TMK

TMK (Russian: Тяжелый Межпланетный Корабль - "Tyazhely Mezhplanetny Korabl" for "Heavy Interplanetary Spacecraft") was the designation of a Soviet Union space exploration project to send a manned flight to Mars and Venus (TMK-MAVR design) without landing.

The TMK-1 spacecraft was due to be launched in 1971 and make a three year long flight including a Mars fly-by at which time probes would have been dropped. Expanded project variations, such as the TMK-E, Mavr or KK, including a Venus flyby, electric propulsion or a manned Mars landing were also proposed.

The TMK project was planned as an answer from the Soviet Union to the United States manned moon landings. A previous "Martian Piloted Complex" mission was proposed in the 1956. The project was never completed because the required N1 rocket never flew successfully.

TMK-1

A variation of the TMK mission planning involved a flyby of Venus on the return voyage, and was given the code name "Mavr" ("MArs - VeneRa"), meaning Mars - Venus.

KK - Space Complex for Delivering a Piloted Expedition to Mars

In 1966, a final version of the TMK studies was known as "KK - Space Complex for Delivering a Piloted Expedition to Mars". Nuclear electric propulsion was to be used for the 630 day mission. The craft structure consisted of:

* "EK - Expeditionary spacecraft": command center for piloting in interplanetary space
* "OK - Orbital Complex": living and work compartments and the life support systems
* "SA - The Landing Module", "AV - The Ascent Module" and "RV - The Ascent Rocket stage"
* "PS - The Planetary Station": used by the expedition on the Martian surface for life support and scientific research

The launch was planned for 1980, with a crew of three cosmonauts. Mars stay duration would be 30 days.

Mission data:

* Total Payload Required in Low Earth Orbit-metric tons: 150
* Total Propellant Required-metric tons: 24
* Number of Launches Required to Assemble Payload in Low Earth Orbit: 2
* Launch Vehicle: N1

ee also

*Manned mission to Mars
*Manned Venus Flyby

External links

* [http://www.russianspaceweb.com/spacecraft_manned_mars.html Anatoly Zak's TMK page]
* [http://www.astronautix.com/craft/tmk1.htm TMK page on astronautix]
* [http://www.friends-partners.org/partners/mwade/craft/mavr.htm TMK-MAVR page on astronautix]