Nowadays Antonov Aeronautical Scientific Technical Complex jointly
with Russian enterprises of aeronautical branch develops the
project of a launch of artificial satellites with the help of
aeronautical systems. The project is called Aerial Launch. Launch
of a carrier rocket (CR) from an airplane allows:
to reduce the cost of space apparatus (SA) putting in the orbit in
several times;
to provide the wide range of SA orbits slope;
to save time for preparation to the re-launch;
to reduce injurious effect on ecology
to increase a mass of the load launching to the orbit.
The launch of a rocket from an airplane practically does not depend
on the weather and climatic conditions. The launch from an attitude
gives also an advantadge as the rocket does not need to come
through the densest bed of the atmosphere on its own.
Such launches can be made above the area of World Ocean water, far
away of routes with the intensive traffic and industrial zones.
Besides the operation of air rocket complex does not need
cosmodromes services, it may be operated from a standard airdrome.
That is why the proposed scheme of rockets launch and drawing space
apparati out to the orbit is one of the most accept-able for
Ukraine and other countries which do not have cosmodromes. Launches
in the interests of the national space programme of Ukraine,
international cooperation and with a commercial purposes can be
carried out as from the territory of Ukraine as from the equatorial
zone and other regions depending on current tasks.
The complex includes:
the AN-124-100BC Ruslan carrier airplane (CA), which is an aerial
launch platform;
two-stage Poliot CR with HK-43M modified oxygen-kerosene engines
on the first stage and ÐÄ0124 on the second stage;
space boost block with the ÐÄ0158 oxygen-kerosene engine;
ground complex for launch preparation on a basic airdrome and
airdromes of a launch;
complex of automated systems of preparation, launch and flight
control.
The AN-124-100BC Ruslan carrier airplane is intended for delivery
to the site of launch of a space rocket, equipment and systems of a
rocket segment. CA can take-off practically from any region of the
globe from an airdrome equipped with the corresponding means of
preparation and having the runway with a length more than 3 km. CA
is a returnable repeatedly used first stage of the eduction
system.
The AN-124BC is a modification of basic AN-124-100 airplane
consisting of:
debugging of the fuselage tail-end;
modification of cargo hatch construction;
debugging of power supply systems and radio systems
fitting out with an additional equipment necessary for
transportation and launch of CR.
CA can deliver a CR to the launch zone at a distance of up to 4000
km from the site of launch that allows to carry out putting a
satellite practically in any orbit on safety routes in the area of
World Ocean water. Aeronautical-rocket complex for space purposes
(ARC SP) Aerial Launch allows to put in space light space
apparati with weight of 3000-4000 kgf in the law near-earth orbits,
of 1600-1700 kgf in geotransitional orbits, of 600-800 kgf in
geostationary orbits, to fulfill expansion and replenishment of
groups of multi-satellite systems.
Equipment and systems of preparation and launch of rocket segment
onboard CA provide:
fuelling CR with components of fuel or their discharge;
installation, fixation of CR in the cargo compartment and reject of
CR out of CA;
telemetric measurements of parameters of CR and CA status and
passing of telemetrical information to command post;
CR flight control and others
At present the draft of Aerial launch ARC SP is developed and all
necessary works for its rea-lization are carried out.
http://www.antonov.com/products/air/special/AN-124as/index.xml
This technology might allow ballistic missiles to be launched from
seemingly harmless civilian transport planes! This can give the
anti-ballistic missile operators a nasty surprise! 