Russia and Europe: Possible joint project of going to the moon using the ACTS

The Advanced Crew Transportation System, ACTS, also known as “Euro-Soyuz,” emerged during 2006, when Russian company RKK Energia realized that its proposals to replace the workhorse Soyuz spacecraft with the Kliper reusable glider would be too ambitious for the current level of funding of the Russian space industry. Instead, a modified Soyuz, with the capability of reaching lunar orbit, would serve as a bridge, possibly paving the way to the future development of the Kliper.

In December 2005, European governments rejected Russian proposals to join the development of the Kliper spacecraft and by June 2006, the Russian government itself refused to choose a prime developer of the next generation spacecraft or even possible configuration of such spacecraft. As a result, a new concept for the Russian-European cooperation in manned space program had been conceived around the spring of 2006. This time, two sides considered combining funds, hardware and expertise to parallel the US effort to return astronauts to the Moon. The idea was apparently based on previous studies, which considered upgrading the European ATV cargo with a Russian-built reentry vehicle, which would enable the vehicle to return cargo or even people to Earth.

RKK Energia’s proposals to upgrade the Soyuz to make it capable of flying around the Moon received favorable reaction in both Moscow and European capitals. On June 21 and 22, 2006, ESA’s ruling council, meeting at the agency’s headquarters in Paris, France, made a decision to embark on a two-year study in cooperation with Russia on possible development of a spacecraft capable of reaching lunar orbit. At the time, the program was designated the Advanced Crew Transportation System, ACTS. According to Russian sources, the Soyuz upgrades could include a brand new habitation module developed by European Space Agency, ESA.

In September 2006, Russian, French and German leaders held a summit in France, which dealt among other things with Russia’s controversial bid to purchase a stake in Europe’s aerospace giant EADS. Space cooperation apparently came up as well, as Russian President Vladimir Putin emerged from the meeting with the Europeans, with assurances that France and Germany were interested in cooperative work with Russia on the next generation spacecraft. However, it was not clear from Putin’s statements whether he was talking about the ACTS concept or the Kliper reusable vehicle.

Soyuz-K

In October 2006, Nikolai Sevastyanov, the head of RKK Energia, told RIA Novosti news agency that his company initiated a final phase of the preliminary design of the upgraded Soyuz spacecraft, which would be capable of lunar missions. According to Sevastyanov the new vehicle would be equipped with the digital control system and could be launched either from Baikonur or the European Space Agency’s site in Kourou, French Guiana. Sevastyanov identified the vehicle as Soyuz-K, which apparently was a development name of the spacecraft, which could benefit the ACTS program. On October 26, 2006, the head of Roskosmos Anatoly Perminov echoed Sevastyanov saying that the radical upgrade of the Soyuz spacecraft would be ready by 2012-2013.

Mission scenarios

During 2006, RKK Energia, the developer of the Soyuz, outlined several mission scenarios, which would enable the veteran spacecraft with relatively modest modifications to loop around the Moon, then to enter lunar orbit and, ultimately, to land on its surface. However with reliance on existing fleet of medium-lift rockets, these missions would require two, four and seven launches, respectively!

Scenario 1: Circumlunar mission

The least complex mission into the vicinity of the Moon would include the launch of a Soyuz spacecraft with a crew of three by the Soyuz-2 rocket into a low-Earth orbit, where it would link up with the Block-DM upper stage, launched separately onboard Proton. The Block DM would then fire its engine, boosting the Soyuz beyond the low-Earth orbit into a long loop, which would swing behind the Moon. The Block DM stage would carry its own habitation module, which would provide an extra comfort for the crew, which could include a paying tourist, on a week-long trek over the dark side of the Moon.

As of 2006, such mission could be achieved as early as 2011-2012, according to the head of RKK Energia, Nikolai Sevastyanov. Source Russian Space Web.