TGK PG (Russian: Транспортный Грузовой Корабль Повышенной Грузоподъемности (ТГК ПГ), lit. 'Cargo vehicle with increased payload capacity') is an automated cargo spacecraft project to replace Progress-MS as the Russian logistic vehicle to the ISS. It was requested for development to take advantage of the increased lift capacity of the Soyuz-2.1b.[1][2] The initial development contract was awarded to RSC Energia by Roscosmos on December 11, 2015. The spacecraft is not expected to fly before 2020.[3][4]

Spacecraft description

Born out of the need to reduce the flights to the ISS from 2018 onward, it was designed as a radical departure from the Progress design. It would incorporate concepts and technologies developed from the Orel and Progress-MS projects. One critical characteristic would be a 370 days on-orbit design life, compared to the 210 days of the Progress and Soyuz. This would allow less ships to be launched per year while maintaining a full complement on the station.[3] It would consist of a service module on the aft, an unpressurized propellant cluster of six tanks on the center, a pressurized module with docking adapter on the fore and a truss structure connecting all the parts. It would use the reaction control system of the Progress-MS and an orbital manoeuvring rocket engine already developed for another spacecraft. The new design would have a single deposit of propellant that could be used by the spacecraft or to refuel the space station.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ "РКК "Энергия" разрабатывает грузовой космический корабль повышенной грузоподъемности" [RSC Energia to develop cargo spaceship with increased payload] (in Russian). RSC Energia. September 5, 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-05.[dead link]
  2. ^ "РКК "ЭНЕРГИЯ" РАЗРАБАТЫВАЕТ ГРУЗОВОЙ КОСМИЧЕСКОЙ КОРАБЛЬ ПОВЫШЕННОЙ ГРУЗОПОДЪЕМНОСТИ" [RSC Energia to develop cargo spaceship with increased payload] (in Russian). RSC Energia. September 5, 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-05.
  3. ^ a b c Zak, Anatoly (September 3, 2016). "Progress cargo ship replacement proposed". RussianSpaceWeb. Retrieved 2016-09-05.
  4. ^ Zak, Anatoly (August 22, 2016). "A First Peek at Russia's New Space Cargo Ship". Popular Mechanics. Archived from the original on 2016-08-26. Retrieved 2016-09-05.

External links