Subscribe with SteadyVDU 1, 2
VDU 2 [NASA]
The VDU thruster units were self-contained modules to enhance attitude control of the space station Mir.
The VDU blocks were mounted on the Sofor girder on the Kvant 1 module to faciliate more effective roll control than using the thrusters on Mir's central core block. Using this off-axis thruster block resulted in a 85% saving of fuel. The 700 kg VDU was a 2.2 m oblong box containig the fuel and 11D428A-10 thrusters.
The VDU units were delivered by modified Progress-M freighters, which replaced the wet cargo section by a special section containing the VDU blocks. VDU 1 was delivered by Progress-M 14 in August 1992. When it ran out of fuel, it was discarded and replaced by VDU 2, delivered by Progress-M 38 in March 1998.
| Nation: | Russia |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Thruster module |
| Operator: | RKK → RAKA |
| Contractors: | |
| Equipment: | |
| Configuration: | |
| Propulsion: | 11D428A-10 |
| Power: | via Mir |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | 700 kg |
| Orbit: |
| Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VDU 1 | N/A | 15.08.1992 | Ba LC-31/6 | Soyuz-U2 | with Progress-M 14, VBK-Raduga 6 | |
| VDU 2 | N/A | 14.03.1998 | Ba LC-1/5 | Soyuz-U | with Progress-M 38 |
Launch Sites:
- Ba = Baikonur (Tyuratam, NIIP-5, GIK-5), Tyuratam, Kazakhstan
References:
- David M. Harland: The Story of Space Station Mir, Springer Science & Business Media
Further Mir missions:
