Undiscovered Soviet space programs - the N-1

Ok - maybe 'undiscovered' is mis-leading. Since I haven't personally dug up these stories, just have come across them recently. But I got you to read - right? Stay - it is worth it.

Back in January - I took family down to Tucson area to see the Pima Air and Space Museum and the Titan Missile museum. If you haven't figured it out already - I am a bit of a aircraft & defense issue nut. Just a nut - not a freak. I have a life otherwise.

While we were waiting for our tour, I was browsing the books at the Gift Shop - and ran across what I thought was going to be a cheesy little guidebook to the Russian (former Soviet) space program. It is titled Russian Spacecraft by Robert Godwin. Initially it didn't look like much - especially with only 96 pages - but the author did a good job of putting in the important facts. Like;

• Russian boosters were fueled w/ Kerosene & Liquid Oxygen (LOX) - instead of the US preference to Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) and LOX. And this dictated a lot of the design issues (not having the extra oomph of the cryo-fuel)
  
• Early Cosmonauts were ejected from their capsule on re-entry and parachuted to the ground themselves (because the parachutes on the capsule wouldn't slow it down enough)
  
• The Booster/launcher used to launch Soyuz and Progress capsules to the International Space Station today - is an modification of the early R-7 ICBM - which was used to put Yuri Gagarin into orbit.
  

But there were other things in this book - that immediately caught my eye (and finally swayed me to purchase to bring home to read). Like;

• The Russian Space program was truly mired in bureaucracy. The 'Designers' (like the great Korolev) fought harder among themselves for funding of their dreams/proposals at times harder than against the US Space program.
  
• the famed N-1 super-booster - did actually leave the launch pad an astounding four times. But due to the funding issues - it was never successful (zero for 4). More on that later.
  
• A 'Polythem' orbit anti-satelite weapons platform
  

I think the N-1 was held in almost mythical proportions by the US during the race to space - at least publicly. I don't ever remember seeing pictures of it, and was amazed when I first read that a not so secret US Intelligence agency, had a scale model of the N-1 launch complex in their on-site Museum.

Once Glasnost struck - then info started pouring out. Even the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC put a model of an N-1 on display (it was built by a model builder who donated it to the Museum to go next to a Saturn V in the same scale).

Speaking of the NASM - this is a picture of a Russian Vega probe that was given to the museum - and is now on display in the 'Space Hall' the Udvar-Hazy Center out at Dulles, VA.





Ok - back to the N-1. So before this little Pocket Guide, I (and my brother - the aspiring Aerospace Engineer - don't laugh - he graduates this Spring - and has real job offers already) thought that the N-1 never made it off the pad. And that's what hooked me about this book - because it had a picture of a night shot of the N-1 clearing the pad.

Now - it was never successfully flown - and the longest flight listed was just over a minute. But it was fresh info.

[You have to realize - that when I realized in college, that while I could run a computer just fine, I just didn't have the mindset to program one. So in an attempt to complete any degree and join the military - I switched to History. And one of the classes I had to take - was how to research. And my paper was going to be how to research the Soviet space program. Ala James Oberg (a former NASA engineer - who has become one of the foremost Space Experts). I think I got a 'B' on the paper - because I neglected one small fact. I don't read, speak or understand Russian. The prof said it wouldn't stop the research, just make it much more difficult!]

Ok - this one has been dragging on long enough. If you want more info on the N-1, may I suggest these two sites;

- Wiki and
- My Space Museum

Maybe when I rediscover my motivation for this post - I will write up the Polythem.

Quick Hit - How big?

I was chatting w/ a friend last night - and somehow the conversation got on to the relative size of different things. And I remembered seeing this site that had posted scale drawings of spaceships from different Sci Fi shows and Movies - so that once and for all - to help answer the question - that the USS Enterprise could or could not beat a Star Wars Star Destroyer.

I found where I had the link saved - and figured there might be others interested in it - so as my TGIF gift - here it is;

Starship Dimensions

I don't remember where I found it - it was probably some time killer that someone posted to Fark.

Have you ever been flying?

And I mean really flying? Not just being a passenger on a airborne bus. I mean FLYING!

