Rússia suspende lançamentos dos foguetões Soyuz

Do meu ponto de vista, um foguetão lançador (launcher) faz parte de todo um complexo “ecossistema” de variadíssimos sub-sistemas muito delicados, dos quais a torre de lançamento e a zona que funciona como sendo “mission control” são as partes mais visíveis. Mas isso é apenas a “ponta do icebergue”.

Imagino que o facto de as Soyouz-2 estarem prestes a ser lançadas a partir da base da ESA muito perto do Brasil, possa (talvez) ter introduzido alguma “entropia” em toda a delicada maquinaria humana á volta da “tecnologia soyouz”.

O “sanemento” de algumas pessoas que ocorreu há relativamente pouco tempo, pode indicar a existência de algum conflito organizacional (socio-económico?) interno, que possa eventualmente contribuir para alguma “instabilidade” da performance.

Citação:

Russian space agency chief fired by Putin

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on April 29, 2011 fired Russian space agency chief Anatoly Perminov after a series of high-profile setbacks in the space programme.

AFP – Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Friday fired Russian space agency chief Anatoly Perminov after a series of high-profile setbacks in the space programme.

Perminov will be replaced as head of Roskosmos by First Deputy Defence Minister Vladimir Popovkin, Russian news agencies said, quoting a document signed by Putin and released by the Russian cabinet.

Fonte: http://www.france24.com/en/20110429-russian-space-agency-chief-fired-putin

Ver também: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starsem

Sugiro: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guiana_Space_Centre / http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centro_Espacial_de_Kourou

Como é (curioso?) o modo como a página em Português sobre a base de lançamento da ESA está lacónica…

ELS / Soyuz at CSGESA is currently building ELS (French: l’Ensemble de Lancement Soyouz) for launching Russian-built Soyuz-2 rockets.

The first Soyuz launch from ELS has been postponed several times. The current target date for the first launch is 20 October 2011

The rocket assembly procedures will differ from ones used at Baikonur.

Traditionally, the Soyuz is being fully assembled in horizontal position, then transported to a launch pad and erected for launch.

In ELS only the rocket will be assembled in horizontal position, then transported and erected. Then a spacecraft will be transported to the pad separately and attached to the rocket.

To protect from dust and wind, the launch pad will have a closed gantry. The gantry will be able to move away from the pad for launch.[8]

The ELS project is being co-funded by Arianespace, ESA, and the European Union, with CNES being the prime contractor.

The project has a projected cost of approximately €320 million, where €120 million are allocated for modernizing the Soyuz vehicle.[9] The official opening of the launch site construction occurred on 27 February 2007.

Excavation work however, had previously begun several months beforehand.

As of May 2008, groundworks were still continuing but the flame pit was substantially complete, along with the shell of the Soyuz assembly building.

Equipment manufactured in Russia had arrived in French Guiana by July 2008, with Russian technicians performing the equipment installation at ELS.[10]

In November 2007, reports[11] emerged attributed to Vladimir Grezdilov, general director of the Mir company, of thefts from the Soyuz site near Sinnamari, which could cause delays to its completion and the first launches. Grezdilov said that the local security company was involved.

In February 2009 ESA reported from Samara, Russia that the launchers destined for the ELS were being built.[12]

On May 21, 2009 Russian news agency ITAR-TASS reported that the first two Soyuz-ST to be launched at ELS have been built, tested and prepared for delivery to ELS.[13]

On August 25, 2009 the general director of the Progress design bureau Alexander Kirilin said that the first launch of the Soyuz-ST from the Kourou space center was postponed for the beginning of April 2010. He informed that the first three rockets had been built and would be shipped on November 1, 2009 by sea.

On September 13, 2010 Spaceflight Now reported that after several delays in the construction of a mobile gantry the launch pad had been finished, and the first flight of the Soyuz is expected to occur in early 2011.[15] By October 2010, 18 launch contracts have been signed. Arianespace has ordered 24 launchers from Russian industry, with the first two already delivered to CSG.

On January 14, 2011 BBC reported that the Soyuz launch complex will have its qualification review in April with the expectation for the first Soyuz to lift-off sometime between 15 August and 15 September.

On July 1 July, 2011 Space News reported that after clearance Qualification Committee a launch October 20, 2011 seems possible.