The company, best known as the Rocket Plant them. Khrunicheva (although it had many different names in its history) is a legend in Russian science and industry. This company is almost 100 years old. Products manufactured by the plant can be fully considered the subject of national pride of Russia. These are the legendary Proton launch vehicles, the promising Angara. The plant designs one of the most promising developments in the global space industry - the Baikal accelerator. Branches of the enterprise produce many other types of products needed by the aerospace industry in Russia.
Products
One of the flagships of the Russian defense industry is the Rocket and Space Plant named after Khrunicheva. Its official name, of course, sounds different. Namely, the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “ State Space Research and Production Center named after M.V. Khrunicheva. " Just in the press and in the communication of citizens with each other, a shorter name was fixed - this brand is so famous.
The Khrunichev factory is actually a few enterprises located in different parts of Russia. They produce many types of space rocket technology. The most famous product samples are the Proton, Cosmos-3M, Rokot, and Angara rockets. Among the promising developments is the reusable Baikal rocket accelerator.
Story
Khrunichev’s factory was initially launched as an automobile manufacturing enterprise named Russo-Balt-2. The year of its foundation is the 1917th. However, from the mid-1920s, aircraft began to be produced on it, designed according to the designs of aircraft designers Tupolev, Ilyushin, Arkhangelsky, Petlyakov. In the 1950s, the Bizon bombers designed by Myasishchev were manufactured at the plant. In 1961, the plant received an almost modern name - “M.I. Khrunicheva ”- and began to specialize in the production of rocket and space technology. Several generations of rockets, the Salyut and Mir stations, were launched on it. In 1993, the Khrunichev plant acquired a modern name. It also included the Salyut Design Bureau. In 2007, the plant was assigned its current legal form - the federal state unitary enterprise. Subsidiaries appeared, such as, for example, the enterprise “Length” (Moscow). Plant them. Khrunicheva also united the design bureau named after Isaev, Voronezh Mechanical Plant, and in 2008 he joined the Perm company Proton-PM OJSC, in 2012 - the Ust-Katavsky Plant named after CM. Kirov.
Rocket proton
One of the most recognizable product samples produced by the Center. Khrunicheva (a plant whose reviews have become one of the foundations of public perception of the power of the Soviet defense industry, the one located in Moscow), is the Proton launch vehicle. It appeared during the development of developments on the creation of an intercontinental ballistic missile UR-500. During the modernization of ICBMs, the Proton-K carrier appeared, which, according to many experts, became the most successful example of Soviet rocket science in its segment.
The use of Proton-K was put on commercial rails in 1996 (the European satellite Astra 1F was launched into orbit). Subsequently, several dozen launches from private customers were carried out. Russian designers have also developed a version of the "Proton", adapted to bring the cargo into geostationary orbit. Now a modified rocket, whose name is "Proton-M" is the most commonly used in its series.
Missile "Angara"
The development of the Angara launch vehicle, according to many experts, is one of the key areas of the Russian space industry. This is a whole family of missiles (there are those that belong to the "light" class, as well as those that are "heavy" carriers).
It is assumed that some samples will be able to lift into orbit up to 35 tons of cargo. The main competitor of the Russian development is the Falcon rocket (in "heavy" versions) of the American company SpaceX. An interesting fact is that there is a confrontation between a state corporation with a half-century history and a very young private company, created virtually from scratch. At the same time, not only Moscow - the plant named after Khrunicheva found partners in South Korea. Specially for use with the Angara rocket, the Baikal accelerator is designed for reusable launches.
Accelerator Baikal
The Baikal operates quite simply, and at the same time performs the most important functions. With the help of the booster stage, the rocket rises to a height of about 70 km. Then the engine of the Angara turns on, after which the rocket is launched into orbit. The Baikal, meanwhile, is undocked from the carrier and returns to Earth like an airplane. After technical inspection and making the necessary changes, it can be used again: in the projects that the Khrunichev factory presents to the public, it is said that Baikal can fly up to 25 times (but in the course of improving the complex this figure can actually be increased to 200).
The main partner of the plant. Khrunichev on the project of creating "Baikal" - the NGO "Lightning". It is assumed that the accelerator will have a launch mass of about 130.4 tons, a length of 27 m and a diameter (in the center) of 2.9 m. The key component of Baikal is a universal missile module (URM) equipped with tail unit, wing, and power plant , chassis and other systems.
Engines
The subsidiary structure of the center. Khrunicheva - "Voronezh Mechanical Plant" - collects many types of engines for the aerospace industry. Historically, the first were M-11 units installed on PO-2 aircraft. In the years after the Great Patriotic War, the plant began to produce ASh-62IR, M14V26 engines and other types of units for various types of aviation. From the late 1950s, space rocket engines began to be produced in Voronezh: RD-0109, RD-0210, RD-0114 (they are installed on the Protons) and other types of high-tech units.
Now the plant is working to establish production of RD-191 engines for Angara missiles. At the moment, among Russian enterprises, only VSW has the ability to produce piston aircraft engines. Units manufactured in Voronezh are put on training and sports planes, as well as on helicopters of various purposes.