Kosmos Launch Vehicle
"B", & "C"
THE SMALL UTILITY LAUNCH VEHICLE ("B")
Kosmos [B-1] Series SL-7
Overview, Supporting Facilities and Launch Vehicles of the
Soviet Space Program *
1976-1980
* Prepared by the late Charles S. Sheldon II and Geoffrey E. Perry M.B.E. Dr. Sheldon was the Senior Specialist in Space and Transportation Technology, Mr. Perry is a Senior Teacher at Kettering Boys School, England, and the leader of the Kettering Group of amateur satellite observers.
Just as the United States looked to the Redstone, Thor, Jupiter, Atlas, and Titan in the missile inventory to serve as first stages of space launch vehicles, the Russians also saw the logic of applying the results of extensive military R&D. As discussed, the original ICBM, SS-6 or Sapwood became the standard Soviet launch vehicle from 1957 to the present time, with its lift capability gradually improved to as much as 7.5 metric tons. Even with the economies of serial production, this is still an expensive way to put up every payload whose weight may be a small fraction of 7.5 metric tons.
Moscow parades of military hardware had revealed medium range and intermediate range missiles which should have been quite capable of serving as the first stage of space launch vehicles. One of these, the SS-3 or Shyster was later pictured by the Russians as the largest of four classes of vertical probe rockets used for geophysical payloads and biological flights launched at Kapustin Yar during the late 1950's. Shyster was replaced in parades by an improved version which may have a range of about, 1,600 kilometers instead of about 1,000 kilometers such as its predecessor. This newer model was code named SS-4 or Sandal. It was the principal rocket which showed up in Cuba during the fall of 1962, so its picture became well known in the United States. Kapustin Yar, a primary base for test flights of the Shyster and then the Sandal missile, came into use as a space orbital launch site in March of 1962 when Kosmos 1 was announced. The small Kosmos flights, all flown at close to 49 or 48 degree inclinations would have been ideally launched by the Sandal, and that was the conclusion of Western analysts for 5 years. No specific weights were announced for these groups of Kosmos payloads, strongly suggesting that there would be a large military component among them. However, from a study of the replica payloads which have been put on display, this vehicle should be able to lift from 260 to 425 kilograms to orbit. A Soviet at the Montreal Expo told David Woods the range was 280 to 600 kilograms. In 1967 at the Paris Air Show, the Russians put on display for the first time the RD-119 upper stage engine used for this launch vehicle. It had been developed between 1958 and 1962 at the Leningrad Gas Dynamics Laboratory. Its design concept was a little like the RD-107 and RD-108 from the same source. It operates at a pressure of 80 atmospheres, has a thrust of 11 tons, and a vacuum Igp of 352 seconds. It burns unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine (UDMH) and perhaps liquid oxygen. The single nozzle is bell-shaped, and a single shaft turbo pump system drives the fuel and oxidizer supplies as well as a fairly elaborate set of auxiliary nozzles for roll, pitch, and yaw.
Late in 1967, with the expansion of the Moscow Museum of Industrial Achievement, a total assembly of this small Kosmos launcher was put on display. This confirmed the analysts had been right: It did use a modified SS-4 Sandal first stage, with an added upper stage powered by the RD-119. The SS-4 and the B-l are shown in figure 12. Some of the payloads it puts up are spin stabilized, and then the carrier rocket upper stage is separated. In at least one case, the payload was not separated. In another case, two payloads were put up in a single launch. Twice, a special aerodynamic stabilization was used. More recently the first stage rocket engine has been displayed as the RD-214. It has four nozzles, burns kerosene in refined form and nitric acid. Its thrust is 74 tons, the Isp is 264 seconds, and its chamber pressure is 45 atmospheres.
Articles in dark's series of studies of Soviet launch vehicles dealing with the B-l and its payloads at the 71 degrees inclination have appeared in Spaceflight. (37, 38)
The B vehicle would now appear to have been phased out of service, its role having been assumed by the C-l. The last B-l launch placed Kosmos 919 into orbit from Plesetsk on June 18, 1977.
Although this study is devoted to the space program and not to military hardware per se, so much reference is made to military surface-to-surface missiles, many of which are also used for space purposes that table 10 has been included to give a quick reference check list of the better known of these.
