Celebration of Mikhail Kuzmich Yangel's 100^th Birthday is undoubtedly an important date for all scientific community in Ukraine and Russia. M.K.Yangel is an outstanding scientist and designer of space rocket systems, major organizer of rocket industry in the USSR and Ukraine, first Chief Designer of Yuzhnoye DO, Twice Hero of Socialist Labour, Lenin and State Prizes-Winner, Academician of Academies of Sciences of the USSR and Ukraine.

M.K.Yangel is a distinguished creator of combat power in his native country. In conditions of keen idea competition he outlined main line of combat space rocketry development, made a decisive contribution to creation of the nuclear-missile shield of the USSR and, being in the shadow of the Soviet Union leaders, he is as such a historical person who had an influence on the course of world events.

Welcoming letters from Presidents of three countries (Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan) were sent to the solemn meeting held on October 25, 2011, in Dniepropetrovsk. They made special mention of the Mikhail Yangel's important role in space rocketry development and maintenance of peace on the Earth.

Within the given time limit it is difficult to cover all lines of M.K.Yangel activities. The paper presents main results of his work in the capacity of Chief Designer of Yuzhnoye DO in three lines - development of combat missiles, launch vehicles and spacecraft.

Combat Missiles

The creative path of M.K.Yangel fell on the 50-70s of last century, the most difficult period in international relations - cold war, USSR and USA confrontation. With that at the beginning of the 50s the USA had a significant advantage in strategic weapon reserves, had military bases network near the USSR borders. The Soviet Union made great efforts to catch up with the USA and achieve strategic parity and, as a consequence, ban of nuclear war, which threat was quite real.

Though all lines of strategic weapons (strategic bombers, missile-carrying submarines and etc.) were under development, the key role in the struggle for parity was assigned to strategic missile armament, which creation was at that time a new difficult scientific-and-technical problem, in which solution were involved outstanding scientists and designers S.P. Korolev, V.P.Glushko, Y.A.Pobedonostsev, M.K.Tikhonravov, V.P.Barmin, A.M.Isaev, M.S.Ryasansky and many others.

Sergey Pavlovich Korolev was Chief Designer of first Soviet combat missiles. He was at the head of SDO-1 included into prime institute of missile armament NII-88 (TsNIImash) that was established in 1946.

Mikhail Yangel, MAI graduate, worked at DOs named after Polikarpov, Mikoyan, Myasishchev. He went into the rocket industry in the period of its making in 1950, at the age of 38, on graduating from the Academy of Aviation Industry. In fact, he was sent to the industry by Minister of Armed Forces Dmitry Fyodorovich Ustinov who considered him a prospective manager. D.F.Ustinov gave special attention to making and development of NII-88 and had in view all competent experts. M.K.Yangel worked with S.P.Korolev as a Head of Department, then his deputy, and in 1952 he was appointed to Director of NII-88. At that time it became apparent that S.P.Korolev and M.K.Yangel had different views of combat missilery development.

It was Sergey Pavlovich's opinion that only low-temperature propellant components (liquid oxygen + kerosene) were suited for missiles with range more than 600 km. M.K.Yangel, on the contrary, during the NII-88 operation time became a supporter for high-temperature (storable) propellants application. He understood that it was impossible to achieve high combat readiness and necessary operational characteristics of combat missile complexes based on missiles where liquid oxygen was as oxidizer. There was no perspective for their transfer to mobile basing mode as well.

This confrontation ended in the following way.

The Government Commission headed by D.F.Ustinov, which task was to identify dislocation of plant for large-scale series production of S.P.Korolev missiles, visited several towns in Siberia, Ural and Ukraine and chose Dniepropetrovsk and the existing automobile plant produced trucks and amphibious vehicles. The only man who disagreed this choice was ministry of automotive industry. When I.W. Stalin made a final decision he said: "If missiles will be then trucks also will be, and if there will be no missiles then it may be that no trucks would be".

Vasily Sergeevich Budnik, MAI graduate, Deputy of S.P.Korolev for missile design (later on Ukrainian Academician) was appointed to Chief Designer of serial DO at the plant. V.S.Budnik brought 25 Moscow lead experts in all missile systems from Korolev and Glushko DOs. They were not only designers but also theorists and planners (S.P.Korolev strongly objected to it). This team was a creative main body of future Yuzhnoye DO. In parallel with organization of serial production of S.P. Korolev missiles, a team of enthusiasts - young people (graduates from MAI, Bauman MVTU, LVMI, KhAI, KAI and etc.) stated work at the project for his own missile on storable propellants and autonomous control system. Plant SDO submitted their offers to Ministry of Defense. The advantages for military were so great that they gave strong support to the project. They wished to ruin SDO-1 monopolism, in addition. By the decision of the Government, in 1954, Special Design Office (SDO-586, Yuzhnoye SDO) was established based on plant SDO in Dniepropetrovsk.

