quote: The world's first spacecraft to use a solar sail for propulsion is set to be launched from a submerged Russian submarine on 1 March next year. Cosmos-1 has been built by space advocacy group The Planetary Society and will deploy eight triangular sail blades once it is in space.
From: home of the Guess Who | Registered: Nov 2003
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Albireo
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3052
posted 10 November 2004 02:46 PM
The launch method is interesting; I never knew that a launch into space from a submarine (!) was possible.
quote:Cosmos-1 will be launched into space aboard a modified Volna intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from a submarine in the Barents Sea. Typically, the Volna does not have enough thrust to reach orbit.
But the missile used for Cosmos-1 will have an added rocket engine (kick stage) of a type used to de-orbit satellites.
quote:Meanwhile, a Russian nuclear submarine on Wednesday test launched an unarmed missile and successfully hit its target at the Kuru proving ground in the Russian Far East, according to Russian Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo.
The submarine involved was the Novomoskovsk, which is part of the Russian Northern Fleet.
The same boat in 1998 hosted the world's first civil space launch of a satellite to low Earth orbit using a rocket launched from underwater.
From: the cold | Registered: May 2004
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Cueball
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4790
posted 10 November 2004 03:33 PM
That is exciting.
From: Out from under the bridge and out for a stroll | Registered: Dec 2003
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Rufus Polson
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Babbler # 3308
posted 10 November 2004 06:22 PM
Pretty cool. I guess what it comes down to is, they have all these surplus ICBMs on submarines, and it's probably almost cheaper to do something interesting with them than to decommission them and take them apart and whatnot. I bet there's a much bigger bureaucracy chain for getting rid of a missile than there is for shooting it.
From: Caithnard College | Registered: Nov 2002
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Agent 204
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4668
posted 10 November 2004 06:26 PM
Not just cheaper, maybe even profitable. I presume the Planetary Society paid them a fair bit of cash to launch their ship.
From: home of the Guess Who | Registered: Nov 2003
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posted 10 November 2004 02:20 PM