References:1. SOVIET SPACE PROGRAMS: 1976-80, SUPPORTING FACILITIES AND LAUNCH VEHICLES, POLITICAL GOALS AND PURPOSES, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN SPACE, ADMINISTRATION, RESOURCE BURDEN, FUTURE OUTLOOK PREPARED AT THE REQUEST OF HON. BOB PACKWOOD, Chairman, COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION, UNITED STATES SENATE, Part 1, Dec. 1982.
36. Clark, Phillip S. The Polyot Missions, Spaceflight, vol. 22, pp. 312-315, London , Sept.-Oct. 1980.
37. Clark, Phillip S. The Sandal Program, Spaceflight, vol. 23, pp. 18-21, London , May 1980.
38. dark, Phillip S. Cosmos Flights at 71 Degrees, Spaceflight, vol. 22, pp. 174-177, London, May 1980.
1971-1975
Just as the United States looked to the Redstone, Thor, Jupiter, Atlas, and Titan in the missile inventory to serve as first stages of space launch vehicles, the Russians also saw the logic of applying the results of extensive military R & D. As discussed, the original ICBM, SS-6 or Sapwood became the standard Soviet launch vehicle from 1957 to the present time, with its lift capability gradually improved to as much as 7.5 metric tons. Even with the economies of serial production, this is still an expensive way to put up every payload whose weight may be a small fraction of 7.5 metric tons.
Moscow parades of military hardware had revealed medium range and intermediate range missiles which should have been quite capable of serving as the first stage of space launch vehicles. One of these, the SS-3 or Shyster was later pictured by the Russians as the largest of four classes of vertical probe rockets used for geophysical payloads and biological flights launched at Kapustin Yar during the late 1950's. Shyster was replaced in parades by an improved version which may have a range of about 1,600 kilometers instead of about 1,000 kilometers like its predecessor. This newer model was code named SS-4 or Sandal. It was the principal rocket which showed up in Cuba during the fall of 1962, so its picture became well known in the United States .
Kapustin Yar, a primary base for test flights of the Shyster and then the Sandal missile, came into use as a space orbital launch site in March of 1962 when Kosmos 1 was announced. The small Kosmos flights, all flown at close to 49 or 48 degree inclinations would have been ideally launched by the Sandal, and that was the conclusion of Western analysts for five years. No specific weights were announced for these groups of Kosmos payloads, strongly suggesting that there would be a large military component among them. However, from a study of the replica payloads which have been put on display, this vehicle should be able to lift from 260 to 425 kilograms to orbit. A Soviet official at the Montreal Expo told David Woods the range was 280 to 600 kilograms. In 1967 at the Paris Air Show, the Russians put on display for the first time the RD-119 upper stage rocket used for this launch vehicle. It had been developed between 1958 and 1962 at the Leningrad Gas Dynamics Laboratory. Its design concept was a little like the RD-107 and RD-108 from the same source. It operates at 'a pressure of 80 atmospheres, has a thrust of 11 tons, and a vacuum Isp. of 353 seconds. It burns unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine (UDMH) and perhaps liquid oxygen. The single nozzle is bell-shaped, and a single shaft turbo pump system drives the fuel and oxidizer supplies as well as fairly elaborate set of auxiliary nozzles for roll, pitch, and yaw.
Late in 1967, with the expansion of the Moscow Museum of Industrial Achievement, a total assembly of this small Kosmos launcher was put on display. This confirmed the analysts had been right: It did use a modified SS-4 Sandal first stage, with an 'added upper stage powered by the RD-119. Most of the payloads it puts up are spin stabilized, and then the carrier rocket upper stage is separated. In at least one case, the payload was not separated. In another case, two payloads were put up in a single launch. Twice, a special aerodynamic stabilization was used. More recently the first stage rocket engine has been displayed as the RD-214. It has four nozzles, burns kerosene in refined form and nitric acid. Its thrust is 72 tons, the Isp. is 264 seconds, and its chamber pressure is 45 atmospheres.
Although this study is devoted to the space program and not to military hardware per se, so much reference is made to military surface-to-surface missiles, many of which are also used for space purposes that Table 1-10 has been appended to give a quick reference check list of the better known of these.
