Spiral 50:50

The Spiral Reusable Aerospace System (AKS) consisted of a Mothership (supersonic aircraft carrier ) and an orbital manned spaceplane with a rocket booster. The Mothership would take-off at a conventional runway and reach Mach 5.5 where the spaceplane/booster would be released.

Specifications:

Take-off Weight: 115 Tons

Orbiter Weight: 10 Tons

Orbiter Crew: 1

The orbital spacecraft was a lifting body spaceplane. It featured a load-bearing frame with an upturned nose and tilting wings. The Spiral Spaceplane was to be used for scientific and technical experiments in space, remote earth monitoring and space objects inspection.

History

- Concept designs were initiated in the early 1960's.

- The Spiral Reusable Aerospace System was authorised for development in 1965.

- Scale models of the Spiral Spaceplane were created: Bor-1, Bor-2, Bor-3. (BOR means unpiloted orbital rocketplane)

- The orbital spaceplane was going to be developed in three phases:

1. Mig-105 (Article 105-11), a subsonic manned analogue of the orbital spaceplane was built. Six test flights were performed in 1977 and 1978. A Tu-95 bomber dropped the Mig-105 at an altitude of 5500 m and it glided to a runway.

2. Mig 105-12 (Article 105-12) to test up to Mach 6 to 8. (Not developed)

3. Article 105-13 was a single reusable orbital manned prototype. In the first phase of operation the orbital spaceplane was going to be launched into Earth orbit by a Rocket, however this was not achieved.

- In 1976 the Spiral Project was cancelled and replaced by the Energia-Buran program. NPO Molniya suggested the Spiral orbital spaceplane design for the Energiya-Buran system, however, Energiya (the leading system developer) decided to use a spaceplane configuration resembling the USA Space Shuttle.

- In order to assist the Energia-Buran program, near or completed elements from the Spiral program were implemented. Mig-105 completed test flights in 1977 and 1978. Bor-4 was used to test the heat shield materials developed for Buran.

Spiral Links:

Molniya's Spiral Project:
Deepcold.com:
Mwade's Spiral OS:
Spiral: In Russian

Goto Spaceplanes

Goto Space Projects and Info Home Page