After 44 years and 787 launches, Russia to Retire World's LongestServing Soyuz-U Rocket

Lack of parts from Ukraine - ha!


Russia Retires Legendary Soviet-Designed Space Rocket

Feb 22, 2017 — 13:00 — Update: Feb. 22 2017 — 10:27

Federal Space Agency

The Russian space agency Roscosmos retired a Soviet legend on Feb. 22
with the final launch of a Soyuz-U rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome
in Kazakhstan.

First launched in 1973, the Soyuz-U design holds a number of records.
Among them, it is the longest serving rocket in space exploration
history. Over its 43 years in service, Soyuz-U rockets were launched 787
times.

A Roscosmos statement on the event of the final launch described the
design as “the largest and one of the most reliable variants in the
family of legendary Soyuz rockets.� The Soyuz family are themselves
derived from the original R-7 rocket that launched Sputnik and Yury
Gagarin into space in the late 1950s and early '60s.

The Soyuz-U included several outdated features, but it was the analog
guidance system that prompted Roscosmos to end production of the design
in 2015. Although the designs work technically, the guidance systems for
Soyuz-U are built in Ukraine.

Ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine following the annexation of
Crimea risked grounding the Russian space program.

The rocket genealogy of the Soyuz rocket family.
The rocket genealogy of the Soyuz rocket family. Peter Gorin / Wikicommons

The retirement of the Soyuz-U is part of a broader effort by Russia's
space industry to decouple from Ukrainian suppliers — a relic of the
industry's Soviet roots. Several cooperative projects have been retired
or stalled. These include refurbished ICBM programs like Rokot and
Dnepr, as well as the Sea Launch project recently purchased by S7 airlines.

The Soyuz-FG, a derivative of the Soyuz-U used for manned space
missions, is also slated for retirement after Roscosmos exhausts its
existing supply of the rocket. It will be replaced by the newer Soyuz-2,
a fully Russian variant. Later, the new Angara class of rockets will
take over.

The Angara is Russia's first post-Soviet rocket design but has only
flown twice and the status of the program is unclear. Soyuz variants
will likely be the flag bearer of Russia's space program for some time.


https://themoscowtimes.com/news/russ...e-rocket-57240

Jonathan wrote:



Lack of parts from Ukraine - ha!


Lack of parts FOR AN OBSOLETE GUIDANCE SYSTEM from Ukraine. Ha,
indeed!


Russia Retires Legendary Soviet-Designed Space Rocket

Feb 22, 2017 — 13:00 — Update: Feb. 22 2017 — 10:27

Federal Space Agency

The Russian space agency Roscosmos retired a Soviet legend on Feb. 22
with the final launch of a Soyuz-U rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome
in Kazakhstan.

First launched in 1973, the Soyuz-U design holds a number of records.
Among them, it is the longest serving rocket in space exploration
history. Over its 43 years in service, Soyuz-U rockets were launched 787
times.

A Roscosmos statement on the event of the final launch described the
design as “the largest and one of the most reliable variants in the
family of legendary Soyuz rockets.” The Soyuz family are themselves
derived from the original R-7 rocket that launched Sputnik and Yury
Gagarin into space in the late 1950s and early '60s.

The Soyuz-U included several outdated features, but it was the analog
guidance system that prompted Roscosmos to end production of the design
in 2015. Although the designs work technically, the guidance systems for
Soyuz-U are built in Ukraine.

Ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine following the annexation of
Crimea risked grounding the Russian space program.

The rocket genealogy of the Soyuz rocket family.
The rocket genealogy of the Soyuz rocket family. Peter Gorin / Wikicommons

The retirement of the Soyuz-U is part of a broader effort by Russia's
space industry to decouple from Ukrainian suppliers — a relic of the
industry's Soviet roots. Several cooperative projects have been retired
or stalled. These include refurbished ICBM programs like Rokot and
Dnepr, as well as the Sea Launch project recently purchased by S7 airlines.

The Soyuz-FG, a derivative of the Soyuz-U used for manned space
missions, is also slated for retirement after Roscosmos exhausts its
existing supply of the rocket. It will be replaced by the newer Soyuz-2,
a fully Russian variant. Later, the new Angara class of rockets will
take over.

The Angara is Russia's first post-Soviet rocket design but has only
flown twice and the status of the program is unclear. Soyuz variants
will likely be the flag bearer of Russia's space program for some time.


https://themoscowtimes.com/news/russ...e-rocket-57240

"Jonathan" wrote in message
...

But its replacement will be yet another R-7 derivative.

The R-7 is probably the most iconic rocket of all time, scoring above a
staggering 1,800 launches over six decades. It sent Sputnik, the first
manmade satellite, into space in 1957, and Yuri Gagarin in 1961. It has
since launched payloads for all ranges of space applications. While you
might think that this venerable rocket is outdated, it is still the
workhorse of the Russian space industry. "Old" technology to them means all
the bugs have long since been ironed out.