For practical implementation of the gained scientific and technical potential (at NII-88 and in Dniepropetrovsk) into the effective strategic weapon, the time itself claimed the experienced, skilled, creative manager with strategic thinking. Mikhail Kuzmich Yangel became such a man. On the recommendation of D.F.Ustinov he was appointed to Chief Designer of SDO-586. V.S.Budnik became First Deputy Chief Designer.

Dmitry Fyodorovich Ustinov, who by right can be considered as a founder of the space rocket industry in the Soviet Union, acted a special role in creation and establishment of the Dniepropetrovsk large world's rocket center and the destiny of M.K.Yangel by himself.

R-12 missile. New DO (middle age of 25-26 years) that was staffed with representatives from leading scientific schools in the Soviet union (graduates from MAI, Bauman MVTU, LVMI, KhAI, KAI, MGU, DGU and etc.), headed by manager with outstanding organizational abilities and good theoretical and practical training, only in a few years of work made a great progress and created within record short period of time principally new missile R-12 on storable propellants with autonomous control system, nuclear military load and range of 2000km.

First launch was performed on June 22, 1957, and in 1959, the missile came into service. At the end of 1959, by CC CPSU Resolution, a new type of armed forces of the country was formed - Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) headed by Commander-In-Chief, Deputy Ministry of Defense, Marshal Mitrofan Ivanovich Nedelin.

The qualitative leap was made on R-12 missile in terms of combat readiness. R-5M missile on liquid oxygen could be on combat duty without top off for 20 minutes and with top off for 5 hours, and filled R-12 missile could be on combat duty for 1 month.

Simplicity and manufacturability of the design and low prices for production enabled to organize their full-scale production at 4 plants in Dniepropetrovsk, Omsk. Perm and Orenburg (2300 missiles were produced in total). When N.S. Khrushchev visited Dniepropetrovsk the following phrase appeared: "I was at a plant and saw there as missiles go out of automatic machines like sausages".

In 1961, Korolev-developed R-5M missile was phased out, and R-12 was in use in the country more than 30 years (that was unique) and removed from combat duty in 1990 according to Treaty for S/MR M.

R-12 missile left a marked trace

in complicated international relations between the East and the West. It was as main argument and the effective means for deterrence in political and military operation "Anadyir" during Cuban missile crisis in October 1962 having been in Cuba (3 regiments).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After R-12 missile development the shortest way was outlined to reach strategic parity with the USA. It resulted in rapid development of missilery in the USSR and Ukraine. Mikhail Kuzmich had rendered great personal services to the parity. Creation of R-12 missile was marked by the birth of new leading rocket organization Yuzhnoye DO and new Chief Designer M.K.Yangel.

There is no doubt that main doing of M.K.Yangel's life, his high-priority problem was creation of the nuclear-missile shield of the country- strategic missile complexes. He had his own scientifically grounded concept of creation of perspective strategic missile complexes, which he developed on a constant base and defended, and which included:

-            application of storable propellants and solid propellants;

-            application of autonomous control system;

-            missile equipping with monoblock and multiple reentry vehicles with individual guidance warheads;

-            missile equipping with missile defense penetration aids complex;

-            ensuring high protection for launch sites against nuclear attack;

-            ensuring high combat readiness for RC;

-            gaining maximum possible guarantee periods and life duration for RC;

-            ensuring basic missile constructions fitness for updating and modification.

Based on the above concept Yuzhnoye DO under M.K.Yangel's leadership jointly with industry and scientific organizations cooperation developed and produced three generations of combat missile complexes improving their design perfection and combat effectiveness on a constant basis. Creation of Yangel-developed each missile, each complex was in life of the country as a great scientific-and-technical and political-and-military breakthrough, and one can say even a geopolitical event.

R-14 missile. R-14 medium-range missile and R-16 intercontinental missile were among next developments by Yuzhnoye DO. To speed up work in this direction, the Government Resolution was issued that released DO and the plant from all operations in Sergey Pavlovich Korolev line of activities.

Development and testing of R-14 one-stage missile (4500m range) passed smoothly and on due date. First launch was performed on July 6, 1960, and in April, 1961 it was put into SMF service.

R-16 missile. As to development of the first two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) R-16, M.K. Yangel and Yuzhnoye DO had to pass the difficult process of its creation. Firstly, development of R-16 missile passed in keen competition with S.P.Korolev and V.N.Chelomey DO growing in strength. Korolev insisted on that the only possible engineering decision on ICBM was adopted in "the seven" according to scheme "package". Yuzhnoye DO suggested tandem scheme. Korolev strongly objected to possible creation of intercontinental missile on storable propellants and hampered its development in every way. In this connection there were intensive discussions in the highest governmental and scientific community.

