![\"6c9604dcae7ca803807e533ca9eb74c1\"](\"http:\/\/forefrontnews.cn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/6c9604dcae7ca803807e533ca9eb74c1.jpg\" "\\"6c9604dcae7ca803807e533ca9eb74c1\\"")
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Students at Russia’s Baltic State University of military machinery have teamed up with a St. Petersburg-based start-up to develop an ultralight launch vehicle for small satellites.<\/p>\n
According to the press office of the Russian State Technology Initiative platform, the project actively uses artificial intelligence to assist arbitrary-precision arithmetic machine modeling technology to optimize the rocket structure. The project’s developers say its core innovation is to use composite materials to make cryogenic fuel tanks, a first in Russia. Compared with similar products, this kind of fuel tank can reduce the weight of the rocket 15% ~ 20% . The rocket currently weighs about 14 tons. The fuel tanks also reduce the cost of building rockets.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe use bronze-steel bimetal 3D printing technology to make engine parts,\u201d said Volobuyev, one of the project’s main participants, the new rocket could be used for regular network replenishment requirements for the deployment of low Earth orbit small satellite constellations within the framework of national plans. At present, small satellites are usually launched in the form of incidental loads, and the orbit parameters can be flexibly selected by special ultralight rockets to shorten the execution time of launch orders. At the same time, launch costs are more competitive than medium rockets. According to the project roadmap, the team has developed upper-stage propulsion prototype, Turbo Generator prototype, upper-stage model and is in the process of building a first-stage liquid rocket engine prototype.<\/p>\n
The rocket can send spacecraft to low Earth orbit at altitudes of 500 km, 800 km and 1,500 km. In addition, the team is developing small-satellite in-orbit maintenance technology. \u201cIn the future, we will use heat-resistant alloy 3d-printed rocket engine parts, develop new materials based on super-strong fibers, develop environmentally friendly rocket technology and adopt domestic microelectronics technology,\u201d said Arkhipov, the project’s chief designer, the project is participating in the evaluation of the programme of the Strategic Initiative Agency (ASI) supervisory board.<\/p>\n
\u201cSatellite\u201d company General Manager, Russia’s national technology initiative\u201cSky Network\u201d working group experts Ivanenko think that the team’s R & D Vision is good, but whether all the established mission doubt. \u201cWhether the team has the resources to implement such a project is an open question,\u201d he says. We want this rocket to go into space successfully, but not just in the development stage,\u201d agrees Kornev, editor of the Military Russia website. He said it was important to consider the rate of return on investment and the actual needs of the products being developed before assessing whether such projects were worthwhile.<\/p>\n
Alexeiev, general manager of the Russian Aerospace Group New Cosmos and market expert for the National Technology Initiative Skynet, said the project was undoubtedly attractive to Russian aerospace development, because it is vital for the country to have all types of launch vehicles, including super-heavy, heavy, light, ultralight and geophysics rockets. Therefore, the rocket is expected to achieve research and development results. Its launch costs are likely to be higher than incidental launches, such as Soyuz rockets, but could be attractive to individual companies in the industry for specific missions. At present, the Russian National Space Corporation is working independently on the development of reusable rockets. Ultralight rockets may offer some competition in terms of launch costs or technical performance,\u201d Alexeiev said, competition between different rocket projects will drive technological progress and lower costs, opening up new possibilities for the Russian space industry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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