MOSCOW. July 26 (Interfax-AVN) -The mock-up of the Baikal unified non-expendable booster intended for installation in carrier rockets of the Angara family has passed aerodynamic tests, Yuri Trufanov, deputy director general and chief constructor of the Molnia research and production association, said on Friday.
"The tests conducted by the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute will make it possible to make considerable improvements to flight and technical specifications of the non-expendable booster and the entire system," Trufanov told Interfax-Military News Agency.
Baikal can be used several times, which is among its main peculiarities. According to Trufanov, the conceptual design says Baikal's airframe can be used up to 100 times and its RD-191 engine up to 50 times and more.
"The indices can be reached gradually over several years of operation. Apparently on the initial stage Baikal's engine will be operational for up to 15 flights and their number will grow gradually," Trufanov said.
The RD-191 engine designed by the Energomash research and production association has been put on firing and operational development tests. When they are over, it will be submitted for state tests.
The Khrunchiev space center is the chief developer of the Angara system. Angara is expected to become a universal modular asset for orbiting payload. Heavy rockets of this family will have four Baikal boosters, medium rockets will have two boosters and light rockets will be fitted with one booster.
The cost of research, developments and tests related to Baikal's design is estimated at about USD130m. Half of the expenses will be covered by Molnia.
Molnia is responsible for designing Baikal's reusable section, ground and flight tests of the booster's automatic pilotless landing and cooperation supplies of component parts and sections, namely the wing, empennage, engines and chassis for Baikal's production.
Estimates show that employment of the Baikal booster will by some two or three times cut expenditures required for orbiting payload.
The booster's launch weight is 130.4 tonnes, dry weight is 17.8 tonnes. The length of the booster is 27.1 meters, height is 8.5 meters, wing span is 17.1 meters. The sustainer has a thrust of 196 tonnes, the thrust of the jet engine is five tonnes. Return flight radius mounts up to 410 kilometers. The cruise speed is 490 kilometers per hour and the landing speed is 280 kilometer per hour.
The first flight test of the new booster is to be carried out at the Plesetsk cosmodrome in 2004.