The Soviet published literature in spacecraft engineering pertaining to future space systems, including those utilizing large structures is assessed. Topical areas emphasized include advanced structural concepts and associated construction approaches, spacecraft materials, precision pointing and rapid retargeting, geometrically precise structures in the presence of static and dynamic disturbances, and spacecraft vulnerability as it relates to these aspects of spacecraft engineering. The assessment indicates that the Soviets have significant strengths and specialties in spacecraft engineering. The Soviet space station appears to be the principal Soviet large system of the near future, and this will expand and evolve in size and capability. Radio astronomy missions are also genuine drivers for large space structure technology, including space construction capability. In the structural materials area, the Soviets can be expected to develop high quality, structurally efficient fiber-reinforced metal-matrix composites, which will be used to improve the performance and possibly the survivability of future Soviet spacecraft. The technology of control-structure interaction, important in the design of large space-based lasers, is receiving considerably more support, based on the published literature, in the United States than in the Soviet Union.
Soviet Spacecraft Engineering Research
1987
164 pages
Report
No indication
English
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