Star landing: the story of one project

Dedicated to Cosmonautics Day

- So, - the Chief of the Scientific and Production Association "Outer Space Engineering" - looked around the staff with an attentive look, - congratulations, colleagues! We won the tender for the production of the Frigate spacecraft, which could become and will become an anniversary project of this class, completed by our company. The ship's task is simple: to launch another satellite to the ISS. We have already done this a hundred times, the process has been debugged to the smallest detail, but the order is serious, state-owned: I ask you to take it with special attention.

Employees accustomed to such introductory messages waited for the continuation of fiery speech.



- And yes: under any circumstances, the ship should be launched on April 12, on the day you yourself understand what. And fly it yourself you know who. The Ministry of Emergencies has already flown on a plane, on a fighter too, - the time has come for new achievements.

“Yura,” the Chief asked the chief engineer, we will be in time by April 12, right?

- Well, in general, yes ... But there is a nuance. The design team is now planning an experimental settlement on the moon, the plating installers are testing a probe that will fly to Ganymede to collect soil samples, and ergonomists are sitting on an order from the ISS - they are translating the station control system into Chinese.

- I.e? - The chef smiled out of his usual habit, but anxiety was read in his eyes.

- That is, there are no resources.

- Yura, listen to me. Can you imagine what kind of ship it is? Can you imagine who will fly on it? The match, that is, the flight, must take place in any weather!

* * *
Yura convened a meeting at which it was quickly decided to partially outsource the project. Not so long ago, it became clear that it’s rather expensive to keep engine assemblers on staff, since these engines require no more than twelve pieces a year. Moreover, there were several reliable proven contractors. But there was no one to give the control interface to the aircraft, the life support system, and even some details of the skin.

After half an hour, it turned out that well-known engine contractors are sitting on urgent orders themselves, and there is absolutely no way to buy them back for the project.

- So, - Yura acted decisively - gather me information about all possible contractors who can be attracted to the project. The priority is not Moscow, not the twenty “Tagaviakosmos 2010”, sane contact persons and adequate prices.

* * *
Two hours later, Yura looked through the list of possible candidates and released sarcasm-saturated remarks:
“What is there with us?” Let's see ... Lukhmanovsky Helicopter Plant. Not bad, not bad. I like everything. The best performance in the field, several awards. Citizens, but it's a HELICOPTER! A helicopter will not fly into space. However, as soon as the laws of physics are canceled, I will inform you immediately.
- And here? What a charm ... The Dandelion NGO produces airships, and sometimes even balloons. Wow, they even have their own hang glider club. Friends, tell me, how did this class of aircraft get here? Ah, they are also flying ... Well, yes, yes. I somehow did not immediately take this remarkable fact into account. Paul, catch it! - Yura threw a Dr. House tennis ball to a colleague. - Look, he's flying! Is it also an aircraft "vehicle"?
- Next on our list is Energy, Sukhoi, MiG, Khrunichev ... I said that I do not need market leaders. Moreover, paradoxically, fighters are also not spaceships. Reactive too? Also in the stratosphere? Great argument. The next time I personally put you in SU-27, you fly it on a business trip to the moon.

* * *
After a long search, three companies were selected that could potentially help with the project. The most important parts of the ship — the life support system and control interfaces — were decided to be designed by ourselves: the deadlines for other projects moved a little, but the responsibility is too high, you can’t risk this part of the project.

The task was briefly described, the deadlines were outlined, and three requests for quotations went to the three ends of our vast country.

The answers were not long in coming. NPO Rezinomotor from Chelyakaterinburg sent a portfolio in which sixteen corncobers flaunted, one light twin-engine aircraft and one launch vehicle that looked more like a Chinese cracker. The company refused to provide confirmation of the ability of the aforementioned vehicle to take off, citing the fact that the corresponding film was destroyed by a secret order from the FSB.

The next answer came from Kharkinsk, where colleagues in good literary Russian language described the merits of their company, presented orders from defense enterprises of friendly states as proof of their competence, but, looking at the price, Yura was sad: for this money you could build another base on the moon , and the banal delivery of the satellite to the ISS, even with the Cargo, was generally gold.

The third company from Yoshkarkutsk showed the most persistence: the guys called, wrote to the post office, threatened to come and meet in person. Moreover, they assured, this is a unique chance to work on an interesting and large-scale project, especially on very good conditions by the standards of the local aerospace development market. Yura gathered the facts together and decided: since the contractors are crisp and interested in long-term cooperation, they will react responsibly to the project, and from the conversation it’s immediately clear that they understand the subject firsthand.

