New Soviet pitcher

1987/10/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Astronautika

At 17.30 in the afternoon of 15 May, the first launch of the new Soviet heavy launcher was fired at the Baiconur cosmodrome.

The projector called energy, which weighs 60 m high and 2000 tons, is able to put in its lower orbit a mass greater than 100 tons by 8 hydrogrene/oxygen engines.

It is not a joke the mass that Energy can put into orbit. So far the Soviets could place a maximum of 20 t in space through the pitcher Proton (weight of the orbital station Mir). The Americans do not currently have launchers of this force. The former Saturn V pitchers were able to place 126 t in space, but the latter was released in 1973. Europeans are also very far from these brands. Ariane IV can only put 4.2 t and Ariane V 8.5 t in its lower orbit.

Why do the Soviets want a powerful launcher? Through energy will be installed in its low orbit new generation space stations capable of hosting twelve people. In addition, they can launch heavy space ferries. And in the mission to Mars the powerful launcher is very necessary.