Da hell is this rocket?

[wasmic]

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/maks2013/images/space_lv_mrkn_jpg.jpg

It looks like an Angara, but with a winged something strapped on. Is it a reusable booster that acts like a glider? Is it a payload module? Does anybody even know?

[Nibb31]

Those are Angara with Baikal reusable fly-back boosters.

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/baikal.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baikal_%28rocket_booster%29

They've been on the cards as an evolution of Angara for ages, but like many Russian plans: no bucks, no Buck Rogerski. I don't think they will ever fly.

The idea is nothing new. Energia was to get fly-back Zenits and Lockheed Martin has been working on a similar concept since the Space Shuttle development days.

http://jdwaggoner.wordpress.com/2011/12/08/everything-old-is-new-again/

Edited March 17, 2014 by Nibb31

[Arran]

Edit : Previous poster found the right answer

[wasmic]

Those are Angara with Baikal reusable fly-back boosters.

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/baikal.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baikal_%28rocket_booster%29

They've been on the cards as an evolution of Angara for ages, but like many Russian plans: no bucks, no Buck Rogerski.

Actually, that makes sense. It's a very smart concept.

[Idobox]

It is tricky to achieve, and you need to add the mass and cost of wings, jets, landing gear, control system, etc...

So it turns a relatively cheap one-use booster into a a much more expensive, possibly reusable one.

I'm not saying it's a bad idea, just that it's difficult to make it work for cheaper than a dumb SRB.

[Skyler4856]

Yeah, the thing with SRBs is that they cant be easily refueled. Apparently the shuttle boosters had to be effectively rebuilt. LRBs are far superior in that aspect, the only problems are that they can be relatively fragile sometimes, and sometimes haven't vented all of their fuel.

Edited March 19, 2014 by Skyler4856

[Klingon Admiral]

It is tricky to achieve, and you need to add the mass and cost of wings, jets, landing gear, control system, etc...

So it turns a relatively cheap one-use booster into a a much more expensive, possibly reusable one.

I'm not saying it's a bad idea, just that it's difficult to make it work for cheaper than a dumb SRB.

I think the main problem the russians have with standard boosters is that there is no ocean nearby where they can dump their spent boosters into.

[Idobox]

I think the main problem the russians have with standard boosters is that there is no ocean nearby where they can dump their spent boosters into.

They have dumped them in the Kazakh plains for decades without any special issue. Actually, some people make a living by selling the scraps.

[Kryten]

They have dumped them in the Kazakh plains for decades without any special issue. Actually, some people make a living by selling the scraps.

There was no issue in the USSR, certainly, but now they have to get permission from, and give compensation to, the Khazak government. That's why Vostochny is being built in Russian territory to replace it.