[Replica] TMK-1

[SunlitZelkova]

TMK (Тяжелый Межпланетный Корабль - Tyazhely Mezhplanetny Korabl or Heavy Interplanetary Spacecraft) was a series of proposals for a crewed interplanetary spacecraft created in the Soviet Union in the late 1950s and the 1960s. The English language literature on the proposals is a little confusing, I have seen the Salyut-like TMK-MAVR referred to as TMK-1, TMK-1 described as a different nuclear powered design, and a landing version of the TMK from 1964, despite the "only" landing variant (according to the English language sources) having been designed in 1966. There is also the TMK-E, which would deliver a vehicle known as the "Mars train" to the surface, which is sometimes described as having been the main landing proposal, but referred to simply as "TMK".

TMK-1 was the first of all of these proposals. It was designed for a Mars flyby. The initial design was completed on October 12th, 1961. It had a crew of three cosmonauts. It would have been launched on a single N-1 rocket, not requiring assembly in orbit. It was composed of three modules- one for biological research, one for instrumentation, and the crew section. It would carry impactor probes that would be released shortly before the Mars flyby itself. The mission would have launched on June 8th, 1971,  make its closest approach to Mars in April 1972,  and the crew would return to Earth in a capsule on July 10th, 1974. The mission would last a total of 1095 days, making it one of the longest seriously proposed crewed spaceflight missions.

A ground test simulator was actually built for the life support system. From November 5th, 1967 to November 5th, 1968, physician German Manovtsev, biologist Andrey Bozhko, and technician Boris Ulybyshev lived in it.  Using chlorella, water and oxygen were regenerated from human liquid waste and exhaled carbon dioxide, while food was a combination of freeze dried rations and vegetables grown in a green house. Human solid waste was removed from the cabin. Their stay was apparently successful.

The research on the life support system was carried out by an institute separate from the OKB-1 space design bureau, and due to Voskhod, Soyuz, and eventually the L3 lunar program, TMK-1 wasn't cancelled or rejected as much as its designers and engineers were distracted by other projects and unable to push for funding or start further work on it. However, research on it would prove valuable for later proposals of crewed Mars spacecraft (although they too were never flown).

The actual design had solar panels in a ring around the main body, however I have based mine on an artists concept which shows it in front of Venus, which had two solar panels. When I designed it(this was a few months ago) I did not understand how flyby "drop" probes worked, so they are non-functional in this version, although I plan to update with working probes in the future. There is no clear indication of where the Earth return capsule was, so it is at the front where it is capsule shaped in some drawings of the spacecraft. Also, although I could have used fairings to give the different modules a cleaner look, I opted not to, in order for it to fit on an N-1 replica, as well as to be able to look at Mars through the windows.

TMK-1 during its flyby, 1972

Approach to Mars

Leaving Mars

During the return to Earth, it encountered a comet! This was very special, as TMK-1 is one of my favorite spacecraft, and this made flying it in KSP all the more fun.

As I plan to improve the design with working impactor probes in the future, there is no craft file.

Thanks for having a look!

[Souptime]

Woah cuul

[Richmountain112]

I did make this. Is it backwards? Mine has the engine at the bottom and reentry pod at the top. Is it supposed to be the other way around?

[SunlitZelkova]

3 hours ago, Richmountain112 said:

I did make this. Is it backwards? Mine has the engine at the bottom and reentry pod at the top. Is it supposed to be the other way around?

This was simply my guess, published illustrations don’t make it clear which part is which. It can be either way I guess! 

[Richmountain112]

True. That's what I thought too until I saw your picture.

Edited March 14, 2023 by Richmountain112