Annotation: The article deals with the problems of applying new approaches to formation and improvement of operation system. Turning of space hardware and services into marketable commodity requires their new qualities that determine competitiveness. The main task of presented works was approbation of new approaches to improvement of space launch systems operation quality and operation process effectiveness by the example of prospective Cyclone-4M space rocket complex. The works to form and improve its operation system were performed using the methods based on general theory of space systems operation and the pocedures based on the results of research work conducted by Yuzhnoye SDO in 2015 for analytical evaluation of launch services costs. The topicality of the article is confirmed by the results of practical application of new approaches in main directions of Cyclone-4M space rocket complex operation system improvement, which allowed increasing commercial attractibility of Yuzhnoye SDO-developed systems due to reduction of direct recurring costs and annual expenses. The article describes the course of development of operation model of a created object; based on investigation of the processes of this model, the object’s performance characteristics are detemined. The basis of the article are the organizational-and-technical decisions used herewith and the results obtained for Cyclone-4M space rocket complex. The article is of practical interest for specialists involved in creation of space rocket complexes and other sophisticated systems where the operation system is a multi-level organizational-technical system.

Annotation: The strength of real solids depends essentially on the defect of the structure. In real materials, there is always a large number of various micro defects, the development of which under the influence of loading leads to the appearance of cracks and their growth in the form of local or complete destruction. In this paper, based on the method of singular integral equations, we present a unified approach to the solution of thermal elasticity problems for bodies weakened by inhomogeneities. The purpose of the work is to take into account the heterogeneities in the materials of the elements of the rocket structures on their functionally-gradient properties, including strength. The choice of the method of investigation of strength and destruction of structural elements depends on the size of the object under study. Micro-research is related to the heterogeneities that are formed in the surface layer at the stage of preparation, the technology of manufacturing structural elements. Defectiveness allows you to adequately consider the mechanism of destruction of objects as a process of development of cracks. In studying the limit state of real elements, weakened by defects and constructing on this basis the theory of their strength and destruction in addition to the deterministic one must consider the probabilistic – statistical approach. In the case of thermal action on structural elements in which there are uniformly scattered, non-interacting randomly distributed defects of the type of cracks, the laws of joint distribution of the length and angle of orientation of which are known, the limiting value of the heat flux for the balanced state of the crack having the length of the “weakest link” is determined. The influence of heterogeneities of technological origin (from the workpiece to the finished product) that occur in the surface layer in the technology of manufacturing structural elements on its destruction is taken into account by the developed model. The strength of real solids depends essentially on the defect of the structure. In real materials, there are always many various micro defects, the development of which under the influence of loading leads to the appearance of cracks and their growth in the form of local or complete destruction. In this paper, based on the method of singular integral equations, we present a unified approach to the solution of thermal elasticity problems for bodies weakened by inhomogeneities. The purpose of the work is to take into account the heterogeneities in the materials of the elements of the rocket structures on their functionally gradient properties, including strength. The choice of the method of investigation of strength and destruction of structural elements depends on the size of the object under study. Micro-research is related to the heterogeneities that are formed in the surface layer at the stage of preparation, the technology of manufacturing structural elements. Defectiveness allows you to adequately consider the mechanism of destruction of objects as a process of development of cracks. In studying the limit state of real elements, weakened by defects and constructing on this basis the theory of their strength and destruction besides the deterministic one must consider the probabilistic – statistical approach. With thermal action on structural elements in which there are uniformly scattered, non-interacting randomly distributed defects of the cracks, the laws of joint distribution of the length and angle of orientation of which are known, the limiting value of the heat flux for the balanced state of the crack having the length of the “weakest link” is determined. The influence of heterogeneities of technological origin (from the workpiece to the finished product) that occur in the surface layer in the technology of manufacturing structural elements on its destruction is taken into account by the developed model. The solution of the singular integral equation with the Cauchy kernel allows one to determine the intensity of stresses around the vertexes of defects of the cracks, and by comparing it with the criterion of fracture toughness for the material of a structural element, one can determine its state. If this criterion is violated, the weak link defect develops into a trunk crack. Also, a criterion correlation of the condition of the equilibrium defect condition with a length of 2l was got, depending on the magnitude of the contact temperature. When the weld is cooled, it develops “hot cracks” that lead to a lack of welding elements of the structures. The results of the simulation using singular integral equations open the possibility to evaluate the influence of thirdparty fillers on the loss of functional properties of inhomogeneous systems. The exact determination of the order and nature of the singularity near the vertices of the acute-angled imperfection in the inhomogeneous medium, presented in the analytical form, is necessary to plan and record the corresponding criterion relations to determine the functional properties of inhomogeneous systems.

