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R-7 (rocket family)From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The R-7 family of rockets (Russian: Р-7) is a series of rockets, derived from the Soviet R-7 Semyorka, theworld's first ICBM. More R-7 rockets have been launched than any other family of large rockets.

Contents

1 History

2 Summary of variants

3 Korolev cross

4 See also

5 References

6 External links

History

The R-7 turned out to be impractical as a ballistic missile, but found a long application in the Soviet and thenRussian space programmes. The R-7 family consists of both missiles, and orbital carrier rockets. Derivativesinclude the Vostok, Voskhod and Soyuz rockets, which have been used for all Soviet, and later Russianmanned spaceflights. The type has a unique configuration where four break-away liquid-fueled engines surrounda central core. The core acts as a "second stage" in effect after the other four engines are jettisoned.

Later modifications were standardised around the Soyuz design. The Soyuz-U, Soyuz-FG and Soyuz-2 arecurrently in use. The Soyuz-U and FG are to be retired over the next few years, in favour of the Soyuz-2. R-7rockets are launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. A third launch site, at theGuiana Space Centre in French Guiana, was to open in 2009 but the first Soyuz launch has been postponedseveral times. The first launch from Guiana Space centre took place on October 21, 2011. Guiana will be usedprimarily for commercial launches to geosynchronous orbit, taking advantage of the launch site's proximity to theequator.

As of 2013, every manned Russian or Soviet spaceflight has been launched by an R-7 family rocket.

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Summary of variants

NameGRAU

indexFunction

N°

CoreStages*

Maiden

flight

Final

flight

Launches

RemarksTotal Success Failure

R-7

Semyorka8K71 ICBM 1

15 May

1957

27

February1961

27 18 9World's

first ICBM

Sputnik-PS 8K71PSCarrier

rocket1

4 October

1957

3November1957

2 2 0

World'sfirst carrier

rocketLaunchedSputnik 1

andSputnik 2

Sputnik 8A91Carrierrocket

127 April1958

15 May1958

2 1 1LaunchedSputnik 3

Luna 8K72Carrier

rocket2

23

September16 April

19609 2 7

Launched

first Lunar

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1958 probes

R-7ASemyorka

8K74 ICBM 1

23December

1959

25 July1967

21 18 3

Vostok-L 8K72LCarrierrocket

215 May1960

1

December1960

4 3 1

Molniya 8K78Carrier

rocket3

20 January

1960

3

December1965

26 12 14

Vostok-K 8K72KCarrierrocket

222December

1960

10 July1964

13 11 2

Used formanned

VostokmissionsFirst

rocket tolaunch a

man intospace

Molniya-L 8K78LCarrier

rocket4 Unbuilt

Vostok-2 8A92Carrier

rocket2

1 June

1962

12 May

196745 40 5

Polyot 11A59Carrierrocket

11November

1963

12 April1964

2 2 0

Voskhod 11A57Carrier

rocket2

16

November

1963

29 June

1976300 277 23

Launchedmanned

Voskhod 1

andVoskhod 2

missions

Molniya-M 8K78MCarrierrocket

3

19

February1964

30

September

2010[1]297 276 21

Vostok-2M 8A92MCarrier

rocket2

28 August

1964

29 August

199194 92 2

Soyuz/Vostok 11A510Carrierrocket

327December

1965

20 July1966

2 2 0

Soyuz 11A511Carrier

rocket2

28

November1966

24 May

197530 28 2

Launched

several

mannedSoyuz

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missions

Soyuz-B 11K55Carrier

rocket2 Unbuilt

Soyuz-V 11K56 Carrier

rocket2 Unbuilt

Soyuz-R 11A514Carrier

rocket2 Unbuilt

Soyuz-L 11A511LCarrierrocket

224November

1970

12 August1971

3 3 0

Soyuz-M 11A511MCarrier

rocket2

27

December

1971

31 March

19768 8 0

Soyuz-U 11A511UCarrierrocket

218 May1973

Active 727 708 19

Single most

launchedcarrier

rocket ever

builtUsed for a

number of

manned

Soyuzlaunches

Soyuz-U2 11A511U2Carrier

rocket2

23

December

1982

3

September

1995

92? 90? 2?

Used for anumber of

manned

Soyuzlaunches

Soyuz-FG11A511U-

FG

Carrier

rocket2

20 May

2001Active 29 29 0

Used forcurrent

manned

Soyuzlaunches

Soyuz-2.1a 14A14ACarrier

rocket2

8November

2004

Active 8 7 1

Soyuz-2.1b 14A14BCarrier

rocket2

27

December

2006

Active 7 6 1

Soyuz-2.1v 14A15Carrierrocket

2

28

December2013

Active 1 1 0

* Not including boosters

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Korolev cross observed during Soyuz

TMA-12 launch.

Korolev cross

The Korolev cross is a visual effect observed in the smokeplumes of the R-7 series rockets during separation of the four

liquid-fueled booster rockets attached to the core stage.[2] Asthe boosters fall away from the rocket, they pitch oversymmetrically due to aerodynamic forces acting on them, forminga cross shape behind the rocket. The effect is named afterSergey Korolev, who designed the R-7. When the rocket islaunched into clear skies, the effect can be seen from the groundat the launch site.

See also

1957 in spaceflight

List of R-7 launches

Comparison of orbital launchers families

References

1. ^ Mu, Xuequan (1 October 2010). "Russia sends military satellite into space"(http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-10/01/c_13537937.htm). Xinhua. Retrieved 30 September2010.

2. ^ NASA TV coverage of Soyuz TMA-12 launch

McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch List - R-7 Family" (http://planet4589.org/space/lvdb/launch/R-7). Jonathan'sSpace Page. Retrieved 2008-12-21.Wade, Mark. "Soyuz" (http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/soyuz.htm). Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved2008-12-21.

External links

Rocket R-7 (http://www.energia.ru/english/energia/launchers/rocket-r7.html) from S.P. Korolev Rocketand Space Corporation Energia, a Russian rocket and space contractor

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Categories: R-7 (rocket family) Space launch vehicles of the Soviet Union Soviet inventions

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