Well - I got to experience my Christmas present earlier today - a Warbird flight in a T-6G Texan. From American Warbird.



[My wife and in-laws got it for me - after I had heard about the 'Commemorative Air Force' being in town w/ either their B-17 or B-24 conducting fund raising for their continuing operations. Don't recognize the name? It is the old Confederate Air Force - operating under a more PC name. I had mentioned that if they ever brought their B-29 out (the last one flying) - I would PAY for a ride on it. So they got me a ride on this Texan].

The T-6 Texan used to be one of the primary training aircraft of the US Armed Forces towards the end of World War 2, and it was also used in other countries around the world - up until 1993.

I was supposed to have the day-off and take my flight last Monday, but chaos and customer stupidity raised its ugly head - so I was able to reschedule to today (and it actually worked out for all involved - they had an aircraft down for mechanical problems last Sunday/Monday - so when I called to push my flight back, they were able to call someone who they had to cancel, and give them my slot).

I had a 30 minute - Super Ace flight - which meant that I got to sit up front. AHAH YEAHAHA!






And it also meant that I got some aerobatics - if I wanted to. So I got to tool around the outskirts of Casa Grande AZ for 30 minutes - between 2k and 6k feet - and ended up doing a couple of rolls. Which in a plane this heavy, and old - is an amazing feat.

My wife and I are already negotiating my plans to fly again next year. She made the comment - "How many breakfasts at Chik-Fil-A do you have to give up to fly the Texan for an hour?"

Stay tuned.

BTW - I sprung for the video of my flight too - since no one came to watch and take pictures (that's what happens when you schedule during the week). Once I get it converted off of the VHS it is on - to a DVD, then I can edit a couple of the rolls and post to YouTube.

UPDATE - yes - it has taken a while - but I got the tape of the flight made into a DVD. Some more pictures from the actual flight are now posted on my Flickr page.

What's more important?

• The length of the blog post or
• The timeliness of the post

This is something that I have been agonizing over as I have started posting again on a more regular basis.

In terms of length, I guess I am trying to be 'complete' in terms of my whole thought process. But when I look back at some of my earlier posts, I split them up across multiple posts.

And I am trying to weight that against being timely. It took me over a week to get that post about the Chinese ASAT test to the point that I could publish it.

(and I have another post - that might see the light of day - by the end of the week, and I have been working on that one for almost two weeks now).

So either let me know in a comment, or drop me an email, and I'll see how things go.

What can a bug in a computer program do?

Let's ask the US Air Force, who when trying to deploy their brand spanking new F-22 Air-supremacy fighter to Japan the other week, and to turn back to Hawaii due to an initially unspecified computer bug.

Well - it is finally come out what that bug actually was.

The International Date Line.

Yep - you heard me. A line on a map - caused the computers on 6 F-22's to lock up. And the planes had to follow (yes - follow) their escort tankers back to Hawaii.

Here is the thread over on DefenseTech about this. I really like the comment in the most recent AP story - that said one of the pilots was able to contact a Lockheed-Martin engineer and try to reboot the computer.

What did this guy have his Cellphone w/ him? And was talking and flying at the same time? If he was - he must be Superman - since most people I see DRIVING and talking on a cellphone can barely handle it.

So - now that you know what a bug did to a bunch of brand spanking new Air Force planes - are your computers updated for the revised DST change next week ;) ?

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If you want more info on the F-22's and their initial overseas deployment - keep an eye on David Axe. He is a Military Tech correspondent for Defense Tech International, and also publishes his stories on Wired's new Blog - the Danger Room (run by the guy who used to be in charge of the DefenseTech blog at Military.com).

You have been warned

OK - I have just gotten tired of it.

Consider this a warning - so that maybe you will think before you blindly spill your guts and send very personal things via email. Email you don't control.

I can guarantee that there is someone out that is watching your mail messages go by. How you say? Because that's what I am paid to do - day in and day out. I am a faceless Postmaster who runs email systems for several large companies.

If you don't run your own mail server - and encrypt your msgs from the time they leave your computer - until the time that your receipient gets them - then someone like me can read them.

