Dream Chaser (“Running for a Dream”) is a new manned vehicle from the private company Sierra Nevada Corporation (USA). This reusable manned spacecraft will carry cargo and a crew of up to 7 people into low Earth orbit. According to the project, the spacecraft will use wings and use them to land on a regular runway. The design is based on the HL-20 orbital aircraft design

©Sierra Nevada Corporation

While the Americans of the middle of the last century were feverishly figuring out how to keep up with the “evil empire,” it was full of slogans: “Komsomol - on a plane,” “To Star Space - YES!” Today, the United States can launch spaceships with the ease of kites, while ours can only plow, perhaps, Bolshoi Theater. Understood the details of Naked Science.

Story

During times cold war space was one of the arenas for the struggle between the Soviet Union and the United States. The geopolitical confrontation between superpowers was the main incentive in those years for the development of the space industry. A huge amount of resources have been devoted to the implementation of space exploration programs. In particular, the US government spent about twenty-five billion dollars on the implementation of the Apollo project, the main goal of which was to land a man on the surface of the Moon. For the 70s of the last century, this amount was simply gigantic. The USSR lunar program, which was never destined to come true, cost the budget Soviet Union 2.5 billion rubles. The development of the domestic reusable spacecraft Buran cost sixteen billion rubles. At the same time, fate destined Buran to make only one space flight.

Its American counterpart was much luckier. The Space Shuttle made one hundred and thirty-five launches. But the American shuttle did not last forever. A ship created by state program"Space Transport System", on July 8, 2011, carried out its last space launch, which ended in the early morning of July 21 of the same year. During the implementation of the program, the Americans produced six shuttles, one of which was a prototype that never carried out space flights. Two ships were completely catastrophic.

Apollo 11 liftoff

©NASA

From the point of view of economic feasibility, the Space Shuttle program can hardly be called successful. Disposable spacecraft turned out to be much more economical than their seemingly more technologically advanced reusable counterparts. And the safety of flights on the shuttles was questionable. During their operation, as a result of two disasters, fourteen astronauts became victims. But the reason for such ambiguous results of the space travel of the legendary ship lies not in its technical imperfection, but in the complexity of the very concept of reusable spacecraft.

As a result, the Russian Soyuz disposable spacecraft, developed back in the 60s of the last century, became the only type of spacecraft currently carrying out manned flights to the International space station(ISS). It should be immediately noted that this does not at all indicate their superiority over the Space Shuttle. The Soyuz spacecraft, as well as the Progress unmanned space trucks created on their basis, have a number of conceptual shortcomings. They are very limited in carrying capacity. And the use of such devices leads to the accumulation of orbital debris remaining after their operation. Space flights on Soyuz-type spacecraft will very soon become part of history. At the same time, today there are no real alternatives. The enormous potential inherent in the concept of reusable ships often remains technically unrealizable even in our time.

The first project of the Soviet reusable orbital aircraft OS-120 Buran, proposed by NPO Energia in 1975 and which was an analogue of the American Space Shuttle

©buran.ru

New US spaceships

In July 2011, American President Barack Obama said: a flight to Mars is a new and, as far as one can assume, the main goal of American astronauts for the coming decades. One of the programs carried out by NASA as part of the exploration of the Moon and the flight to Mars was the large-scale space program “Constellation”.

It is based on the creation of a new manned spacecraft "Orion", launch vehicles "Ares-1" and "Ares-5", as well as the lunar module "Altair". Despite the fact that in 2010 the US government decided to curtail the Constellation program, NASA was able to continue developing Orion. The first unmanned test flight of the ship is planned for 2014. It is expected that during the flight the device will move six thousand kilometers from the Earth. This is about fifteen times further than the ISS. After the test flight, the ship will head towards Earth. The new device will be able to enter the atmosphere at a speed of 32 thousand km/h. According to this indicator, Orion is one and a half thousand kilometers superior to the legendary Apollo. Orion's first unmanned experimental flight is intended to demonstrate its potential capabilities. Testing the ship should be an important step towards its manned launch, which is scheduled for 2021.

According to NASA plans, the Orion launch vehicles will be Delta 4 and Atlas 5. It was decided to abandon the development of Ares. In addition, for the exploration of deep space, the Americans are designing a new super-heavy launch vehicle SLS.

