DNEPR ROCKET

The 'Dnepr rocket' (; ) is a space launch vehicle named after the Dnieper River. It is a converted ICBM used for launching artificial satellites into orbit, operated by launch service provider ISC Kosmotras. The first launch, on April 21, 1999, successfully place UoSAT-12, a 350 kg demonstration mini-satellite, into a 650 km circular LEO.^[1][2]

Contents

Converted missile

Performance

Launch history

Launch failure

References

External links

Converted missile

The Dnepr is based on the R-36MUTTH ICBM -- called the ''SS-18 Satan'' by NATO -- designed by the Yuzhnoe Design Bureau in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine. The Dnepr is three-stage rocket using storable toxic liquid propellants. The launch vehicles used for satellite launches are withdrawn from service with the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces and stored for commercial use. A group of 150 ICBMs can be converted for use and are available until 2020. The Dnepr can be launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan and a newly created Cosmodrome at the Yasny launch base (Dombarovsky), in the Orenburg region of Russia.

Performance

The Dnepr launch vehicle has only a small number of modifications compared to the R-36M ICBM in service. The main difference is the payload adapter located the space head module and modified flight-control unit. This baseline version can lift 3,600 kg into a 300 km low earth orbit at an inclination of 50.6°, or 2,300 kg to a 300 km sun-synchronous orbit at an inclination of 98.0°. On a typical mission the Dnepr deploys a larger main payload and a secondary payload of Miniaturized satellites and CubeSats. A number of Space Tugs are under development which will be placed inside the space head module, thereby sacrificing volume and payload but enabling orbits requiring more energy, including planetary escape orbits.

Launch history

Before the Dnepr entered commercial service it was in service with the Strategic Rocket Forces which launched the ICBM version over 160 times with a reliability of 97%. The rocket has been used ten times for commercial purposes with a single failure.

Flight	Date	Payload	Orbit	Site
1	April 21, 1999	UoSAT-12	650 km circular LEO at 65˚ inclination	Baikonur
2	September 26, 2000	MegSat-1 (Spain)/UniSat (Italy)/TiungSat-1 (Malaysia)/ SaudiSat-1A & SaudiSat 1B (Saudi Arabia)	650 km circular LEO at 65˚ inclination	Baikonur
3	December 20, 2002	LatinSat 1 & LatinSat 2 (Argentina)/SaudiSat-1S (Saudi Arabia)/UniSat 2 (Italy)/Rubin 2 (Germany)	650 km circular LEO at 65˚ inclination	Baikonur
4	June 29, 2004	Demeter (France)/ Saudicomsat-1, Saudicomsat 2 & Saudisat 2 (Saudi Arabia)/ LatinSat C & LatinSat D (Argentina)/ Unisat-3 (Italy)/ Amsat Echo (USA)	700 km × 850 km Sun-synchronic orbit at 98˚ inclination	Baikonur
5	August 24, 2005	OICETS & INDEX (Japan)	600 km × 50 km Sun-synchronic orbit at 98˚ inclination	Baikonur
6	July 12, 2006	Genesis I (USA)	560 km circular LEO at 65˚ inclination	Yasny
7	July 26, 2006	BelKA (Belarus)/ UniSat-4 & PiCPoT (Italy)/ Baumanets ( Russia)/ AeroCube-1, CP1, CP2, ICEcube-1, ICEcube-2, ION, KUTESat, Merope, Rincon 1, Voyager & SACRED (USA)/HAUSAT-1 (South Korea)/Ncube-1 (Norway)/SEEDS (Japan)	failed to reach orbit	Baikonur
8	17 April, 2007	EgyptSat 1/SaudiSat 3/SaudiComSat 3-7 /AKS 1/AKS 2/Cal Poly Picosatellite Project 3 &4/CAPE 1/Libertad 1/AeroCube 2/CubeSat TestBed 1/ MAST	692 km × 665 km Sun synchronous orbit at 98˚ inclination[3]	Baikonur
9	15 June, 2007	TerraSAR-X	514 km circular LEO at 97˚ inclination[4]	Baikonur
10	28 June, 2007	Genesis II	560 km circular LEO at 65˚ inclination	Yasny
'Planned launches'
11	October 2007	Sudansat 1	planned	Baikonur
12	November 2007	KatySat 1/ KiwiSAT[5] / Atmocube / Cubesat-RAFT / Funsat / PEGASUS / UCISAT	planned	Baikonur
13	26 November, 2007	RapidEye 1/2/3/4/5	planned	Baikonur
14	February, 2008	THEOS	planned	Baikonur
15	March, 2008	HAUSat 2	planned	Baikonur
16	March, 2008	Lapansat 2	planned	Baikonur
17	March, 2008	BLUEsat	planned	Baikonur
18	May, 2008	Sitch 2	planned	??

Launch failure

The committee investigating the failed launch on July 26, 2006 concluded that the failure was caused by a malfunctioning of the pumping hydraulic drive of combustion chamber #4. The control malfunctioning brought about the disturbances, which led to the roll instability, excessive dispersions of the yaw and pitch angles. Thrust termination occurred at 74 seconds after lift off. The crash site was located 150 km from the launch pad in an unpopulated area of Kazakhstan. Toxic propellants did pollute the crash site, forcing Russia to pay US$1.1m in compensation^[6]. The rocket used for this launch was more than twenty years old. Procedures for launch have been changed to prevent future malfunctions of this kind.

References

1. The Dnepr launcher
2. UoSAT-12 Integrates with Dnepr for Launch on 21 April
3. EgyptSat 1/Saudisat-3 launch details
4. TerraSAR-X launch details
5. KiwiSAT - Launch to Orbit
6. Russia to pay Kazakhstan over US million in compensation for damage from rocket crash

External links

★ Kosmotras launch service provider

★ DNEPR User's guide

★ Astronautix entry - R-36M2

★ Space Calendar (JPL)