DB of M.K.Yangel name as the Leader

of Ukraine space rocket industry

A.V.Degtyarev, A.E.Kashanov

State Design Bureau of M.K.Yangel name

Michael Kuzmich Yangel's 100^th Anniversary is celebrated this year. M.K.Yangel, who was a talented organizer and an outstanding scientist, justly ranges with S.P.Korolyov, V.P.Glushko, N.Pilyugin, V.Makeev, V.Kuznetsov, B.Konoplyov, V.Barmin, etc.

In 1954, Special Design Bureau 586 was established in Dnepropetrovsk (now: State Design Bureau) and headed by M.K.Yangel, and somewhat earlier, in 1951, Dnepropetrovsk Machinery Plant 586 was established (at present - State Production Association Yuzhny Machinery Plant (YuMP), ). This plant is our main industrial partner and manufacturer of rocketry developed at DB. For more than 50 years Rocket and Space Design Bureau and a powerful plant have been defining the world level in a vast number of fields and achievements of rocket-and-space science and engineering.

Nowadays DB personnel count about 4500 specialists, and YuMP - about 16000 specialists. Young specialists show ever growing interest towards our company. Over one third (more than 35%) of personnel are young specialists, who work competently and skillfully at launch sites as members of launch teams.

DB is a state enterprise and reports directly to the State Space Agency of Ukraine. We fill state orders with support from our government and conduct commercial activities at the international market of space technologies.

During 57 years DB in cooperation with the leading enterprises and organizations of the former Soviet Union has developed 4 generations of strategic missiles (13 versions) that formed the basis for the USSR strategic missile forces.

Moreover, 7 types of world-level launch vehicles (, , , , , and ) have been developed.

It should be noted that DB has developed and launched 400 spacecrafts of 70 types, 11 types of liquid-propellant sustainer engines, 6 types of liquid-propellant control engines, 16 types of liquid-propellant, gas jet and electrojet propulsion systems for spacecrafts, and 7 types of solid-propellant sustainer engines.

Currently participates in multiple international projects, like , , , Ukrainian-Brazilian Binational Company , European LV, US LV, and many others.

in cooperation with its main industrial partner, Yuzhny Machinery Plant, constitute integrated works for rocket and space hardware manufacturing. On customer's request our enterprise can develop a spacecraft, perform a complete cycle of its development test, train customer's experts and provide launch services by a launch vehicle of in-house design.

Moreover, we possess a unique experimental and test base that enables us to carry out the whole range of static, dynamic and functional tests not only of separate structural elements of SCs and LVs, but also the firing tests of engines developed and manufactured at our enterprises.

Recently our enterprise has reached an average annual growth in orders of 20-25%. At present, 22 companies from far abroad and CIS are 's customers.

Actively cooperating with all the world regions, promotes its products to the markets of the North and South America, Europe, Russia, Asia-Pacific and other regions.

The share of financial earnings from contracts with Russian customers is about 30% of total income from the enterprise's foreign contracts. We also continue close collaboration with the EU countries, although cooperation with this region is developing not as active as we wish.

Generally speaking, we are confident in our future. continues to work actively with all the regions of the world, extends the existing cooperation, and seeks for new partnership.

is developing now a new promising family of LVs based on engineering solutions (proven and tested as a part of and Space Launch Systems) of high reliability that enable to reduce the development time and cost. The distinctive feature of the project is that family (which will enable to provide the launches of all classes of SCs), is being created on the bases of a series of developed propulsion systems and modular LV architecture. Moreover, a super-heavy version of LV will enable to implement interplanetary space missions, complex astronomical missions, great infrastructure projects like establishment of space system to deliver solar energy to the Earth, nuclear-industry radioactive waste disposal, etc.

's staff is also involved in air-based Space Launch System projects. Two versions of such systems are under development. The first version is based on a fighter-type aircraft such as , , , , etc., the latter being used as a carrier-aircraft for a rocket capable of placing up to 40 kg into low near-Earth orbit. The second version is based on the use of Antonov-produced freighter . A carrier rocket launched from this aircraft will be capable of placing up to 2000 kg payload into orbit. The abovementioned projects are intended to provide operative launch of spacecrafts and give the possibility to launch satellites for the countries that have no launch sites due to their geographical position.