Orion is a partially reusable spacecraft and is conceptually closer to the Soyuz spacecraft than to the space shuttle. Most promising spacecraft are partially reusable. This concept assumes that after landing on the Earth's surface, the ship's habitable capsule can be reused for launch into outer space. This makes it possible to combine the functional practicality of reusable spacecraft with the cost-effectiveness of operating Soyuz or Apollo-type spacecraft. This decision is a transitional stage. It is likely that in the distant future all spacecraft will become reusable. So the American Space Shuttle and the Soviet Buran were, in a sense, ahead of their time.

Orion is a multi-purpose capsule partially reusable US manned spacecraft, developed since the mid-2000s as part of the Constellation program.

©NASA

It seems that the words “practicality” and “foresight” best describe Americans. The US government decided not to put all its space ambitions on the shoulders of one Orion. Currently, several private companies, commissioned by NASA, are developing their own spacecraft designed to replace the devices used today. Boeing is developing the CST-100, a partially reusable crewed spacecraft, as part of its Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program. The device is designed to make short trips to low-Earth orbit. Its main task will be the delivery of crew and cargo to the ISS.

The ship's crew can be up to seven people. At the same time, during the design of the CST-100 special attention was given to the comfort of the astronauts. The living space of the device is much more extensive than ships of the previous generation. It will likely be launched using Atlas, Delta or Falcon launch vehicles. At the same time, Atlas-5 is the most suitable option. The ship will land using a parachute and airbags. According to Boeing's plans, the CST-100 will undergo a series of test launches in 2015. The first two flights will be unmanned. Their main task is to launch the vehicle into orbit and test safety systems. During the third flight, a manned docking with the ISS is planned. If the tests are successful, the CST-100 will very soon be able to replace the Russian Soyuz and Progress spacecraft, which have a monopoly on manned flights to the International Space Station.

CST-100 – manned transport spacecraft

©Boeing

Another private ship that will deliver cargo and crew to the ISS will be a device developed by SpaceX, part of the Sierra Nevada Corporation. The partially reusable monoblock Dragon vehicle was developed under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. It is planned to build three modifications of it: manned, cargo and autonomous. The crew of the manned spacecraft, as in the case of the CST-100, can be seven people. In the cargo modification, the ship will carry four people and two and a half tons of cargo.

And in the future they want to use the Dragon for flights to the Red Planet. Why will they develop a special version of the ship - “Red Dragon”. According to the plans of the American space leadership, an unmanned flight of the device to Mars will take place in 2018, and the first test manned flight of a US spacecraft is expected to take place in a few years.

One of the features of the “Dragon” is its reusability. After the flight, part of the energy systems and fuel tanks will be lowered to Earth along with the ship's habitable capsule and can be reused for space flights. This design ability sets the new ship apart from most promising designs. In the near future, “Dragon” and CST-100 will complement each other and act as a “safety net.” If one type of ship for some reason cannot perform its assigned tasks, another will take over part of its work.

Dragon SpaceX is a private transport spacecraft (SC) of SpaceX, developed by order of NASA as part of the Commercial Orbital Transportation (COTS) program, designed to deliver payload and, in the future, people to the ISS

©SpaceX

The Dragon was launched into orbit for the first time in 2010. The unmanned test flight was completed successfully, and a few years later, namely on May 25, 2012, the device docked with the ISS. At that time, the ship did not have an automatic docking system, and to implement it it was necessary to use the space station’s manipulator.

This flight was considered to be the first ever docking of a private spacecraft to the International Space Station. Let’s make a reservation right away: the Dragon and a number of other spacecraft developed by private companies can hardly be called private in the full sense of the word. For example, NASA allocated $1.5 billion for the development of the Dragon. Other private projects also receive financial support from NASA. That's why we're talking about not so much about the commercialization of space, but about new strategy development of the space industry based on cooperation between the state and private capital. Once secret space technologies, previously available only to the state, are now the property of a number of private companies involved in the field of astronautics. This circumstance in itself is a powerful incentive for the growth of technological capabilities of private companies. In addition, this approach made it possible to arrange in the private sphere large number space industry specialists who were previously dismissed by the state due to the closure of the Space Shuttle program.

When it comes to the program for the development of spacecraft by private companies, perhaps the most interesting is the project of the SpaceDev company, called “Dream Chaser”. Twelve company partners, three American universities and seven NASA centers also took part in its development.

