CosmosΑ Project

CosmosΑ (pronounced CosmosAlpha) is AISU's project for space exploration, resource development, and space infrastructure construction. It is one of the Institute's oldest projects, active since the Belkosmos era (early AISU) and originally developed in parallel with the Sergei Korolev Design Bureau's programmes.

Background

The 21st century has seen accelerating progress in human space development — from the contest over space resources to the search for new habitable environments. CosmosΑ was established to place AISU at the forefront of this effort, carrying forward the early Institute's commitment to practical astronautics.

Activities

Research, development, and design of next-generation launch vehicles
Design of autonomous space probes
Research into extrasolar planet exploration technologies
Research and development of resource-retrieval technologies from the Moon and asteroids
Research into exploitation of cosmic rays and solar radiation as space-based energy sources

Key Achievements

Launch of Cosmos-96 (1965)
Launch of ARINCA-1 (1976)
Launch of Cosmos-1010 (1978)
Completion of the ARINCA-2 design prototype model (2016)
Completion of the crewed spacecraft Alb1nA design prototype model (2021)
Simulation of water-resource retrieval from Enceladus (2023)