As to propulsion systems, is highly experienced in development of different-purpose liquid/solid-propellant propulsion systems.

Nowadays a series of state-of-the-art technologies are under development at that include LV sustainer engines, upper stage rocket engines, control engines, apogee engines as well as propulsion systems for lunar module capsule.

At present develops a series of liquid sustainer engines of optimal performance for the first and upper stages of LVs. The developments are conducted not only for the in-house projects, like , but they can also become an object of mutually beneficial cooperation and can be successfully applied to potential customers' projects.

Oxygen-kerosene 120 ton-force engine RD801 is under development by enterprise experts. Based on the world need for more powerful sustainer engines for LV first stages, initiated the development of oxygen-kerosene sustainer engines of 200 and more ton-force.

We suggest using closed-loop oxygen-kerosene liquid-propellant engines with a thrust of 2 to 10 ton-force for LV upper stages. These engines are developed on the basis of control engine RD-8 for LV second stage. runs the development of sustainer engine (RD809M) for LV upper stages on the basis of high-reliability engine RD-8. Engine RD809M differs from its prototype in compact arrangement of engine chambers around a turbopump unit on its own frame and in improved characteristics.

For lunar cargo delivery and interplanetary missions liquid-propellant engines are submitted that are constructed on the basis of engines with turbopump supply system with unique characteristics, the latter being a part of soviet lunar Block E - main engine RD858 and stand-by engine RD859. These engines were designed in compliance with the requirements for minimal dimensions and mass with maximal efficiency, and for the main engine RD858 thrust variation is also possible not less than by a factor of four for soft lunar landing.

in cooperation with its partners keeps on improving their satellite technologies, both in the framework of the Ukraine National Space Program and for our foreign customers.

created satellite intended for the Earth remote sensing. Its launch is scheduled for current year. Moreover, next generation of this satellite system is under development (its launch is scheduled for 2012).

In addition to the National Space Program, the satellites with an optical resolution of 2 m are under active development. They are intended for the Earth remote sensing and are exceedingly popular in different regions of the world. Moreover, we launched studies into possible creation of high-resolution satellite systems. Relying on our vast experience in radar satellite creation, we also plan to sell SAR radar satellites. Our advantage here is that we offer small satellites capable of solving the whole range of national-economy problems and provide launch of satellites by in-house developed launch vehicles.

As to the scientific missions, has started works on a number of projects aimed at studying into the Earth ionosphere and magnetosphere, which will enable us to master small telecommunication satellite platforms.

Cooperation with our Russian partners is one of 's priorities. We are closely connected by our cooperation history; we keep on implementing a number of our joint projects; and together we make plans for promising future. Moreover, our relations with Russian companies and organizations have never been ceased; we cooperate within , projects and provide joint launches of LV from Baikonur and Plesetsk. Currently we have good grounds to expect our cooperation with Russia to reach a new level, and we are ready to participate in serious projects, including establishment of joint rocket and space systems. We consider such cooperation as mutually beneficial and mutually complementary for both countries.

At the same time Ukraine is an independent and self-contained entity of the international market of space technologies, a reliable partner for many countries, which is ready to become such for all countries concerned. We possess a rather wide range of in-house developments and technologies both in LVs, SCs creation and in rocket propulsion systems creation. This is the field in which we cooperate and which we use as a basis for extension of our cooperation with potential partners.

Enhanced influence of our partner, Russian leading space corporation in project, and strengthening of its relations with Russian leading rocket engine manufacturer, Scientific Production Association , which is our long-standing partner, gives confidence that project will soon regain a previous number of launches.

We continue to work actively within the existing international projects, where DB and Yuzhny Machinery Plant act as suppliers of launch vehicles and their basic components. will resume functioning in 2011, and Land Launch project is under way. Company, which provides LV launches, functions successfully. This year we have started delivery of hardware for LV under the contract with Orbital Sciences Corporation. Maiden launch of LV from Alcantara is scheduled for 2012. A primary batch of equipment is planned to be shipped to Brazil in the nearest future. Moreover, in cooperation with our foreign partners we implement a number of promising projects on development of new Space Launch Systems, which we also place our hopes on.

Generally speaking, international cooperation is a basis for further development of space exploration. New qualitative leap in development of space technologies can only take place with global consolidation of political, economic, intellectual and scientific-and-technical resources.