The concept of the reusable manned spacecraft Dream Chaser, developed by the American company SpaceDev, a division of Sierra Nevada Corporation

©SpaceDev

This ship is very different from all other promising space developments. The reusable Dream Chaser looks like a miniature Space Shuttle and is capable of landing like an ordinary airplane. Still, the main tasks of the ship are similar to those of the Dragon and CST-100. The device will serve to deliver cargo and crew (up to the same seven people) to low Earth orbit, where it will be launched using the Atlas-5 launch vehicle. This year the ship should carry out its first unmanned flight, and by 2015 it is planned to prepare for launch its manned version. One more important detail. The Dream Chaser project is being created on the basis of an American development of the 1990s - the HL-20 orbital aircraft. The latter’s project became an analogue of the Soviet orbital system “Spiral”. All three devices have similar appearance and intended functionality. This raises a completely logical question. Should the Soviet Union have scrapped the half-finished Spiral aerospace system?

What do we have?

In 2000, RSC Energia began designing the Clipper multi-purpose space complex. This reusable spacecraft, somewhat reminiscent of a smaller shuttle, was supposed to be used to solve a wide variety of problems: cargo delivery, evacuation of the space station crew, space tourism, flights to other planets. There were certain hopes for the project. As always, good intentions were covered with a copper basin of lack of funding. In 2006, the project was closed. At the same time, the technologies developed within the framework of the Clipper project are expected to be used for the design of the Advanced Manned Transport System (PPTS), also known as the Rus project.

The winged version of the Clipper in orbital flight. Webmaster's drawing based on the Clipper 3D model

©Vadim Lukashevich

It is PTS (of course, this is still only the “working” name of the project) that is believed to Russian specialists, will be destined to become domestic space system a new generation, capable of replacing the rapidly aging Soyuz and Progress. As in the case of the Clipper, the spacecraft is being developed by RSC Energia. The basic modification of the complex will be the “Next Generation Manned Transport Ship” (PTK NK). Its main task, again, will be the delivery of cargo and crew to the ISS. In the long term - the development of modifications capable of flying to the Moon and carrying out long-term research missions. The ship itself promises to be partially reusable. The living capsule can be reused after landing. Engine compartment - no. A curious feature of the ship is the ability to land without using a parachute. A jet system will be used for braking and soft landing on the Earth's surface.

Unlike the Soyuz spacecraft, which take off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the new spacecraft will be launched from the new Vostochny cosmodrome, which is being built in the Amur region. The crew will be six people. The manned vehicle is also capable of carrying a load of five hundred kilograms. In the unmanned version, the ship will be able to deliver more impressive “goodies” into low-Earth orbit, weighing two tons.

One of the main problems of the PPTS project is the lack of launch vehicles with the necessary characteristics. Today, the main technical aspects of the spacecraft have been worked out, but the lack of a launch vehicle puts its developers in a very difficult position. It is assumed that the new launch vehicle will be technologically close to the Angara, developed back in the 1990s.

PTS layout at the MAKS-2009 exhibition

©sdelanounas.ru

Oddly enough, but one more serious problem is the very purpose of designing the PTS (read: Russian reality). Russia will hardly be able to afford the implementation of programs for the exploration of the Moon and Mars, similar in scale to those implemented by the United States. Even if the development of the space complex is successful, most likely its only real task will be the delivery of cargo and crew to the ISS. But the start of flight tests of the PPTS was postponed until 2018. By this time, promising American spacecraft will most likely already be able to take on the functions that are currently performed by the Russian Soyuz and Progress spacecraft.

Vague prospects

The modern world is deprived of the romance of space flights - this is a fact. Of course, we are not talking about satellite launches and space tourism. There is no need to worry about these areas of astronautics. Flights to the International Space Station have great importance for the space industry, but the ISS's stay in orbit is limited. The station is planned to be liquidated in 2020. A modern manned spacecraft is, first of all, component a specific program. There is no point in developing a new ship without having an idea of ​​the tasks of its operation. New US spacecraft are being designed not only to deliver cargo and crews to the ISS, but also for flights to Mars and the Moon. However, these tasks are so far from everyday earthly concerns that in the coming years we can hardly expect any significant breakthroughs in the field of astronautics.

Cosmonautics in Russia largely inherits the space programs of the Soviet Union. The main governing body of the space industry in Russia is the state corporation Roscosmos.

