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Molniya (rocket)

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Molniya (R-7 8K78)
Molniya-M carrier rocket
FunctionMedium launch vehicle
ManufacturerEnergia
Country of originSoviet Union
Size
Height43.44 m
Diameter10.3 m
Mass305,000 kg
Stages4
Associated rockets
FamilyR-7
Launch history
StatusRetired
Launch sitesBaikonur, Plesetsk
Total launches40
Success(es)20
Failure(s)9
Partial failure(s)11

The Molniya (Russian: Молния, meaning "lightning"), GRAU Index 8K78, was a modification of the well-known R-7 Semyorka rocket and had four stages.[1][2] The rocket was given the name Molniya due to the large number of Molniya communication satellites the rockets launched.[3]

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.[4][5][6][7] The Molniya also carried early Venera probes to Venus.[2]

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.[2]

Characteristics

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

Launches

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Molniya rockets were launched 40 times:[2]

Molniya launches[2]
Date Version Serial No. LS Payload Result
10.10.1960 Molniya L1-4M Baikonur LC-1/5 Mars (1a) (1M #1) Failure
14.10.1960 Molniya L1-5M Baikonur LC-1/5 Mars (1b) (1M #2) Failure
04.02.1961 Molniya L1-7V Baikonur LC-1/5 Venera (1a) (1VA #1, Sputnik 7) Partial failure
12.02.1961 Molniya L1-6V Baikonur LC-1/5 Venera 1 (1VA #2, Sputnik 8) Success
25.08.1962 Molniya T103-12 Baikonur LC-1/5 Venera (2a) (2MV-1 #1, Sputnik 19) Partial failure
01.09.1962 Molniya T103-13 Baikonur LC-1/5 Venera (2b) (2MV-1 #2, Sputnik 20) Partial failure
12.09.1962 Molniya T103-14 Baikonur LC-1/5 Venera (2c) (2MV-2 #1, Sputnik 21) Partial failure
24.10.1962 Molniya T103-15 Baikonur LC-1/5 Mars (1c) (2MV-4 #1, Sputnik 22) Partial failure
01.11.1962 Molniya T103-16 Baikonur LC-1/5 Mars 1 (2MV-4 #2, Sputnik 23) Success
04.11.1962 Molniya T103-17 Baikonur LC-1/5 Mars (2a) (2MV-3 #1, Sputnik 24) Partial failure
04.01.1963 Molniya (E6) T103-09 Baikonur LC-1/5 Luna E-6 No.2 Luna (4c) (Ye-6 No.2, Sputnik 25) Partial failure
03.02.1963 Molniya (E6) G103-10 Baikonur LC-1/5 Luna E-6 No.3 Luna (4d) (Ye-6 No.3) Failure
02.04.1963 Molniya (E6) G103-11 Baikonur LC-1/5 Luna 4 (Ye-6 No.4) Success
11.11.1963 Molniya G15000-017 Baikonur LC-1/5 Kosmos 21 (Zond (1a)) (3MV-1A #1) Partial failure
19.02.1964 Molniya (M) T15000-019 Baikonur LC-1/5 Zond (1b) (3MV-1A #2) Failure
21.03.1964 Molniya (E6) T15000-020 Baikonur LC-1/5 Luna (5a) (Ye-6 No.6) Failure
27.03.1964 Molniya (M) T15000-022 Baikonur LC-1/5 Kosmos 27 (Zond (1c)) (3MV-1 #1) Partial failure
02.04.1964 Molniya (M) G15000-028 ? Baikonur LC-1/5 Zond 1 (3MV-1 #2) Success
20.04.1964 Molniya (E6) T15000-021 Baikonur LC-1/5 Luna (5b) (Ye-6 No.5) Failure
04.06.1964 Molniya G15000-018 Baikonur LC-1/5 Molniya-1 (1a) (Molniya-1 2L) Failure
22.08.1964 Molniya G15000-019 Baikonur LC-1/5 Kosmos 41 (Molniya-1 (1b)) (Molniya-1 1L) Success
30.11.1964 Molniya G15000-029 Baikonur LC-1/5 Zond 2 (3MV-4 #1) Success
12.03.1965 Molniya (E6) G15000-024 Baikonur LC-1/5 Kosmos 60 (Luna (5c)) (Ye-6 No.9) Partial failure
10.04.1965 Molniya (E6) U15000-022 Baikonur LC-1/5 Luna (5d) (Ye-6 No.8) Failure
23.04.1965 Molniya U15000-035 Baikonur LC-1/5 Molniya-1 1 (Molniya-1 3L) Success
09.05.1965 Molniya (M) U15000-024 Baikonur LC-1/5 Luna 5 (Ye-6 No.10) Success
08.06.1965 Molniya (M) U15000-033 Baikonur LC-1/5 Luna 6 (Ye-6 No.7) Success
18.07.1965 Molniya U15000-032 Baikonur LC-1/5 Zond 3 (3MV-4 #2) Success
14.10.1965 Molniya U15000-034 Baikonur LC-1/5 Molniya-1 2 (Molniya-1 4L) Success
12.11.1965 Molniya (M) U15000-042 Baikonur LC-31/6 Venera 2 (3MV-4 #3) Success
16.11.1965 Molniya (M) U15000-031 Baikonur LC-31/6 Venera 3 (3MV-3 #1) Success
23.11.1965 Molniya (M) U15000-030 Baikonur LC-31/6 Kosmos 96 (Venera (4a)) (3MV-4 #4) Partial failure
03.12.1965 Molniya U15000-048 Baikonur LC-31/6 Luna 8 (Ye-6 No.12) Success
27.03.1966 Molniya (M) U15000-040 Baikonur LC-31/6 Molniya-1 (3) (Molniya-1 5L) Failure
25.04.1966 Molniya (M) N15000-037 Baikonur LC-31/6 Molniya-1 3 (Molniya-1 6L) Success
20.10.1966 Molniya (M) N15000-040 Baikonur LC-1/5 Molniya-1 4 (Molniya-1 7L) Success
24.05.1967 Molniya (M) N15000-041 Baikonur LC-1/5 Molniya-1 5 (Molniya-1 8L) Success
31.08.1967 Molniya (M) N15000-081 Baikonur LC-1/5 Kosmos 174 (Molniya-1Yu 11L) Success
03.10.1967 Molniya (M) Ya15000-083 Baikonur LC-1/5 Molniya-1 6 (Molniya-1 9L) Success
22.10.1967 Molniya (M) Ya15000-084 Baikonur LC-1/5 Molniya-1 7 (Molniya-1 12L) Success

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Harvey, Brian (5 July 2007). Russian Planetary Exploration: History, Development, Legacy and Prospects. Springer. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-387-46343-8.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Molniya (8K78)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  3. ^ Reichl, Eugen (2019). The Soviet Space Program - The Lunar Mission Years: 1959 to 1976. Schiffer Publishing Ltd. p. 32. ASIN 0764356755.
  4. ^ Encyclopedia Astronautica Molniya-1 Archived 16 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Encyclopedia Astronautica Molniya 8K78M Archived 8 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Encyclopedia Astronautica Molniya-2 Archived 2 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Lardier, Christian; Barensky, Stefan (2013). The Soyuz Launch Vehicle: The Two Lives of an Engineering Triumph. New York: Springer. p. 156. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-5459-5. ISBN 978-1-4614-5458-8.

"Molniya-M Carrier Rocket". РКЦ Прогресс. Retrieved 7 October 2014.