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

R-7 (rocket family)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The R-7 family of rockets (Russian: -7) is a series of rockets, derived from the Soviet R-7 Semyorka, the world'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 then Russian space programmes. The R-7 family consists of both missiles, and orbital carrier rockets. Derivatives include the Vostok, Voskhod and Soyuz rockets, which have been used for all Soviet, and later Russian manned spaceflights. The type has a unique configuration where four break-away liquid-fueled engines surround a 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 are currently in use. The Soyuz-U and FG are to be retired over the next few years, in favour of the Soyuz-2. R-7 rockets are launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. A third launch site, at the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana, was to open in 2009 but the first Soyuz launch has been postponed several times. The first launch from Guiana Space centre took place on October 21, 2011. Guiana will be used primarily for commercial launches to geosynchronous orbit, taking advantage of the launch site's proximity to the equator. As of 2013, every manned Russian or Soviet spaceflight has been launched by an R-7 family rocket.

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

Summary of variants
Name R-7 Semyorka GRAU index 8K71 N Maiden Function Core flight Stages* ICBM 1 15 May 1957 Final flight 27 February 1961 Launches Total Success Failure 27 18 9 Remarks World's first ICBM World's first carrier rocket Launched Sputnik 1 and Sputnik 2 Launched Sputnik 3 Launched first Lunar
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Sputnik-PS

8K71PS

Carrier rocket

3 4 October November 2 1957 1957

Sputnik Luna

8A91 8K72

Carrier rocket Carrier rocket

1 2

27 April 1958

15 May 1958

2 9

1 2

1 7

23 16 April September 1960

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

1958 R-7A Semyorka 8K74 ICBM 1 23 December 25 July 1967 1959 15 May 1960 21 18 3

probes

Vostok-L

8K72L

Carrier rocket Carrier rocket

1 December 4 1960

Molniya

8K78

3 20 January December 26 1960 1965

12

14 Used for manned Vostok missions First rocket to launch a man into space

Vostok-K

8K72K

Carrier rocket

22 10 July December 1964 1960

13

11

Molniya-L Vostok-2 Polyot

8K78L 8A92 11A59

Carrier rocket Carrier rocket Carrier rocket

4 2 1 1 June 1962 12 May 1967

Unbuilt 45 2 40 2 5 0 Launched manned Voskhod 1 and Voskhod 2 missions

1 12 April November 1964 1963 16 29 June November 1976 1963

Voskhod

11A57

Carrier rocket

300

277

23

Molniya-M

8K78M

Carrier rocket Carrier rocket Carrier rocket

19 February 1964

30 September 297 2010[1]

276

21

Vostok-2M

8A92M

2 3

28 August 29 August 94 1964 1991 27 20 July December 1966 1965 28 24 May November 1975 1966 2

92 2

2 0 Launched several manned Soyuz

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Soyuz/Vostok 11A510

Soyuz

11A511

Carrier rocket

30

28

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

missions Soyuz-B Soyuz-V 11K55 11K56 Carrier rocket Carrier rocket Carrier rocket Carrier rocket 2 2 Unbuilt Unbuilt

Soyuz-R Soyuz-L

11A514 11A511L

2 2

Unbuilt 24 12 August November 3 1971 1970 27 31 March December 8 1976 1971 3 0

Soyuz-M

Carrier 11A511M rocket

0 Single most launched carrier rocket ever built Used for a number of manned Soyuz launches Used for a number of manned Soyuz launches Used for current manned Soyuz launches

Soyuz-U

11A511U

Carrier rocket

18 May 1973

Active

727

708

19

Soyuz-U2

Carrier 11A511U2 rocket

23 3 December September 92? 1982 1995

90?

2?

Soyuz-FG

11A511U- Carrier FG rocket

20 May 2001

Active

29

29

Soyuz-2.1a

14A14A

Carrier rocket Carrier rocket Carrier rocket

8 November Active 2004 27 December Active 2006 28 December Active 2013

Soyuz-2.1b

14A14B

Soyuz-2.1v

14A15

* Not including boosters

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Korolev cross
The Korolev cross is a visual effect observed in the smoke plumes of the R-7 series rockets during separation of the four liquid-fueled booster rockets attached to the core stage.[2] As the boosters fall away from the rocket, they pitch over symmetrically due to aerodynamic forces acting on them, forming a cross shape behind the rocket. The effect is named after Sergey Korolev, who designed the R-7. When the rocket is launched into clear skies, the effect can be seen from the ground at the launch site.

See also
1957 in spaceflight List of R-7 launches Comparison of orbital launchers families

Korolev cross observed during Soyuz TMA-12 launch.

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 September 2010. 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's Space Page. Retrieved 2008-12-21. Wade, Mark. "Soyuz" (http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/soyuz.htm). Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 2008-12-21.

External links
Rocket R-7 (http://www.energia.ru/english/energia/launchers/rocket-r7.html) from S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia, a Russian rocket and space contractor Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R-7_(rocket_family)&oldid=588153533" Categories: R-7 (rocket family) Space launch vehicles of the Soviet Union Soviet inventions Rocketry stubs This page was last modified on 29 December 2013 at 02:25. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

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