Annotation: The main parameters are understood as: carrying capacity mг, range L and fuel efficiency qт, which largely determine the competitiveness of aircraft of this type, including military transport aircraft. The reason for the creation of modifications of transport category aircraft is the requirement for a constant increase in their flight performance by increasing the carrying capacity and range. Among the main goals of implementing such decisions there is an indispensable increase in the fuel efficiency of modifications, since the cost of fuel reaches 80 % of the cost of an airplane hour during operation. There are a number of models that make it possible to assess the influence of the weight and aerodynamic parameters of the airframe of the aircraft and the fuel performance of the power plant (specific engine consumption) on the integral indicator of the fuel efficiency of the modification at cruising mode and the average hourly fuel consumption at the certification stage, when all parameters of the airframe and engine are fixed and consideration of options is not possible. A new model is proposed for the stage of designing modifications, in which deep modification changes are made in the geometry of wing and in the power plant with various variants of their correlation and coordination. The parameters of new model: specific fuel efficiency – specific route productivity, in order to form the relative carrying capacity and relative range of action for the required specific fuel efficiency. An analysis of such dependencies showed: – with an increase in relative range L , fuel costs per flight also increase; – the adequacy of changes in route performance is observed only at L < 0.5. At L > 0.5 productivity is constantly decreasing, while the specific indicator of fuel consumption per unit of work increases exponentially; – if in the analysis we take into account the specific value of transport efficiency, that is, the characteristic “load – range” ( mп.н  f L ), it becomes obvious that the most favorable (from the point of view of fuel efficiency) are relative ranges of 0,3 < L < 0,5. In this range L , not only acceptable fuel efficiency values are realized, but also the maximum value of the route performance, that is the main parameters for which modifications are developed.

Annotation: The mathematic modeling was performed of the flight of light-class three-stage launch vehicle injecting a payload into sun-synchronous orbit of 700 km altitude and a cluster of observed space debris objects in the conditions of dynamically changing cataloged space situation. It is shown that as the launch moment becomes closer, the cataloged space situation is ascertained, which leads to the constant change of the quantity of hazardous space debris objects observed in the vicinity of launch vehicle trajectory and to the change of the parameters of their approach to the launch vehicle: minimal relative distance, relative velocity, rendezvous angle and launch moment for which hazardous approach is revealed. The hazardous approaches for the launch vehicle trajectory under consideration are more often observed with the relative velocities of more than 8 km/s and rendezvous angles less than 90 deg and their variations within the launch window do not exceed 1.2 m/s and 0.035 deg respectively. In this case, the histograms of distribution of relative distance, relative velocity, and rendezvous angle from catalog to catalog vary insignificantly. The distribution of hazardous approaches in launch time within launch window is not uniform, the regions are observed with low quantity of hazardous approaches and with high quantity. The hazard of launch vehicle collision with observed space debris objects in a launch is confirmed. In all, in the launch day time window under consideration, more than ten hazardous approaches are revealed, for two of them the approach to minimal distance of less than 1 km is predicted. This testifies to the necessity of taking measures to increase safety of launch vehicle flight through observed space debris cluster. In order to increase Ukrainian launch vehicles miss ion safety in the conditions of near space pollution, it is proposed to create the system of pre -flight space analysis, whose tasks are periodic analysis of space situation not less than once in a day, revealing of hazardous approaches, determination of their parameters, and preparation of data to make decision on launch time.

Annotation: At Yuzhnoye State Design Office, the Cyclone-4 launch vehicle 3rd stage engine has been developed and is under testing. For adjustment of the engine and test bench systems, in the first firing tests the radiation-cooled nozzle extension was replaced with a steel water-cooled one. It was planned to start the engine with water-cooled nozzle extension without vacuumizing and without gad dynamic pipe, which conditioned operation with flow separation at the output edge of water-cooled nozzle extension. Therefore, the calculation of flow in the nozzle with water-cooled extension, flow separation place, and thermal load on watercooled nozzle extension during operation in ground conditions is an important task. Selection of turbulent flow model has a noticeable impact on prediction of flow characteristics. The gas dynamic analysis of the nozzle with water-cooled extension showed the importance of using the turbulent flow model k-ω SST for the flows with internal separation of boundary layer and with flow separation at nozzle section. The use the flow model k-ω SST for calculation of nozzle with flow separation or with internal transitional layer allows adequately describing the flow pattern, though, as the comparison with experimental data showed, this model predicts later flow separation from the wall than that obtained in the tests. The calculation allows obtaining a temperature profile of the wall and providing the recommendations for selection of pressure measurement place in the nozzle extension for the purpose of reducing sensors indication error. With consideration for the special nature of the nozzle extension wall temperature field, the cooling mode was selected. The tests of RD861K engine nozzle with water-cooled extension allow speaking about its successful use as a required element for testing engine start and operation in ground conditions without additional test bench equipment.

Annotation: It also contains the description of generalized mathematical model which can be used for selection of a specific type of chemical current sources for the self-contained power supply system of self-propelled launcher.

