 1100 analogue and digital television and radio channels via 176 transponders to 91 million households across Europe. ... is the 140th day of the year (141st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... The Nimiq satellites are three Canadian geosynchronous telecommunications satellites used by Bell ExpressVu. ... is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... ACeS is an Asia-specific satellite telecommunications company that operates 2 satellites Garuda 1 launched on February 12, 2000 and Garuda 2 which is a ground spare. ... is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... Eutelsat S.A. is a French-based satellite provider. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 329th day of the year (330th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Astra 1K was a communications satellite manufactured by Alcatel Space for SES Astra. ... is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... The Nimiq satellites are three Canadian geosynchronous telecommunications satellites used by Bell ExpressVu. ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... SES Americom is a major commercial satellite operator based in the United States. ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Eutelsat S.A. is a French-based satellite provider. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Intelsat, Ltd. ... August 5 is the 217th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (218th in leap years), with 148 days remaining. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hispasat is a group of Spanish communication satellites . ... is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Arabsat is a satellite built by Aerospatiale. ... August 5 is the 217th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (218th in leap years), with 148 days remaining. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Eutelsat S.A. is a French-based satellite provider. ... November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... July 7 is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 177 days remaining. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... DirecTV-10 is a Boeing 702 model satellite which was built for DirecTV at the Boeing Satellite Development Center. ... is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... JSAT Corporation (JSAT) is satellite operator with a fleet 9 satellites in orbit. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... SIRIUS is a constellation of geostationary satellites operated by SES SIRIUS operating from 5° East in the Clarke Belt. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (common) era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (common) era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (common) era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (common) era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (common) era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... The following is the assembly sequence of the major components of the International Space Station. ... MLM docked to the ISS The Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) will be a component of the International Space Station funded by the Russian Federal Space Agency. ... Computer model of the ERA at work on the ISS payload mounting units that arm can not be used on the Russian part of the ISS. The ERA project is very international. ...

Future Developments

Significant upgrades were temporarily put on hold following announcement of the new Angara launch vehicle. The single largest upgrade was the KVRB stage. This cryogenic stage would have greatly increased capacity. The engine was developed successfully, and the stage as a whole had progressed to hardware. However, as KVRB is noticeably larger than Blok D, the vehicle's aerodynamics, flight control, software, and possibly electronics would have to be reevaluated. In addition, the launch pad can supply existing Protons with common hypergol fuels from single sources. The upper stages, in particular, are fed by common loading pipes running along the rocket. Switching to a stage with different fuels requires the addition of extra support articles; switching to cryogens requires that such support articles top off the stage periodically. The Angara rocket is a planned space-launch vehicle, designed to place heavy payloads into orbit. ...

Heavy variants of Angara will be simpler and cheaper than Proton (and like the new Atlas V rocket, will not use hypergolics; instead, it will use the same RP-1 fuel as that used on the Soyuz rocket). They will also be designed from the start to accept a KVRB stage, and will already have a LOX supply at the pad; only a hydrogen supply will be called upon. However, delays in Angara development mean that Protons will continue to fly for some time. Atlas V is a launch vehicle formerly built by Lockheed Martin and now built by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance in Decatur, Alabama. ... RP-1 (alternately, Rocket Propellant-1 or Refined Petroleum-1) is a highly refined form of kerosene outwardly similar to jet fuel, used in the United States as a rocket fuel. ... Soyuz rocket on launch pad. ...

See also

• Comparison of heavy lift launch systems

References

International Launch Services (or ILS)is a partnership between American defense contractor Lockheed Martin, and the Russian firm, Khrunichev, and RSC Energia for the purpose of co-marketing their respective rocket launch services. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Khrunichev State Space Scientific Production Center is a Moscow-based producer of space-launch systems. ...

External links

• Proton rocket specifications sheet
• Proton M Debuts With Successful Ekran Launch on April 7, 2001
• Proton 8K82K / Briz-M. Astronautix.

John Barrowman