RSC Energia - Zarya Manned Spacecraft

[archipeppe]

Here is my personal contribution about this interesting, even if unrealized, project of mid-'80s.
It was essentially a Soyuz replacement with an enlarged reentry module (reusable through the exploitation of VKK Buran's TPS) and a small expendeable service module.

 

[flateric]

Excellent!!!

 

[Antonio]

Bravo!

 

[archipeppe]

Many thanks folks!!!

I'm glad that you're appreciated my work....

 

[robunos]

good stuff, who needs Ares, ;D,
can i ask, do you have any more drawings of launch vehicles, like in slide2?,

cheers,
Robin.

 

[archipeppe]

can i ask, do you have any more drawings of launch vehicles, like in slide2?,

You can bet on it....more in future, stay tuned.

 

[CFE]

good stuff, who needs Ares, ;D,

The idea has plenty of concepts that Ares & Orion might be wise to borrow. When it was announced that Orion would be reusable, I thought about a lot of the reusability features on Zarya (braking rockets around the circumference of the spacecraft, ceramic tile TPS, etc.) But now it looks like Orion is going to splash down, and the pressure shells will be expendable.

 

[starviking]

I remember there being a good article on this in Popular Science in the late 90's. Looked like a very interesting project.

Starviking

 

[Michel Van]

Can it be that Zarya is based on much older design ?

According Anatoly Zak, in 1973 the L3M had enlarge Soyuz capsule of 3.7 meter diameter.
that would be same size of Zarya
that enlarge Soyuz capsule give place for 3 man for 14 to 30 days mission time.

source
Anatoly Zak
Russian in space
page 267

 

[archipeppe]

Can it be that Zarya is based on much older design ?

According Anatoly Zak, in 1973 the L3M had enlarge Soyuz capsule of 3.7 meter diameter.
that would be same size of Zarya
that enlarge Soyuz capsule give place for 3 man for 14 to 30 days mission time.

source
Anatoly Zak
Russian in space
page 267

If I remember well the L3M was conceived in the wake of the Soviet Lunar Project....