Considering S.P.Korolev's uncompromising attitude to R-16 ICBM creation, the government established the Expert Commission chaired by President of Academy of Sciences Mstislav Keldyish that made a scientific examination of the project and came to a decision on possible creation of R-16 ICBM. In May 1959, the Government Resolution was issued on Korolev missile but in tandem design of R-9.

 

As to UR-200 missile similar to R-16 missile, according to CC CPSU Resolution, the unprecedented deci-sion was made on transferring design documentation on R-16 missile to V.N.Chelomey SDO-52 in order to speed up the development.

In the preparation for first R-16 missile launch on October 24, 1960, the most major accident in the history of space rocketry occurred where 98 men were lost including Marshal M.I.Nedelin, many M.K.Yangel team-mates, industry representatives and the military. Mikhail Kuzmich by himself escaped by the skin of his teeth, and he bore heavy personal responsibility for further fate of the missile.

Just in three months Yuzhnoye DO came to the second launch. R-16 missile went into service in 1963 and became one of the most reliable combat missiles of SMF. Putting first generation of strategic missiles on duty (R-12, R-14, R-16) improved defense capability of the country to a great extent and became a big stride towards strategic parity. It was a great success for Yushnoy DO, the period of its making and recognition. Yuzhnoye DO was decorated with two Orders of Lenin and asserted itself as leading organization of strategic space rocketry.

Korolev-developed R-9A missile was also introduced into the inventory but it was phased out immediately in practice. It was last Korolev-developed combat missile. Chelomey-developed UR-200 missile came to testing when R-16 missile was introduced into the inventory.

Though the path to strategic parity was open, in 1962 the USA had sevenfold superiority by the number of ICBM, and Titan missile excelled R-16 missile considerably in military load and firing accuracy.

Chelomey and Yangel SDOs were given two tasks: Chelomey shall develop UR-100 small missile and due to its putting on duty to catch up with quantitative imbalance. Yangel shall develop new missile with higher range, combat readiness and military load. Based on powerful cooperation and science, Yangel started creating the second and then third generation of missiles.

Second generation of missiles. In 1963-1968, strategic complexes R-36 were developed. They could stand in filled condition for 7.5 years. New heavy 200-t missile R-36 had 3 types of combat arming: the world's most powerful nuclear monoblock, the first three-block multiple reentry vehicle and the world's single orbital RV. Moreover, MD penetration aids complex was created for the missile. V.N.Chelomey also submitted UR-200 heavy missile. Yangel won the competitive struggle with Chelomey. The Commission chaired by M.Keldyish made a decision to stop further work on UR-200 and recommended V.N.Chelomey to concentrate on UR-100.

Third generation of missiles. Creation of the third generation of missiles passed in violent struggle between V.N.Chelomey and M.K.Yan-gel concepts that was called "small civil war". The main idea of V.N.Chelomey concept was in that it is necessary to have in the inventory a great (~5000) number of sufficiently easy-to-operate small missiles UR-100 with low cost and simple silos for them. The missiles should be equipped with inexpensive analog control systems. He also opposed equipping missiles with multiple reentry vehicles and development of solid-propellant line. Yangel, on the contrary, considered it necessary to ensure high protection for missile complexes, application of multiple reentry vehicles as a method of efficient offensive strike, possible long-duration stay of missile complex on combat duty and etc. The M.K.Yangel concept for development of combat missilery received approval at the Council of Defense of the USSR in Crimea in August 1969.

Sufficient leap was achieved in the third generation of M.K.Yangel-developed heavy and light strategic missiles by the following characteristics: control system with ODC, CDC of higher accuracy, individual guidance MRV, complete ampulization of fuel systems and pop-up launch.

As Chief Designer, M.K.Yangel made bold efficient decisions. YDO missiles had many original design and technological solutions protected by 8 thousands of inventions but bold decisions are solutions difficult in implementation.

Example 1. Orbital reentry vehicle

At the end of the 60s the USA started building Safeguard MD system of very high cost to protect the USA and Canada against Soviet ballistic missiles from the north and east. What was Yuzhnoye DO response to it? Asymmetric, i.e. with low cost and more efficient. Yuzhnoye created orbital reentry vehicle with nuclear military load. Now the missile could be launched in any direction including southward. The reentry vehicle could be fallen on the US territory from some place or another including taking in the rear. MD system became senseless. USA sat at negotiating table and stopped building MD in exchange for orbital RV destruction.

Example 2. Pop-up launch

In the USSR in the 60s the military doctrine was adopted, in accordance with which strategic missiles could be used only in counterattack. It was necessary to dramatically improve protection of silos for the third generation of missiles to ensure missiles survival at nuclear attack. Today's silo withstands pressure of 100 kg/m².

