OKM-2 Spaceplane

The OK-M2 was a manned spaceplane, a straight delta wing joined to a broad fuselage with an upturned nose. The OK-M2 was designed by NPO Molniya as a follow-on to the OK-M of NPO Energia with less development cost and risk than Energia's proposed OK-M1 / MMKS shuttle system.

The OK-M2 was designed by NPO Molniya as a follow-on to the OK-M of NPO Energia with less development cost and risk than the OK-M1 / MMKS. The OK-M2 would be launched in a conventional manner on the nose of an Energia-M launch vehicle. The transition fairing from the orbiter to the launch vehicle was equipped with solid rocket motors for aborts in the case of launch vehicle failure. The solid rockets would be used for final orbital insertion normally, maximizing maneuvering propellant reserves aboard the orbiter. Total mass of the Energia-M with the OK-M2 was 1060 metric tons at lift-off.

The OK-M2 had the same shape as the OK-M1, a straight delta wings joined to a broad fuselage with an upturned nose. Uniquely the OK-M1 used liquid oxygen and ethanol both as orbital maneuvering system propellants and to operate three 7 kW generators for electrical power. These were supplemented with lithium batteries. The two power buses together could provide up to 60 kW of power at 270 V.

Three 2700 kgf main engines were supplemented by a reaction control system of 19 x 40 kgf and 8 x 2.5 kgf thrusters. Normal crew was four. Up to four additional passengers could be transported if required in a special module in the cargo bay. Landing mass of the OK-M2 without payload was 17,600 kg. With a crew of four the OK-M2 could deliver 10,000 kg of payload to a 250 km orbit. Payload delivered to a 450 km space station orbit was 6,000 kg. Maximum payload that could be returned to earth was 8,000 kg. The cargo bay was 2.85 m diameter x 6.17 m long, with a total volume of 40 cubic meters.

Crew Size: 8. Typical orbit: 250 km, 51.6 degrees inclination. Length: 15.00 m (49.00 ft). Maximum Diameter: 5.60 m (18.30 ft). Span: 10.00 m (32.00 ft). Mass: 30,000 kg (66,000 lb). Payload: 10,000 kg (22,000 lb). Main Engine Thrust: 79.400 kN (17,850 lbf). Main Engine Propellants: N2O4/UDMH. Main Engine Propellants: 2,700 kg (5,900 lb).