This organization controls a number of enterprises, as well as scientific associations, the vast majority of which were created during the Soviet era. Among them:

• Mission control center. Research division of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering (FSUE TsNIIMash). Founded in 1960 and based in a science city called Korolev. The mission of the Mission Control Center is to control and manage the flights of spacecraft, which can be serviced simultaneously by up to twenty devices. In addition, the MCC carries out calculations and research aimed at improving the quality of apparatus control and solving certain problems in the field of management.
• Star City is a closed urban-type settlement, which was founded in 1961 on the territory of the Shchelkovsky district. However, in 2009 it was separated into a separate district and removed from Shchelkovo. On an area of ​​317.8 hectares there are residential buildings for all personnel, Roscosmos workers and their families, as well as all cosmonauts who undergo space training at the Cosmonaut Training Center here. As of 2016, the number of residents of the town is more than 5,600.
• Cosmonaut training center named after Yuri Gagarin. Founded in 1960 and located in Star City. Cosmonaut training is provided by a number of simulators, two centrifuges, a laboratory aircraft and a three-story hydro laboratory. The latter allows you to create conditions of weightlessness, similar conditions on the ISS. This uses a full-size mock-up of the space station.
• Baikonur Cosmodrome. Founded in 1955 on an area of ​​6,717 km² near the city of Kazaly, Kazakhstan. Currently leased by Russia (until 2050) and is the leader in the number of launches - 18 launch vehicles in 2015, while Cape Canaveral is one launch behind, and the Kourou spaceport (ESA, France) has 12 launches per year. The maintenance of the cosmodrome includes two amounts: rent - $115 million, maintenance - $1.5 billion.
• The Vostochny cosmodrome began to be created in 2011 in the Amur region, near the city of Tsiolkovsky. In addition to creating the second Baikonur on Russian territory, Vostochny is also intended for commercial flights. The cosmodrome is located close to developed railway junctions, highways, and airfields. In addition, due to the favorable location of the Vostochny, the separated parts of the launch vehicles will fall in sparsely populated areas or even in neutral waters. The cost of creating the cosmodrome will be about 300 billion rubles; a third of this amount was spent in 2016. On April 28, 2016, the first rocket launch took place, which launched three satellites into Earth orbit. The launch of the manned spacecraft is scheduled for 2023.
• Cosmodrome "Plesetsk". Founded in 1957 near the city of Mirny, Arkhangelsk region. Occupies 176,200 hectares. "Plesetsk" is intended for launches of strategic defense complexes, unmanned space scientific and commercial vehicles. The first launch from the cosmodrome took place on March 17, 1966, when the Vostok-2 launch vehicle took off with the Kosmos-112 satellite on board. In 2014, the newest launch vehicle called Angara was launched.

Launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome

Chronology of the development of domestic cosmonautics

The development of domestic cosmonautics dates back to 1946, when Experimental Design Bureau No. 1 was founded, the purpose of which is to develop ballistic missiles, launch vehicles, and satellites. In 1956-1957, through the efforts of the bureau, the launch vehicle R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile was designed, with the help of which the first artificial satellite, Sputnik-1, was launched into Earth orbit on October 4, 1957. The launch took place at the Tyura-Tam research site, which was developed specifically for this purpose, and which would later be named Baikonur.

On November 3, 1957, the second satellite was launched, this time with a living creature on board - a dog named Laika.

Laika is the first living creature in earth's orbit

Since 1958, launches of interplanetary compact stations began to study, within the framework of the program of the same name. On September 12, 1959, for the first time, a human spacecraft (Luna 2) reached the surface of another cosmic body - the Moon. Unfortunately, Luna 2 fell onto the lunar surface at a speed of 12,000 km/h, causing the structure to instantly turn into a gas state. In 1959, Luna 3 received photographs reverse side The Moon, which allowed the USSR to name most of its landscape elements.

Orion

After the tragedy with the Columbia shuttle, the authority of the Space Shuttle program ships was seriously undermined, and NASA was faced with the task of creating a new reusable manned shuttle. In the mid-2000s, this project received the name Crew Exploration Vehicle, but later acquired a more sonorous and beautiful name- "Orion".

“Orion” is a partially manned reusable spacecraft, which, in fact, repeats the technical design of the Apollo series ships, but has much more advanced “filling,” especially electronic ones. Almost everything has been updated - even the toilet in the new shuttle will be similar to those used on the ISS.