The idea was found. It is necessary to place missile to container and install it into the protected silo without gas ducts. Then 200-t missile should be pushed out of silo, pop-up launch should be implemented, and after that missile engine should be started. Few believed this undertaking. Ministry of Defense Grechko said, "Look here, they try to shoot 200-ton missiles like stones". The deputies of M.K.Yangel did not believe either. Moreover Chief Designer of ground equipment E.G.Rudyak, who had made before it good silos for Yangel missiles, did not believe in success. Mikhail Kuzmich, as a polite and tactful man, once and again tried to bring him on his side but when Rudyak raised a question, "Either I or pop-up launch", Yangel firmly said. "Pop-up launch". E.G.Rudyak was discharged from office, and pop-up launch was tried out to a success. Yangel's bottom line was to make a difficult decision and assure its performance. Afterwards E.G.Rudyak said, "I did not know that Yangel can work wonders".

Yangel could not accomplish his plans. Yangel's concept got its logical completion in the forth generation of missiles that went into service under the leadership of his successor Vladimir Fyodorovich Utkin. First of all it is R36н2 complex (Voevoda) with SS-18 intercontinental missile called Satan by the Americans. It is the world's most powerful and effective strategic missile, one can say, the top of modern missilery (introduced into service in1988). Its range is more than 10.000 km, weight of reentry vehicle is ~7 t, MRV with 10 individual guidance combat blocks. Size of deployment rectangle is 800x400km, all blocks are protected by decoys. Nowadays it is in the inventory in RF.

Yuzhnoye DO gives support to the Russian Federation power with designer's super-vision and prolongs SS-18 missile operatio-nal life. With all respect to new develop-ments it is unlikely that SS-18 would be excelled. Under the leadership of M.K.Yangel successor, General Designer V.F.Utkin, silo-/railway-based solid-propellant missile complexes SS-24 were developed and introduced into the inventory.

Launch vehicles

M.K.Yangel made a sufficient contribution to the development of the Soviet and international cosmonautics. The concept of launch vehicles creation based on combat missiles removed from combat duty belongs to M.K.Yangel. It reduced the cost and accelerated development to a great extent. Kosmos two-stage vehicle was created based on R-12, and Kosmos-2 based on R-14. It flies till the present (more than 400 launches). Under the leadership of M.K.Yangel, development of Cyclone vehicles family started.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spacecrafts

Yuznoye DO developed and launched into orbit about 400 military, scientific and civil spacecrafts. The concept of SC development based on an unified platform was adopted.

In 1962, DS-1 (Dniepropetrovsk satellite) satellite was launched into orbit by 11л63 rocket. љThe foundation of Kosmos program was laid, within which more than 1500 spacecraft was launched. In 1969, the Interkosmos international cooperation program started, within which 25 satellites were launched, 22 of which Yuzhnoye-created. Military satellites served as the basis for formation of central control of MD space systems, later on space units of MD. Stage for lunar landing was created and tried out.

Yangel had the other large project but it was impossible to cover everything. Yuzhnoye DO transferred 11л65 vehicle and special communication satellites to Reshetnyov, meteorological satellite to Iosif'yan DO and many other projects that became the basis for activities in these organizations.

Mikhail Kuzmich formed the Yuzhnoye DO creative collective who can solve any problem and powerful cooperation of developers, among whom the leading were Yuzhny Machine-Building Plant (directors Smirnov and Makarov), Glushko company - developer of almost all liquid engines for Yangel-developed rockets, Pilyugin, Kuznetsov, Sergeev companies - developers of control systems, Rudyak, Barmin companies - developers of ground equipment, Parnyakov Ersenal DO - developer of targeting system. Naturally, Yuzhnoye DO worked in close cooperation with academic and branch institutes of the industry and the Ministry of Defense. It should be noted that Yangel was held in respect and had authority with the Customer, scientific community and industry organizations. Mikhail Kuzmich brought special tact, good feeling and correctness in relations with allied suppliers. The decisions were made jointly but personal responsibility for their performance was high.

In conclusion, it may be said that M.K.Yangel successful activity in the post of Chief Designer is conditioned by his high creative potential, uncommonness and charismaticy of his personality, the ability to think continentally and see the prospects plainly. He retained deep, unforgettable and impressive mark in science and engineering as a historic person who had an influence on the course of the world events.

His activity was highly appreciated in the country.

He was a man with high moral and managerial capacity and great patriotism. He expressed credo of his life in such words ":Serve people, be of use for motherland, it is not only duty but also meaning of life". He was held in high respect in the collectives.

Yangel ideas help Yuzhnoye DO nowadays to be a leader of Ukraine space rocket industry, participate in implementation of major international projects such as Sea Launch, Land Launch, Dnepr, Cyclone-4, Egyptsat, Vega, Taurus II, Mayak and others.