[FPSPACE] Russian launch due

[Phillip Clark]

This evening (UK time) we are due to have what I expect to be the final
Russian launch of the year: six payloads on a three-stage Tsyklon out of
Plesetsk.

It will be interesting to see whether this will be six Strela-3 military
comsats (all called Cosmos) or whether there will be three Strela-3s and
three Gonets-D1 (civil versions of Strela-3).

A while ago there was a story that there is only a small number of the
two- and three- stage Tsyklons (~5 of each I think) available for launch,
and if this is true I wonder what launcher will be used when the Tsyklons
run out.   Maybe Dnepr plus an upper stage.   The use of the S5M Tsyklon
third stage atop Dnepr has been mooted as an option for future
applications, and the Dnepr is based upon the R-36M (SS-18 in old
money) just as the Tsyklon is based upon the R-36 (SS-9).

I guess I'm the only person who is bothing to wonder about such things.

Phillip Clark

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phillip S Clark                                     22 Winterbourne Close
Molniya Space Consultancy                           Hastings
Compiler/Publisher, Worldwide Satellite Launches    E Sussex  TN34 1XG
                                                    U.K.

Specialist in "space archeology" - the older and more obscure the more 
interesting it is !
---------------------------------------------------------------------------