It is assumed that the Orion spacecraft will begin with near-Earth activities - mainly, they will be engaged in the delivery of astronauts to the orbital station. Then the fun begins: NASA representatives say that the new shuttle will be able to return man to the Moon, help land astronauts on an asteroid, and even make the “next big leap” (Next Giant Leap is already officially one of the slogans accompanying the Orion program) - allow man will finally set foot on the surface of Mars.

The first serious test (Exploration Flight Test-1) finished ship will begin in December 2014 - however, this will only be an orbital and unmanned flight to conduct initial tests. The first flight of astronauts on Orion is planned for the early 2020s. The most attractive, and therefore the most likely (due to its relatively low price) manned mission prepared by NASA for the new shuttle, so far is a visit to an asteroid previously delivered to lunar orbit.

Orion shuttle concept / ©NASA

SpaceShipTwo

The British company Virgin Galactic, led by billionaire Richard Branson, is one of the locomotives of space tourism and is soon going to take commercial space exploration to a new level.

Around the end of 2014, the first passenger launches of a suborbital shuttle will begin, which for 250 thousand dollars will be able to take six lucky people at an altitude of 110 km above sea level. This is 10 km higher than the Karman Line - the boundary between the Earth's atmosphere and outer space established by the International Aeronautical Federation.

No rockets are used when launching SpaceShipTwo; instead, the shuttle lifts the main aircraft - WhiteKnightTwo - to the required height, then the ship is dropped, and the main - already rocket - engine, specially designed for it (RocketMotorTwo), is turned on, which takes the ship to the cherished line of 110 km. Then the ship descends and at a speed of 4200 km/h re-enters the atmosphere (and can do this from any angle), and then lands on the airfield on its own.

The number of people signed up for the first SpaceShipTwo flights is approaching a thousand. Among them are actors Ashton Kutcher and Angelina Jolie, as well as, for example, Justin Bieber. Seats for a flight with Leonardo DiCaprio were generally raffled off at a charity auction - it turned out that many were not averse to paying a million dollars for such a service.

By the way, the UK’s recent decision to build its own commercial spaceport was dictated, among other things, by the need to create infrastructure for companies such as Virgin Galactic. The company currently uses the Spaceport America spaceport, located in the US state of New Mexico.

SpaceShipTwo in solo flight / ©MarsScientific

Dawn

The mission of the interplanetary automatic station Dawn is unique: the satellite must explore a pair of dwarf planets in the asteroid belt (between Mars and Jupiter), directly from their orbit. If everything succeeds, then this device will become the first satellite in history to visit the orbits of two different celestial bodies(not including Earth).

Developed by NASA and launched in 2007, and equipped with an experimental ion engine, the device already successfully completed its mission to explore the rocky protoplanet Vesta in 2012. All data obtained by the satellite is in the public domain.

Dawn is currently heading towards even more interesting object- icy Ceres. This protoplanet (previously classified as an asteroid) has a diameter of 950 kilometers and a very close to spherical shape. Having a mass one third of the entire asteroid belt, Ceres could officially become a planet (5th from the Sun), but in 2006, together with Pluto, it received the status of a dwarf planet. According to calculations, the icy mantle on its surface can reach 100 km in depth; this means that fresh water on Ceres more than on Earth.

Both objects - Vesta and Ceres - are of great interest to scientists. Their study will allow us to deepen our understanding of the processes occurring during the formation of planets, as well as the factors influencing this.

Dawn's arrival in Ceres orbit is expected in February 2015.

Concept of Dawn approaching Vesta / ©NASA/JPL-Caltech

New Horizons

A little later, in July 2015, another major event is planned related to the mission of another interplanetary automatic station. Around this time, the New Horizons spacecraft launched by NASA in 2006 will reach the orbit of Pluto, the mission of which is to thoroughly study Pluto and its moons, as well as a couple of objects in the Kuiper Belt (depending on which ones are most accessible in surrounded by a satellite in 2015)

At the moment, the device has a striking record - it has reached the highest speed in comparison with any device launched from Earth, and is heading towards Pluto at a speed of 16.26 km/s. New Horizons was helped to achieve this by the gravitational acceleration it received while flying near Jupiter.

By the way, many of the research functions of the device were tested on Jupiter and its satellites. Having left the Jovian system, the device, to save energy, plunged into a “sleep”, from which it would only be awakened by the approach of Pluto.