Annotation: This paper describes the effective approach for the technology of the rocket airframe development testing, based on the method of numerical modelling, which enables the virtual experimental runs prior to the beginning of the development testing to check the performance of the standard airframes and predict issues of concern. The method is realized based on the computer models developed in the ANSYS Workbench environment. Based on the offered method the complex mechanical system, which attaches the cluster projectiles in the conditions of the temperature exposure and heat cycling, underwent the virtual tests. Computational models, criteria and test procedures necessary for the analysis of the mechanical condition and prediction of the performance of the actual airframe of the warhead were developed. Moreover, computational models consider all the design and technological features of the airframe: layout of the projectiles attachments, initial stress-strain state of the system after the tightening of the threaded connections, friction between the components of the system and their mutual displacement, temperature dependence of the physical and mechanical characteristics and ultimate stress of materials. For the specified loading conditions during the ground operations with the warhead, the most dangerous computational cases are determined which have been implemented during the virtual tests. Test results were used to conduct the static analysis of the mechanical condition, strength and conditions for performance of the actual structure of the attachment under the impact of the operating levels of temperature exposure and heat cycling. Results of the virtual tests confirm the performance of the projectiles attachment system and are introduced into production in the phase of engineering development.

Annotation: This article considers the issue of achievement of the specified value of propellants saturation by helium after their delivery from the manufacturers to the launch site. Knowing the fact that propellants gas saturation or gas separation processes are labour-consuming and costly this issue is of immediate interest. In order to solve this problem number of factors have been considered, which determine the value of gas saturation in the propellants delivered to the launch site and procedure to control the value of gas saturation by the fuel manufacturer has been developed. This procedure implies that shipping tank container is pressurized after being fueled with propellants at the manufacturer’s, the pressure is characterized by the value of the known initial deficit or excess of gas in the propellants, following which tank container is delivered to the launch site. During transportation tank container is subjected to various kinds of mechanical actions (vibration, rolling and pitching in the sea, braking, transshipment), therefore intensive mixing of propellants occur. As propellants mix, process of propellant saturation occurs when certain amount of gas transits from tank container’s gas volume into the liquid, therefore certain gas saturation is reached. Article includes the measuring results of the gas liquid medium parameters inside the tank containers with fuel in the process of fuel transportation to Ukraine from PRC factories and estimations of the measuring results using the developed model which confirmed the quantitative nature of the mass exchange processes, included in the model, going on in the gas liquid medium during transportation of the tank container with fuel equipment. It has been determined that due to inevitable errors in the measuring of the specified parameters by the tank container, the achievement of the specified gas saturation with high precision is problematic. In spite of the fact that this procedure does not provide exact value of the specified gas saturation, its application will accelerate and make cheaper the process of fuel preparation for filling operations at the launch site, which is especially relevant in case of fuel saturation by helium. Based on this fuel saturation by helium procedure, the complex technology is suggested, providing controlled gas saturation during fuel delivery and subsequent adjustment of gas saturation using launch site equipment. Therefore, this article develops and studies the original model of the controlled gas saturation of the fuel during its delivery to the consumer. Alternative of the practical use of the study results is suggested in the form of the complex technology of fuel saturation by helium, delivered in the tank containers from the manufacturer to the launch site.

Annotation: The results of developments and investigations are presented in the field of detonation solid rocket motors (DSRM) conducted jointly by the Institute of Technical Mechanics of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine and State Space Agency of Ukraine (ITM of NASU and SSAU, hereafter ITM) and Yuzhnoye State Design Office (hereafter Yuzhnoye SDO). The physical basis, design peculiarities of DSRM with continuous (not pulsed) operation mode, the test base characteristics, the results of development and firing tests of DSRM test models for some space rocketry items are described. The assessments are made of achieved and prospective levels of DSRM technical characteristics, their application areas and a number of problems requiring solution.

Annotation: When accomplishing the task of spacecraft orbital injection, the necessity arises of main engine multiple ignitions and consequently, long pauses between the ignitions are possible. As the propellant during pauses between ignitions is in the conditions of practically full absence of gravitation and can freely move over entire tank volume taking practically any spatial position, to ensure main engine guaranteed ignition the necessity arises to move the propellant into pre-start position. The propellant is moved to the supply lines by way of creating longitudinal acceleration which is done using inertial continuity ensuring means (thrusters). The time of full liquid displacement from one position into another is the most important parameter having an impact on propellant amount in the tanks and accordingly, on power characteristics of a stage. The theoretical calculations of hydrodynamic processes are connected with considerable mathematical difficulties caused by complexity of solving hydrodynamic problems of determination of liquid flowing with free surface taking into account surface tension of the liquid and many other geometrical, kinematic, and dynamic factors. Therefore, the most reliable data from solving these problems are currently obtained only on model hydrodynamic stands where it is possible to model liquid behavior in tanks in the conditions of variable gravitation. The paper presents the authors-developed procedure of calculating the full time required for propellant components deposition during rocket’s apogee stage flight and the procedure of selecting the modeling parameters (scale, time, and acсeleration) to ensure development testing in the conditions of limited test stand base. The use of the proposed procedure allows (in initial phase of launch vehicle development) determining the full time required to perform deposition with sufficient accuracy and thus optimizing the propellant mass required for operation of inertial continuity ensuring system, which in its turn, will allow increasing the payload mass to be injected.