References:1. SOVIET SPACE PROGRAMS, 1971-75, OVERVIEW, FACILITIES AND HARDWARE MANNED AND UNMANNED FLIGHT PROGRAMS, BIOASTRONAUTICS CIVIL AND MILITARY APPLICATIONS PROJECTIONS OF FUTURE PLANS, STAFF REPORT , THE COMMITTEE ON AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE .SCIENCES, UNITED STATES SENATE, BY THE SCIENCE POLICY RESEARCH DIVISION CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE, THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, VOLUME – I, AUGUST 30, 1976, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1976,
C. THE FLEXABLE INTERMEDIATE LAUNCH VEHICLE (“C”)
Interkosmos/Kosmos-3M Series SL-8
Overview, Supporting Facilities and Launch Vehicles of the
Soviet Space Program *
1976-1980
* Prepared by the late Charles S. Sheldon II and Geoffrey E. Perry M.B.E. Dr. Sheldon was the Senior Specialist in Space and Transportation Technology, Mr. Perry is a Senior Teacher at Kettering Boys School, England, and the leader of the Kettering Group of amateur satellite observers.
THE FLEXIBLE INTERMEDIATE LAUNCH VEHICLE ("C")
Small, relatively modest Soviet payloads for 5 years came only from Kapustin Yar, and after that also from Plesetsk, but not from Tyuratam. In 1964, however, a new series of flights began at Tyuratam with a vehicle which was neither a B-l, nor the large A class. It can be designated the C-l, and starting in 1967 it also came into use at Plesetsk. It was first used for a space launch from Kapustin Yar in 1973.
As first used, it put up multiple payloads, initially three at a time, then five at a time, and now eight at a time. Starting at the end of 1965 and most of the flights since have been single payloads. The earliest launches were in eccentric orbits, and then came flights with circularized orbits, and these have been at increasing altitudes.
This performance seemed in excess of what could be expected of the B-l launch vehicle both because of the many multiple payloads, and the demonstrated capacity to achieve circularized orbit at higher altitudes. In addition to that the appearance of the flights from a cosmodrome not used for the regular small Kosmos or B-l flights was a further indication. Even where flights of the B-l and the C-l come from the same cosmodrome, there are marked differences in inclination, suggesting the use of different launch pads.
As Western analysts sought a military missile which might fit the needs of a first stage of the C-l, the SS-5 of Skean came to mind. This had been paraded in Moscow, and was believed to have a range as a missile of close to 4,000 kilometers. It was also known as the missile which followed the Sandal into Cuba and posed an added threat then because of its greater range. The SS-5 and the C-l are shown in figure 13.
The Skean-based C-l type of launch vehicle has not yet been put on display by the Russians, but finally some photographs are appearing, and they confirm the use of this particular missile for the first stage. The first photograph was obtained in the West by Maarten Houtman of the Netherlands. The exact dimensions are not known, but some ratios have been developed by Phillip S. Clark. (39) The vehicle may be 2.44 meters in diameter and about 31.6 meters long. It probably could put over 1,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit but has not been used that way. More likely the payloads range from about 900 to 500 kilograms, decreasing with altitude. The initial reticence to disclose anything about its rocket engines or performance again suggests a role which is largely military. Even the Skean missile when paraded in Moscow carried a plate to hide its power plant. Kenneth Gatland reported that it had four nozzles and it was later found that the first stage was powered by two RD-216 engines, each with two chambers, fueled with unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine (UDMH) and nitrogen tetroxide.
References:1. SOVIET SPACE PROGRAMS: 1976-80, SUPPORTING FACILITIES AND LAUNCH VEHICLES, POLITICAL GOALS AND PURPOSES, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN SPACE, ADMINISTRATION, RESOURCE BURDEN, FUTURE OUTLOOK PREPARED AT THE REQUEST OF HON. BOB PACKWOOD, Chairman, COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION, UNITED STATES SENATE, Part 1, Dec. 1982.