New Horizons concept with Pluto and its moon in the background / ©NASA

Don Quijote

The mission of the Don Quixote interplanetary automatic station, developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), is truly chivalrous. Consisting of two devices - the research "Sancho" and the "impact" "Hidalgo", "Don Quixote" will have to demonstrate once and for all whether humanity can be saved from the inevitable fall of an asteroid by forcing the potential murderer to change course.

It is assumed that both parts of the device will reach some pre-selected asteroid with a diameter of approximately 500 meters. "Sancho" will revolve around him, carrying out the necessary research.

When everything is ready, “Sancho” will move away from the asteroid to a safe distance, and “Hidalgo” will crash into it at a speed of 10 km/s. Then “Sancho” will again study the object - more precisely, what consequences the collision left: has the course of the asteroid changed, how severe is the destruction in its structure, etc.

Don Quixote is scheduled to launch around 2016.

Don Quijote concept with an unnamed asteroid in the background / ©ESA - AOES Medialab

Luna-Glob

Projects for lunar spacecraft are being revived in Russia, and words about the creation of a lunar colony with a tricolor are increasingly heard from the mouths of people responsible for the Russian space industry.

The creation of a space base on the Moon is still a distant prospect, but projects of interplanetary automatic stations for the study of an artificial Earth satellite are quite feasible right now, and for several years now the main one in Russia has been the Luna-Glob program - in fact, the first necessary step on the way to a potential lunar settlement.

The Luna-Glob interplanetary automatic probe will mainly consist of a landing module. It will land on the surface of the Moon in its southern polar region, presumably in the Boguslavsky crater, and work out the landing mechanism on the lunar surface. The probe will also study the lunar soil - drilling to take soil samples and further analyze it for the presence of ice (water is necessary both for the life of astronauts and potentially as hydrogen fuel for rockets).

The launch of the device has been postponed many times for various reasons, at the moment the launch year is called 2015. In the future, before the manned flight planned for the 2030s, it is planned to launch several more heavier probes, including Luna-Resurs, which will also work on studying the Moon and other necessary preparatory measures for the future landing of astronauts.

Luna-Glob landing vehicle concept / ©Rusrep

Dream Chaser

The Dream Chaser mini-shuttle from Sierra Nevada Corporation is being developed for NASA as a reliable and reusable manned vehicle for suborbital and orbital flights. Dream Chaser is supposed to be used to transport astronauts to the ISS.

The device is launched by an Atlas-5 rocket. The shuttle itself, capable of carrying 7 people, is equipped with hybrid rocket engines. Like SpaceShipTwo, it lands independently and horizontally at the cosmodrome.

Along with SpaceX's Dragon and Boeing's CST-100, Dream Chaser is a commercial contender for the new primary crew vehicle for the United States and NASA (all three projects have received government funding). It is worth noting that these devices are being developed by the private sector of the American space industry with partial state support and are aimed at operations specifically in near-Earth space. As for activities in deeper space, NASA already has its own manned spacecraft program, and this is the Orion mentioned above.

Most recently (July 22, 2014), Dream Chaser tests were carried out, which showed the readiness of all key systems for space flights. The first test manned flight of the shuttle is scheduled for 2016.

Dream Chaser concept docked to the ISS / ©NASA

Inspiration Mars

Of course, many people know about the Mars One project - a planned space reality show, the authors of which are now holding a worldwide competition to select applicants for a manned flight to Mars by the early 2020s and the creation of a permanent human settlement there. However, there is another similar project - Inspiration Mars.

Inspiration Mars Foundation is non-profit organization, created by the first space tourist - American Dennis Tito. Tito plans to raise the necessary funds and send two people on a spaceship to Mars. There are no plans to land or enter orbit; only a flyby of the Red Planet and return to Earth. If everything goes well, the mission should take 501 days.

Funds are expected to be raised both from the private sector and from the US budget; In total, from 1 to 2 billion dollars are required, the exact cost has not yet been announced. The vehicle that can be used for the mission is the American Orion.

Tito believes that the flight should be completed already in 2018 (at this moment Mars will again be as close as possible to the Earth, which will create convenient conditions for interplanetary flight; the next time this will happen only in 2031).

There is also a “Plan B” in case the mission is not ready by 2018: extend the mission to 589 days, launch the device in 2021 and fly not only past Mars, but also past Venus.

