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Molniya (rocket)

Soviet rocket

Soviet rocket

FieldValue
nameMolniya (R-7 8K78)
imageMolniya launch vehicle - panoramio.jpg
captionMolniya-M carrier rocket
country-originSoviet Union
manufacturerEnergia
functionMedium launch vehicle
height43.44 m
diameter10.3 m
mass305,000 kg
stages4
familyR-7
statusRetired
sitesBaikonur, Plesetsk
launches40
success20
fail9
partial11

|country-origin = Soviet Union

The Molniya (, meaning "lightning"), GRAU Index 8K78, was a modification of the well-known R-7 Semyorka rocket and had four stages. The rocket was given the name Molniya due to the large number of Molniya communication satellites the rockets launched.

History

The 8K78 resulted from a crash program by the Korolev Bureau to develop a booster for launching planetary probes. A larger third stage was added along with a fourth stage (Blok L) that was designed to fire in-orbit to send the payload out of LEO (replacing the inaccurate direct ascent of the first generation Luna probes launched on the 8K72) and the core and strap-ons had the new uprated 8D74K first stage engines. The first couple of 8K78s flown used an 8K74 core however vehicles flown in 1962-63 used the older 8K71 core. The 8K74 core returned for vehicles flown in 1964 and later.

The initial 8K78s had a faulty Blok I design that was prone to vibration issues and pump cavitation. The Blok I was redesigned afterward and the improved version was first flown on 11 November 1963. The uprated 8K78M booster was introduced in 1965 but 8K78s continued to fly into 1967. The Molniya also carried early Venera probes to Venus.

Molniya (E6) was a minor revision adapted for Luna E-6 series space probes where the guidance system for the entire launch vehicle was moved to the probe itself.

Characteristics

  • Length: 43.440 m
  • Diameter: 10.300 m
  • Launch mass: 305,000 kg
  • Strap-On Boosters: Blok-B,V,G,D / 4 × RD-107
  • Stage 1: Blok-A / RD-108K
  • Stage 2: Blok-I / RD-0108
  • Stage 3: Blok-L / S1.5400

Launches

Molniya rockets were launched 40 times:

DateVersionSerial No.LSPayloadResult
10.10.1960MolniyaL1-4MBaikonur LC-1/5Mars (1a) (1M #1)
14.10.1960MolniyaL1-5MBaikonur LC-1/5Mars (1b) (1M #2)
04.02.1961MolniyaL1-7VBaikonur LC-1/5Venera (1a) (1VA #1, Sputnik 7)
12.02.1961MolniyaL1-6VBaikonur LC-1/5Venera 1 (1VA #2, Sputnik 8)
25.08.1962MolniyaT103-12Baikonur LC-1/5Venera (2a) (2MV-1 #1, Sputnik 19)
01.09.1962MolniyaT103-13Baikonur LC-1/5Venera (2b) (2MV-1 #2, Sputnik 20)
12.09.1962MolniyaT103-14Baikonur LC-1/5Venera (2c) (2MV-2 #1, Sputnik 21)
24.10.1962MolniyaT103-15Baikonur LC-1/5Mars (1c) (2MV-4 #1, Sputnik 22)
01.11.1962MolniyaT103-16Baikonur LC-1/5Mars 1 (2MV-4 #2, Sputnik 23)
04.11.1962MolniyaT103-17Baikonur LC-1/5Mars (2a) (2MV-3 #1, Sputnik 24)
04.01.1963Molniya (E6)T103-09Baikonur LC-1/5Luna E-6 No.2 Luna (4c) (Ye-6 No.2, Sputnik 25)
03.02.1963Molniya (E6)G103-10Baikonur LC-1/5Luna E-6 No.3 Luna (4d) (Ye-6 No.3)
02.04.1963Molniya (E6)G103-11Baikonur LC-1/5Luna 4 (Ye-6 No.4)
11.11.1963MolniyaG15000-017Baikonur LC-1/5Kosmos 21 (Zond (1a)) (3MV-1A #1)
19.02.1964Molniya (M)T15000-019Baikonur LC-1/5Zond (1b) (3MV-1A #2)
21.03.1964Molniya (E6)T15000-020Baikonur LC-1/5Luna (5a) (Ye-6 No.6)
27.03.1964Molniya (M)T15000-022Baikonur LC-1/5Kosmos 27 (Zond (1c)) (3MV-1 #1)
02.04.1964Molniya (M)G15000-028 ?Baikonur LC-1/5Zond 1 (3MV-1 #2)
20.04.1964Molniya (E6)T15000-021Baikonur LC-1/5Luna (5b) (Ye-6 No.5)
04.06.1964MolniyaG15000-018Baikonur LC-1/5Molniya-1 (1a) (Molniya-1 2L)
22.08.1964MolniyaG15000-019Baikonur LC-1/5Kosmos 41 (Molniya-1 (1b)) (Molniya-1 1L)
30.11.1964MolniyaG15000-029Baikonur LC-1/5Zond 2 (3MV-4 #1)
12.03.1965Molniya (E6)G15000-024Baikonur LC-1/5Kosmos 60 (Luna (5c)) (Ye-6 No.9)
10.04.1965Molniya (E6)U15000-022Baikonur LC-1/5Luna (5d) (Ye-6 No.8)
23.04.1965MolniyaU15000-035Baikonur LC-1/5Molniya-1 1 (Molniya-1 3L)
09.05.1965Molniya (M)U15000-024Baikonur LC-1/5Luna 5 (Ye-6 No.10)
08.06.1965Molniya (M)U15000-033Baikonur LC-1/5Luna 6 (Ye-6 No.7)
18.07.1965MolniyaU15000-032Baikonur LC-1/5Zond 3 (3MV-4 #2)
14.10.1965MolniyaU15000-034Baikonur LC-1/5Molniya-1 2 (Molniya-1 4L)
12.11.1965Molniya (M)U15000-042Baikonur LC-31/6Venera 2 (3MV-4 #3)
16.11.1965Molniya (M)U15000-031Baikonur LC-31/6Venera 3 (3MV-3 #1)
23.11.1965Molniya (M)U15000-030Baikonur LC-31/6Kosmos 96 (Venera (4a)) (3MV-4 #4)
03.12.1965MolniyaU15000-048Baikonur LC-31/6Luna 8 (Ye-6 No.12)
27.03.1966Molniya (M)U15000-040Baikonur LC-31/6Molniya-1 (3) (Molniya-1 5L)
25.04.1966Molniya (M)N15000-037Baikonur LC-31/6Molniya-1 3 (Molniya-1 6L)
20.10.1966Molniya (M)N15000-040Baikonur LC-1/5Molniya-1 4 (Molniya-1 7L)
24.05.1967Molniya (M)N15000-041Baikonur LC-1/5Molniya-1 5 (Molniya-1 8L)
31.08.1967Molniya (M)N15000-081Baikonur LC-1/5Kosmos 174 (Molniya-1Yu 11L)
03.10.1967Molniya (M)Ya15000-083Baikonur LC-1/5Molniya-1 6 (Molniya-1 9L)
22.10.1967Molniya (M)Ya15000-084Baikonur LC-1/5Molniya-1 7 (Molniya-1 12L)

References

References

  1. (2007-07-05). "Russian Planetary Exploration: History, Development, Legacy and Prospects". Springer.
  2. "Molniya (8K78)".
  3. (2019). "The Soviet Space Program - The Lunar Mission Years: 1959 to 1976". Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
  4. [http://www.astronautix.com/craft/molniya1.htm Encyclopedia Astronautica Molniya-1] {{webarchive. link. (16 May 2008)
  5. [http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/mol8k78m.htm Encyclopedia Astronautica Molniya 8K78M] {{webarchive. link. (8 May 2012)
  6. [http://www.astronautix.com/craft/molniya2.htm Encyclopedia Astronautica Molniya-2 ] {{webarchive. link. (2 June 2012)
  7. (2013). "The Soyuz Launch Vehicle: The Two Lives of an Engineering Triumph". Springer.
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