SPACE CRAFT

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ORIGINS OF SPACE FLIGHT		SIGNED COPIES NOW AVAILABLE!
	Astronomy: a prequel to space flight Over many centuries, the idea of space travel took shape with humanity's improving understanding of the Universe. Before any flying machines could attempt to escape the Earth gravity, generations of astronomers were building a realistic stage for space exploration, while their tools served as the earliest space research instruments. New, Dec. 18: Visual history of astronomical tools
EARLIEST EXPERIMENTAL SATELLITES
	After millennia of dreams, centuries of scientific research and decades of engineering experimentation, the Space Age has began in 1957 with the launch of the Earth's first artificial satellite. Sputnik: The Soviet satellite project | Sputnik-2: Laika's mission | Sputnik-3: The multi-purpose orbital science lab
MANNED SPACECRAFT
Hot topics: Vostok mission Valentina Tereshkova Buran BTS-002 GLI LK Soyuz Mir Kliper Parom PTK NP OPSEK Docking Inflatables	The Soviet Union started human conquest of space sending the first piloted spacecraft into orbit in 1961. Since then, several generations of the transport ships and orbital stations have been developed in the country. Much more ambitious projects of giant orbital settlements, lunar bases and expeditions to Mars have been conceived, but could not be implemented due to tremendous cost. Yet, along with the United States, Russia remained one of two nations in the world sending people in space in the 20th century. HISTORICAL PROJECTS The pioneers: Early manned space flight projects, Vostok and Voskhod missions (1946-1966) Yuri Gagarin's mission: On the eve of the new era; Dangerous rocket ride; Drama in orbit; A bumpy ride home Vostok-2: First day-long flight Vostok-3 and Vostok-4: world's first dual mission Vostok-5 and Vostok-6: The first woman in space Roots of the "woman in space" project Women's space team starts training Tereshkova prepares to fly: A race behind the scene Vostok-5 delays: Burned by the Sun Vostok-5 launch: On the knife's edge Vostok-5 in orbit: Almost flawless Mission of Vostok-6: I am "Seagull" Vostok-6 landing: Real and imaginary ills Vostok-5 landing: Without a hitch Aftermath of Tereshkova's mission: the triumph, rumors and controversy Reusable spacecraft (Abstract page) Myasishev Project 48: An early Soviet attempt to develop reusable spacecraft Raketoplan/Kosmoplan: Vladimir Chelomei's early attempt to develop reusable and planetary spacecraft The Moon Race: The early Soyuz missions, L1, N-1/L3 programs (1967-1974) L3 LK DALS instrument package LOK Plans for a permanent lunar base Mars mission: Russian plans for a manned expedition to the Red Planet (1960s-1990s) First space stations: Salyut-1-7 (1969-1985) The Almaz military space station program: OPS-1; OPS-2; OPS-3; OPS-4; Almaz-205; Almaz-206 The TKS spacecraft LKS: Vladimir Chelomei's alternative to Buran (1974-1983) Spiral orbiter | Spiral's technical description Buran: Energia-Buran reusable spacecraft program (1974-1993) BOR scaled prototypes of Buran | Buran BTS-002/OK GLI flight test vehicle | Strizh rescue suit Mir: The first permanent manned outpost in space (1986-2001) Kliper: A study of a reusable orbiter to replace Soyuz (2000-2006) TKS follow-on: Proposals for a follow-on series to the TKS spacecraft by Khrunichev enterprise (2005-2009) FLYING TODAY Russian manned space program strategy in 2010s International Space Station: A multinational effort to build human forepost in the Earth orbit Zvezda Service Module Treadmill system MIM1 Rassvet Soyuz spacecraft Docking systems The Progress cargo ship Columbus laboratory module ATV cargo ship New, Feb. 3: Science and Power Module, NEM Inflatable space structures PLANS FOR THE FUTURE OPSEK: A project of a space station to succeed the ISS PTK NP: A program of development of the next-generation manned spacecraft An early concept of manned lunar transport ACTS concept Origin of the ACTS project ACTS development Atmospheric Reentry Demonstrator, ARD PTK NP (PPTS) development PTK NP development in 2010 PTK NP development in 2011 PTK NP development in 2012 PTK NP development in 2013 Crew module of the PTK NP spacecraft Landing gear of PTK NP spacecraft Retrievable Progress cargo ship Parom orbital tug Lunar Orbital Station, LOS Missions to Lagrangian points Space Exploration Initiative, SEI: A NASA program for a manned lunar base, which could involve international partners, including Russia Op-ed: Launch of SEI in 2004 | End of the Constellation program in 2010 Progress-Centaur: A US-Russian industry study of a cargo delivery system to the lunar orbit
PLANETARY SPACECRAFT