Inspiration Mars probable flight trajectory / ©Inspiration Mars Foundation

James WebbTelescope

A space telescope that costs more than three Curiosity rovers. James Webb Telescope is the successor to the world famous Hubble telescope (the equipment of which continues to become obsolete). Not only the United States, but also 16 other countries participated in the development of the project. The space agencies of Europe and Canada provided significant assistance to NASA.

The $8 billion telescope (the latest figure announced by Congress) is expected to launch on an Arian 5 rocket in October 2018 and be placed at the Lagrange point between the Sun and Earth.

The telescope's main mirror consists of 18 gold-plated movable mirrors combined into one and has a diameter of 6.5 meters. The telescope will “see” in the optical, near and mid-infrared ranges. With its help it is intended to study early stages development of the Universe and see celestial bodies extremely distant from our galaxy, as well as take clearer pictures of solar system objects than ever before.

In terms of its capabilities, James Webb will surpass not only Hubble, but also another important space telescope - Spitzer Space Telescope.

James Webb Telescope Concept / ©NASA

JUICE

The interplanetary automatic station Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer is likely to change our understanding of small bodies solar system. ESA's JUICE satellite will fly to Jupiter in 2022 and will conduct long-awaited studies of some of the most interesting objects in the solar system - three of Jupiter's closest and largest satellites from the so-called Galilean group: Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

It is assumed that each of these celestial bodies has a subglacial ocean, that is, theoretically, the conditions for the origin of life. JUICE will study closely physical characteristics these satellites, searching for organic molecules and studying the composition of ice (remotely, through scientific equipment on board).

The data obtained by JUICE will help analyze Jovian moons as potential targets for future manned missions. If successfully launched at the planned time, the device will reach the Jupiter system in 2030.

JUICE concept with Jupiter and Europa in the background / ©ESA

Humanity has been exploring outer space with manned spacecraft for more than half a century. Alas, during this time it, figuratively speaking, has not sailed far. If we compare the Universe to the ocean, we are just wandering at the edge of the surf, ankle-deep in water. One day, however, we decided to swim a little deeper (the Apollo lunar program), and since then we have lived with memories of this event as the highest achievement.

Until now, spaceships have primarily served as delivery vehicles to and from Earth. Maximum duration The autonomous flight achievable by the reusable Space Shuttle is only 30 days, and even then theoretically. But perhaps the spaceships of the future will become much more advanced and versatile?

Already the Apollo lunar expeditions have clearly shown that the requirements for future spacecraft can be strikingly different from the tasks for “space taxis”. The Apollo lunar cabin had very little in common with streamlined ships and was not designed for flight in a planetary atmosphere. Photos of American astronauts give some idea of ​​what the spaceships of the future will look like more than clearly.

The most serious factor that hinders occasional human exploration of the Solar System, not to mention the organization of scientific bases on the planets and their satellites, is radiation. Problems arise even with lunar missions that last a week at most. And the year and a half flight to Mars, which seemed to be about to take place, is being pushed further and further away. Automated research has shown that it is deadly to humans along the entire route of interplanetary flight. So the spaceships of the future will inevitably acquire serious anti-radiation protection in combination with special medical and biological measures for the crew.

It is clear that the faster he gets to his destination, the better. But fast flight requires powerful engines. And for them, in turn, highly efficient fuel that does not take up much space. Therefore, chemical propulsion engines will give way to nuclear ones in the near future. If scientists succeed in taming antimatter, i.e., converting mass into light radiation, the spaceships of the future will gain we'll talk already about achieving relativistic speeds and interstellar expeditions.

Another serious obstacle to man’s exploration of the Universe will be the long-term provision of his life. In just a day human body consumes a lot of oxygen, water and food, releases solid and liquid waste, and exhales carbon dioxide. It is pointless to take a full supply of oxygen and food on board due to their enormous weight. The problem is solved by an on-board closed circuit. However, so far all experiments on this topic have not been successful. And without a closed life support system, spaceships of the future flying through space for years are unthinkable; The artists' pictures, of course, amaze the imagination, but do not reflect the real state of affairs.

So, all projects of spaceships and starships are still far from real implementation. And humanity will have to come to terms with studying the Universe by undercover astronauts and receiving information from automatic probes. But this, of course, is temporary. Astronautics does not stand still, and indirect signs show that a major breakthrough is brewing in this area of ​​human activity. So, perhaps, the spaceships of the future will be built and make their first flights in the 21st century.