I can see if you are floating your resume out to recruiters (and if they respond). I can see if you are doing personal (or competing) business on company time. I can see the pictures of your new child, your new house, your new car, your new boyfriend/girlfriend, or the latest MasterCard farce picture. I can see when you have broken up w/ your spouse, and are confiding w/ your best friend.

Oh - and hiding those pictures of Miss February in a PowerPoint presentation - just slows the system down - and doesn't hide them from anyone.

With the amount of spam that is going through the 'Net these days - the systems are getting smarter, but so are the spammers. So you have to check to see how well the filters are working. And when they don't work so well - you get a mess of mail that you really don't want to see.

Doubt what I am saying? Check your Acceptable use Policy from your ISP, or your Corporate Email policy. Don't have an email policy - well that can only spell trouble for your employer. When they go to let someone go for reading humor list posts all day long.

(Been there done that - have the T-Shirt - several in fact).

Space War - already begun?

Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the last 3 weeks, you might have heard about the Chinese and their Anti-satellite test. The People's Liberation Army launched an old ballistic missile and scored a impact kill on one of their old Weather sat's (approx 500 miles up).

The reason that this test has scared the beegeebers out of everyone (esp the US) is that this altitude is considered key - because the majority of the intelligence gathering satellites are below this altitude. The New York Times published a graphical chart showing the altitude of this test - in relationship to the other satellites in orbit (shown on the right side of this page). Compare the number of blocks (each representing a satellite) in first column (the US) w/ the second column (China). Attacks against these satellites would only server to blind the US, but not make us impotent. The GPS constellaton - is located at a higher altitude - so it can still be used to rain precision guided munitions down on our enemies. We just might not hit the 'right' target - if we can't see where it is when it is time to attack. [For comparison purposes - the International Space Station orbits approx 190 nautical miles up, and the Ansari X prize - which was won by ScaledComposites SpaceShipOne only reached approx 62 nautical miles] Another key point about the altitude that this test occurred at - is that the expected 900 major pieces of debris will now have to make it through all of those orbital paths, before it can fall out of the sky (and safely disintegrate on re-entry to Earth's atmosphere). Space.com - continues to track this element of the story - most recently in this article. The one thing that no one seems to be talking about - is that the Chinese could successfully 'test' their new toy several times, and creaet a large amount of debris in orbit - and that debris could damage several satellites. Think about it - they can destroy satellites quicker and cheaper than anyone else can deploy replacements.

US sources claim that this did not come as a surprise, but the hue and cry over this test has been dramatic. The US shared the intel on this test w/ several in the international community (more than just the usual UK & NATO), and several countries came out against this test. And one of the more interesting facts about this was that the Chinese did not immediately come out acknowledging this test - and that they were perfectly within their right to do so.

About a week before the Chinese test was made public - the Space Review published an article talking about how the US had realized that a hard kill ASAT would result in orbit debris that could do as much if not more harm to the orbital environment - and has been looking at ways to 'soft' kill or temporarily neutralize someone else's orbital assets.

And the US has tested some basic ASAT techniques. Not only was there the ASAT launched from high-altitude by a F-15 pilot, but along the same lines as the Chinese test - there was a US Army ABM project - the Homing Overlay Experiment. The picture below is from a test vehicle for this project that is currently hanging in the Space wing of the National Air & Space Museum out in Dulles, VA.






Defense Tech - has a good series of articles about this event - best started w/ the first article - here. At the bottom of the article - they include links to the subsequent articles and revelations about this test (one of the keys ones is that it took a significant amount of time before the Chinese admitted what they had done).

Then there is this link to MSNBC which has an animation showing the orbits of the debris from this test - compared to the orbit of the International Space Station - Video.

The most interesting (and short) article about all of the hulabaloo - has been this Wired News article - that was posted this past Thursday. I love the last line of it;

"If there was any chance that our military space budget was going to be cut, the Chinese have just ended that," Lewis said.

As several of the articles above have mentioned - this test is going to have long term effects in the Space and Defense policies of the US for a long time to come (at least until the next Presidential election).

Stay tuned.