39. Clark, Phillip S., The Skean Program, Spaceflight, vol. 20, pp. 298-304, London, August6 1978.
1971- 1975
Small, relatively modest Soviet payloads for five years came only from Kapustin Yar, and after that also from Plesetsk, but not from Tyuratam. In 1964, however, a new series of flights began at Tyuratam with a vehicle which was neither a B-l, nor the large A class. It can be designated the C-l, and starting in 1967 it also came into use at Plesetsk. It was first used for a space launch from Kapustin Yar in 1973.
As first used, it put up multiple payloads, initially three at a time, then five at a time, and now eight at a time. Starting at the end of 1965 and most of the flights since have been single payloads. The earliest launches were in eccentric orbits, and then came flights with circularized orbits, and these have been at increasing altitudes.
This performance seemed in excess of what could be expected of the B-l launch vehicle both because of the many multiple payloads, and the demonstrated capacity to 'achieve circularized orbit at higher altitudes. In addition to that the appearance of the flights from a cosmodrome not used for the regular small Kosmos or B-l flights was a further indication. Even where flights of the B-l and the C-l come from the same cosmodrome, there are marked differences in inclination, suggesting the use of different launch pads.
As Western analysts sought a military missile which might fit the needs of a first stage of the C-l, the SS-5 or Skean came to mind. This had been paraded in Moscow , and was believed to have a range as a missile of close to 4,000 kilometers. It was also known as the missile which followed the Sandal into Cuba and posed an added threat then because of its greater range.
The Skean-based C-l type of launch vehicle has not yet been put on display by the Russians, but finally some photographs are appearing, and they confirm the use of this particular missile for the first stage. The first photograph was obtained in the West by Maarten Houtman of the Netherlands . The exact dimensions are not known, but some ratios have been developed by Phillip S. dark of the United Kingdom . The vehicle may be as much as 2.5 meters in diameter although it may be 2.4 or 2.25 meters and about 31.6 meters long. It probably could put over 1,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit but has not been used that way. More likely the payloads range from about 900 to 500 kilograms, decreasing with altitude. The reticence to disclose anything about its rocket engines or performance again suggest a role which is largely military. Even the Skean missile when paraded in Moscow carried a plate to hide its power plant. Kenneth Gatland says it has four nozzles.
References:1. SOVIET SPACE PROGRAMS, 1971-75, OVERVIEW, FACILITIES AND HARDWARE MANNED AND UNMANNED FLIGHT PROGRAMS, BIOASTRONAUTICS CIVIL AND MILITARY APPLICATIONS PROJECTIONS OF FUTURE PLANS, STAFF REPORT , THE COMMITTEE ON AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE .SCIENCES, UNITED STATES SENATE, BY THE SCIENCE POLICY RESEARCH DIVISION CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE, THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, VOLUME – I, AUGUST 30, 1976, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1976,
Until 1993 the smallest Russian launch vehicle in use was the Kosmos-3M booster, derived from the R-14 (NATO designator SS-5) medium range ballistic missile. Originally designed by the Yangel Design Bureau in Ukraine (now the Yuzhnoye [Southern] Design Bureau) and the Prikladnoi Mekhaniki (Applied Mechanics) Scientific Production Association in Russia, the Kosmos-3M has been manufactured by the Polet (Flight) Design Bureau for nearly 30 years. Eleven Kosmos-3M launches were conducted during 1993-1994, and all were successful.
The two-stage booster burns UDMH as a fuel and either nitric acid or N204 as the oxidizer. The first stage employs two 11 D614 (RD216) main engines, while the second stage relies on a single, restartable 11D49 main engine. The second stage also carries an independent propulsion system for coast and spacecraft deployment operations. Used only for LEO missions, the Kosmos-3M has a demonstrated payload capacity of 1,500 kg to a low altitude, 51 degree-inclination parking orbit. However, since 1988 all Kosmos-3M missions have originated from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome (Complexes 132 left and right and 133) with inclinations of 66 degrees or more. The first commercial use of Kosmos-3M was scheduled for early 1995 when small American and Swedish spacecraft were to accompany a Russian navigation satellite into orbit. An improved model of the launch vehicle, the Kosmos-3MU (aka Vzlet), may begin operations by 1998 with a LEO payload capacity of 1.8 metric tons (References 202-205).
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