Dnepr rocket

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Dnepr (Dnipro/Konversiya)

Fact sheet
Function	Orbital carrier rocket
Manufacturer	Yuzhny Machine-Building Plant
Country of origin	Ukraine
Size
Height	34.3 m (112.5 ft)
Diameter	3 m (9.8 ft)
Mass	211,000 kg (465,000 lb)
Stages	3 (4 or 5 with SpaceTug upper stages)
	Capacity
Payload to LEO	4,500 kg (9,900 lb)
Payload to ISS	3,200 kg (7,000 lb)
Payload to TLI	550 kg (with ST-1)
Launch History
Status	Active
Launch Sites	LC-109, Baikonur Yasny
Total launches	7
Successes	6
Failures	1
Maiden flight	21 April 1999
First Stage
Engines	1 RD-264
Thrust	4,520 kN (1,016,130 lbf)
Specific Impulse	318 sec
Burn time	130 seconds
Fuel	N2O4/UDMH
Second Stage
Engines	1 RD-0255
Thrust	755 kN (169,730 lbf)
Specific Impulse	340 sec
Burn time	190 seconds
Fuel	N2O4/UDMH
Third Stage
Engines	1 RD-869
Thrust	18.6 kN (4,181 lbf)
Specific Impulse	317 sec
Burn time	1,000 seconds
Fuel	N2O4/UDMH
Fourth Stage - SpaceTug 1 (ST-1) (Optional)
Engines	1 Solid
Thrust	TBC
Burn time	TBC
Fuel	Solid
Fifth Stage - SpaceTug 3 (ST-3) (Optional, May be flown as stage 4 without ST-1)
Engines	1 Liquid (TBC)
Thrust	TBC
Burn time	TBC
Fuel	N2O4/UDMH

The Dnepr space launch vehicle (Ukrainian: Дніпро, Dnipro; Russian: Днепр, Dnepr, named after the Dnieper River), is a converted ICBM used for launching artificial satellites into orbit, operated by launch service provider ISC Kosmotras (established in 1997). The Dnepr is based on the R-36MUTTH ICBM -- called the SS-18 Satan by NATO -- designed by the Yuzhnoe Design Bureau in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine. The Dnepr is three-stage launch vehicle that uses storable toxic liquid propellants. The launch vehicles used for satellite launches are withdrawn from service with the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces and stored for commercial use. A group of 150 ICBMs can be converted for use and are available until 2020. The Dnepr can be launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan and a newly created Cosmodrome at the Yasny launch base (Dombarovsky), in the Orenburg region of Russia.

On March 27, 2007 the Itar-Tass news agency reported that an official at Baikonur Cosmodrome said the next Dnepr launch, "may be postponed for technical reasons" until April.^[1]

Contents 1 Performance 2 Launch history 2.1 Launch failure 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Performance

The Dnepr launch vehicle has only a small number of modifications compared to the R-36M ICBM in service. The main difference is the payload adapter located the space head module and modified flight-control unit. This baseline version can lift 3,600 kg into a 300-km low earth orbit at an inclination of 50.6°, or 2,300 kg to a 300-km sun-synchronous orbit at an inclination of 98.0°. On a typical mission the Dnepr deploys a larger main payload and a secondary payload of Miniaturized satellites and CubeSats. A number of Space Tugs are under development which will be placed inside the space head module, thereby sacrificing volume and payload but enabling orbits requiring more energy, including planetary escape orbits.

[edit] Launch history

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Before the Dnepr entered commercial service it was in service with the Strategic Rocket Forces which launched the ICBM version over 160 times with a reliability of 97%. The rocket has been used seven times for commercial purposes with a single failure.

Flight	Date	Payload	Orbit	Site
1	April 21, 1999	UoSAT -12	650km circular LEO at 65˚ inclination	Baikonur
2	September 26, 2000	MegSat-1 (Spain)/UniSat (Italy)/TiungSat-1 (Malaysia)/ SaudiSat-1A & SaudiSat 1B (Saudi Arabia)	650km circular LEO at 65˚ inclination	Baikonur
3	December 20, 2002	LatinSat 1 & LatinSat 2 (Argentina)/SaudiSat-1S (Saudi Arabia)/UniSat 2 (Italy)/Rubin 2 (Germany)	650km circular LEO at 65˚ inclination	Biakonur
4	June 29, 2004	Demeter (France)/ Saudicomsat-1, Saudicomsat 2 & Saudisat 2 (Saudi Arabia)/ LatinSat C & LatinSat D (Argentina)/ Unisat-3 (Italy)/ Amsat Echo (USA)	700km × 850km Sun-synchronic orbit at 98˚ inclination	Baikonur
5	August 24, 2005	OICETS & INDEX (Japan)	600km × 50km Sun-synchronic orbit at 98˚ inclination	Baikonur
6	July 12, 2006	Genesis I (USA)	560km circular LEO at 65˚ inclination	Yasny
7	July 26, 2006	BelKA (Belarus)/ UniSat-4 & PiCPoT (Italy)/ Baumanets ( Russia)/ AeroCube-1, CP1, CP2, ICEcube-1, ICEcube-2, ION, KUTESat, Merope, Rincon 1, Voyager & SACRED (USA)/HAUSAT-1 (South Korea)/Ncube-1 (Norway)/SEEDS (Japan)	failed to reach orbit	Baikonur
8	February 27, 2007	TerraSAR-X [1]	planned	Yasny
9	February, 2007	RapidEye 1/2/3/4/5	planned	Baikonur
10	February 2007	BLUEsat	funding	??
11	17 April 2007	EgyptSat 1/SaudiSat 3/SaudiComSat 3-7 /AKS 1/AKS 2/Cal Poly Picosatellite Project 3 &4/CAPE 1/Libertad 1/AeroCube 2/CubeSat TestBed 1/MAST CubeSat [2]	planned	Baikonur
12	April 25, 2007	Genesis II [3]	planned	Yasny
13	March 2007	Lunar Trailblazer [4], Cubesats	delayed/uncertain	Baikonur
14	May 2007	KatySat 1/ KiwiSAT / Atmocube / PolySat 3/4 (CP 3-4) / Cubesat-RAFT / Funsat / UCISA / CAPE 1 / Libertad 1 / Mast 1-3	delayed	Baikonur
15	June-November, 2007	THEOS	planned	Baikonur (or Yasny)
16	October 2007	Sudansat 1	planned	Baikonur
17	?? 2007	JAESat Master, JAESat Slave [5]	uncertain	Baikonur
16	second half 2008	Picard / PRISMA (Main/Target) [6]	planned	Baikonur

[edit] Launch failure

The committee investigating the failed launch on July 26, 2006 concluded that the failure was caused by a malfunctioning of the pumping hydraulic drive of combustion chamber #4. The control malfunctioning brought about the disturbances, which led to the roll instability, excessive dispersions of the yaw and pitch angles. Thrust termination occurred at 74 seconds after lift off. The crash site was located 150 km from the launch pad in an unpopulated area of Kazakhstan. Toxic propellants did pollute the crash site. Kazakstan demands $330 million USD in compensation for the environmental damage. The rocket used for this launch was more than twenty years old. Procedures for launch have been changed to prevent future malfunctions of this kind.

[edit] References

1. ^ Dnepr booster’s launch postponed till April. Itar-Tass.

[edit] External links

• Kosmotras launch service provider
• Users guide (PDF format)
• Astronautix entry - R-36M2
• Space Calendar (JPL)

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