* * *
The start of the project was given. The relevant documents were signed and prepayment was made. Contractors had to make four engines and the skin of the first and second stages of the launch vehicle. Everything else "Outer Space Engineering" designed on its own. Project coordination was also left inside the NGO.

The first email from colleagues contained the following: "Yuri, you could not send the documentation in a different format: we usually worked with paper drawings, and your files do not open with us." An experienced Jura gave a link to the corresponding software and conducted a brief educational program on Skype to work with project documentation.

The next round of negotiations was not long in coming: “Here in the assignment it is written that the skin should be titanium. We have not worked with titanium before: we can either make steel, or we will have to increase the development time. ” Yura explained that the parameters of the contract are clearly fixed, and either we follow the agreements and move towards a bright moment of launch together, or ... Colleagues assured that they understood everything and that they did not need the second “either”.

Further outgoing letters from Jura were approximately of the following content:
“Yes, we are ready to advise you.”
“The first cosmic speed is 7.9 km / s”
“The second cosmic speed is 11.2 km / s”
“Yes, I know that for Jupiter, the speed is different. Speed ​​depends on the parameters of the planet. ”
“Yes, you finally forget about Jupiter! We have Earth, Earth - you understand? Chubby, blue, third from the Sun. Immediately after Venus. "
" Yes, the booster necessarily needs four engines "
" No, it will not work with two "
" With three too "
" What does it mean either the engine or the casing? Sheathing and four engines are needed. ”
“ No, four. ”
“ Change the project manager. ”
“ Hello Andrey, your colleague Eduard assured that you will not be able to solve our problem. Is that so? ”
“ Absolutely. Difficult, but possible. I'm counting on you, Andrey. Do not let me down. ”

* * *
Another milestone of the project has come. Yura called on Skype once, twice. I dialed the office phone of the responsible manager. From the sixth time, a male voice picked up the phone.
- Hello, this is Yuri from NPO OK Engineering. can i hear Andrey
- What? A voice asked.
- Andrei, - Jura found a yellow piece of paper on the table - Andrei Veniaminovich Popov.
- And there’s no Andryushka.
- And where he?
- Yes, he took leave, he has a wedding.
“Is Edward in place?” Asked Yura, tormented by bad forebodings.
- Which one?
“Do you have them there, darkness, darkness, Eduard?” - The gloomy essence of the situation gradually reached Yura.
- So he witnessed him, Andryushka something.
“And who am I talking to?”
- Mikhail Trofimovich.
- Very nice, Mikhail Trofimovich. You see, Andrei promised to get in touch yesterday, and I can’t get through to him. The question is very important.
- Well, why are you scurrying around, let the guys take a walk at the wedding! - the voice in the receiver warmed and filled with almost paternal pride, - They are big-headed, they will go far!
- In what sense? - Yura lost the thread: Mikhail Trofimovich was definitely not up to date.
- Well so soon release! We have the best aviation modeling team in Yoshkarkutsk! From the Volga to Baikal we take prizes.
- Wait a second. But what about the portfolio, awards ... - every second of the conversation added gray hair to Yura.
- Well, rewards. Portfolio All right. Our models will always take prizes.
- Models ... - Jura was on the verge of collapse.
- And Andryushka and Edik didn’t warn you that they’ll be wedding for three days? We walk forever for three days!
- No, you know, I was not in the know. We have let go of our full-time soothsayers to dig dugouts, to prepare, so to speak, for the next 2012 year, ”Yura hung up in his hearts. Two months remained until the deadline ...

* * *
On April 11, the team gathered for the reporting meeting.
- Well, how are we doing? - Chef smiled. - I see, did it in time? Yura, and you always say that we won’t have time, there are no resources ...

Yura's eye twitched. He said nothing.

- In general, a solemn day tomorrow! Well done, you have done a great job. Here we launch a rocket - and then everyone ... No, not bonuses ... No, not vacation ... Better! New interesting projects attracted by the next successful case!

The chef was in high spirits, which could not be said of the others. Haggard green faces, circles under the eyes ... Yura had to shave under the typewriter so as not to frighten other team members with his early gray hair.

The boss continued:
“They told me a joke here at the Association of Aerospace Associations: can you imagine, some contractors managed to make wood nozzles!” Carved, varnished. From afar imperceptibly. Well, at least meticulous takers got caught: they noticed on time.

The employees chuckled restrainedly, Yura’s eye twitched harder and did not stop. He recalled how he and his team feverishly remade these damned nozzles after brave tailors from an aircraft model mug.

“Well,” the chef smiled reassuringly at Yura, not paying attention to the winks, “as your famous namesake said,“ Let's go! ”