Hot topics: Lunar missions Luna-Resurs Luna-Grunt Lunny Poligon Phobos (Fobos) Phobos-Grunt Laplas Apophis Intergelio-Zond Mars Sample Return	INTO DEEP SPACE As soon as rockets learned to fly beyond the atmosphere, the spacecraft designers on both sides of the Atlantic drafted the plans for planetary exploration. The Soviet space probes opened race to the Moon, Venus and Mars. The projects of unmanned missions to Mercury and Jupiter were also under consideration in the former USSR. Russian unmanned planetary exploration program as of 2013 Unmanned missions to the Moon Historical missions: New, Jan. 2: Luna-1 Luna-24 Plans for the future: Luna-Glob (Origin of the project) Luna-Resurs (Origin of the project) Luna-Resurs landing Rethinking of Russian lunar plans in 2012 Luna-Glob lander Luna-Glob mission status in 2013 Luna-Glob orbiter Luna-Resurs lander Luna-Grunt Lunny Poligon Unmanned missions to Mars Historical missions: Mars-69 missions Phobos (Fobos) mission Mars-96 Phobos-Grunt (Fobos-Grunt) main page Origin of the Phobos-Grunt project Phobos-Grunt development during 2008-2009 Phobos-Grunt development during 2010 Phobos-Grunt development during 2011 Launch of Phobos-Grunt mission Command and control challenges in Phobos-Grunt mission Phobos-Grunt reentry Plans for the future: ExoMars 2016 ExoMars 2018 Phobos-Grunt-2 (Bumerang) Mars-NET Mars sample return Unmanned missions to Venus In depth: Venera-7 Venera-72 No. 671 (Kosmos-482) Venera-9 and 10 Venera-D Unmanned missions beyond Mars and Venus In depth: Intergelio-Zond mission to explore our Sun Laplas mission to Jupiter and its moons Missions to Mercury Missions to comets and asteroids Anapa asteroid-orbiting mission Mission to Apophis
MILITARY SPACECRAFT
Hot topics: Persona Kondor Geo-IK-2 GLONASS-K Musson	IN THE UNIFORM: Military satellites An invisible army of military satellites was orbiting Earth since the down of the space era. In fact, the absolute majority of satellites the Soviet Union had launched during its existence served military purposes. Ironically, for several decades, the USSR would not even admit the existence of the military space program in the country. As a result, numerous spacecraft have never been seen or heard of until the last decade of the 20th century. As their US counterparts, the Russian satellites served as spies for the government, as space sentries looking for the incoming missiles, provided secret communications and weather forecasting and scanned surface of the oceans in search for potential targets for the Soviet cruise missiles. In depth: Almaz-T radar spacecraft Araks surveillance satellite Garpun military data relay satellite Geo-IK-2 geodetic satellite GLONASS satellite navigation network Uragan navigation satellite Uragan-K (GLONASS-K) navigation satellite GLONASS satellite missions IS anti-satellite system Kobalt-M reconnaissance satellite Kondor reconnaissance satellite Liana electronic intelligence network Meridian communications satellite Musson geodetic satellite Naryad anti-satellite system Oko/US-K early-warning satellite Parus navigation satellite Persona reconnaissance satellite Raduga communications satellite Raduga-1/Globus-1 communications satellite Raduga-1M/Globus-1M communications satellite Rodnik communications satellite Sfera geodetic satellite SKA radar satellite Strela communications satellite Tselina electronic intelligence satellite US-A and US-P ocean-surveillance and missile-guidance spacecraft
COMMERCIAL AND APPLICATION SPACECRAFT
Hot topics: Resurs-P Kanopus series Elektro-L Luch-5A	BUSINESS IN SPACE: Application and commercial satellites Although most satellites, the Soviet Union developed during its existence, originated as defense-related systems, many of them were slowly making their way into civilian sectors of the Russian economy. While some spacecraft combined their military and civilian roles, a number of satellites was built specifically for civilian purposes. Remote-sensing satellites Arktika satellite network BelKA Elektro-L Kanopus Meteor Obzor-O Obzor-R Pleiades Resurs-DK1 Resurs-P Sich-2 Sterkh Yubileiny (MiR) Communications satellites Ekspress commmunications satellite series Ekspress-1000N standard platform Ekspress-MD2 Gonets comsat Gorizont comsat KazSat comsat Luch relay satellite Luch-5A
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SPACECRAFT
Hot topics: Vozvrat-MKA Bion Karat platform Spektr-RG Spektr-UF	SPACELABS: Science satellites A very first satellite the Soviet Union launched in 1957 helped to advance the understanding of the upper atmosphere. Since then, the Russian spacecraft made their contribution in the mankind's understanding of the Universe. The Earth-orbiting satellites studied cosmic radiation, distant objects and physical phenomena in deep space. In depth: Astrometria star-mapping satellite AUOS spacecraft bus Bion project home page Original Bion satellites Bion-M spacecraft Bion-M No. 1 science program Aist satellite Preparing Bion-M No. for flight Bion-M No. 1 mission Bion-M No. 1 landing COROT astronomy satellite Cosmos-1 solar sailing spacecraft Foton material science satellite Gaia satellite Karat (MKA-FKI) platform home page MKA-FKI (PN2) Relek MKA-FKI (PN3) Konus-M (372A353) MKA-FKI (PN4) Strannik MKA-FKI (PN5) ARKA Kompas Koronas-Foton Navigator platform Spektr-R home page Origin of the Spektr project Spacecraft development Mission scenario Spacecraft design Orbital mission Spektr-M (Millimetron) orbital observatory Spektr-RG (Rentgen) X-ray orbital observatory Spektr-UF (Ultrafiolet, WSO) ultraviolet observatory Vozvrat-MKA