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Author
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Topic: Backup site for Russian manned launches
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Fezman92 Member Posts: 1031 From: New Jersey, USA Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 03-04-2012 06:32 PM
Hypothetically let's say that Kazakhstan has a revolution or an election that causes it to become a dictatorship. The government then throws the Russians out of Baikonur and Russia cannot negotiate with the new government or otherwise cannot get back to Baikonur (I know this is very unlikely).What would they do for manned launches? Would they use the French New Guinea site? |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-04-2012 07:08 PM
Though once floated as a possibility, manned launches from the French Guiana spaceport are not likely. SPACE.com obtained a technical paper about a 2004 study, which was conducted by ESA's launcher directorate and its "Soyuz at the Guiana Space Centre" program. According to the paper, "the [Soyuz] re-entry capsule has not been designed to travelling on water and its evacuation following splash-down in the ocean in the event of an aborted launch may result in a particularly difficult experience for the crew." Such difficulty puts the lives of the crew at greater risk.ESA has not made the full study report available in time for publication. Since 2004, ESA has done no further work to tackle this issue. In response to the report's findings, ESA officials told SPACE.com, "theoretically all is possible but manned flights from [French Guiana] would be a major endeavor, requiring huge investments." That said, Russia has been working towards replace Baikonur with a launch site in the country's far east, the Vostochny Cosmodrome. | |
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Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.47a
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