1. IDENTIFICATION 1.1 Name 1.2 Classification Family : K Series : K-1/SL-17 Version : 4 strap-ons Category : SPACE LAUNCH VEHICLE Class : Heavy Lift Vehicles (HLV) Type : Expendable Launch Vehicle (ELV) 1.3 Manufacturer : V. Glushko's Science and Production Association (design bureau) B.I Gubanov ("main manufacturer") 1.4 Development manager : NPO Research & Industrial Association S.P. Korolev 4, Lenin St., KALININGRAD MOSCOW region, 141070, RUSSIA 1.5 Vehicle operator : 1.6 Launch service agency : 1.7 Launch cost : 110 M$ for 10 t payload? 2. STATUS 2.1 Vehicle status : Out of service 2.2 Development period : Approx. 1977-1989 2.3 First launch : 15 May 1987 (with piggyback stage) December 1989 Page 1
3. PAYLOAD CAPABILITY AND CONSTRAINTS 3.1 Payload capability 3.1.1 Low Earth Orbits (LEO) - approx. 105 t (in May 1987 and November 1988 conditions), - up to 150 t when fully fueled with kick upper stage, - up to 200 t and possibly 250 t with six-booster, - variant and restartable upper stage. 3.1.2 Geosynchronous and Interplanetary Orbits Geosynchronous Orbits (GEO) - 18 t Interplanetary trajectories - 30/32 t Moon, - 25/28 t Mars, Venus. December 1989 Page 2
FIGURE 1 - PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF SOVIET LAUNCH VEHICLES December 1989 Page 3
3.2 Spacecraft orientation and separation Thermal control manœuvres : Nominal payload separation velocity : Rotation rate : Deployment mechanism type : 3.3 Payload interfaces 3.3.1 Payload compartments and adaptors Orbiter (BURAN) payload bay dimensions: length: 18 m, diameter: 4,7 m. 3.4 Environments - 3.5 Operation constraints Safety: Launch rate capability: 2 to 4 flights/year according to sources Procurement lead time: Integration process: Launch operations: Launch constraints: 4. LAUNCH INFORMATION 4.1 Launch site One site is used: the Baikonur cosmodrome (45 60' N, 63 40' E) near Tyuratam and Leninsk. There are almost certainly four, maybe five launch pads. 1 was launched from a test pad close to assembly building and some distance from the two operational BURAN shuttle pads. The service tower arrangements suggest that two pads are to be used for shuttle missions while the remaining two will be used for unmanned non-shuttle launches. Each pad has a flame trench 23 m deep and 20 m accross, a mobile service structure 100 m tall, a 64 m high service tower, and a 225 m lightning conductor tower. Payload processing Launch vehicle processing is assembled horizontally in a new MIK building (60 m high, 240 m long and 240 m wide); it is carried to the pad by 4 diesel locomotives on massive transporter. Once there, hydraulic lift tilts the entire stack upward where it is positioned on the concrete platform. The left tower supports an orbiter access arm for cosmonauts to enter the vehicle through its side hatch. The Soviet shuttle pad does not use a rotating service structure to enclose the Orbiter as does the U.S. shuttle. December 1989 Page 4
4.2 Sequence of flight events TIME AFTER LIFT-OFF(S) 0 150 480 EVENTS Lift-off 008 s after ignition Strap-ons separate at 60 km altitude Core engines cut-off by 110 km altitude 4.3 Launch record data Two launches have been achieved from Baikonur: 15.05.1987 (piggyback upper stage failed to orbit ; launcher not involved) 15.11.1998 with Buran ummanned Orbiter. Reliability: - Previsional: 96% - Demonstrated: 2/2 = 100% 4.4 Planned launches 1990: 1991: 1992: next launch scheduled with parachute recovery system on strap on boosters, flight with unmanned shuttle orbiter, first manned mission? 5. DESCRIPTION 5.1 Launch vehicle FIGURE 2 - HEAVY - LIFT VERSION WITH PAYLOAD MODULE FIGURE 3 - SHUTTLE VERSION WITH BURAN ORBITER 5.2 Overall vehicle Overall length Maximum diameter Lift-off mass (approx.) : 59 m : 18 m : 2 400 t (fully fueled) December 1989 Page 5
5.3 General characteristics of the stages STAGE 0 1 2 Designation Strap-ons (1) Core Piggyback upper stage Manufacturer Length (m) 38 59 24? (2) Diameter (m) 4 8 4? Dry mass (kg) 35 000 85 000 Propellant Type Fuel Oxidizer liquid (storable) Kerosene (RG-1) liquid (cryogenic) LH 2 LO 2 liquid? UDMH N 2 O 4? LO 2 Propellant mass (kg): Fuel Oxidizer Upper part TOTAL 350 000 820 000 Tank pressure (bar) TOTAL lift-offmass (kg) (1) Recoverable on russian territory in the future (2) Overall length of the cargo carrier would be about 37 m and its diameter 5.5 m DESIGNATION Manufacturer Mass (t) VEHICLE EQUIPMENT BAY FAIRING Launch vehicle growth capability: a six-booster variant could carry 192 t: nearly 178 t of payload and a kick stage of just over 14 t. Loiter capability. December 1989 Page 6
5.4 Propulsion STAGE 0 1 2 Designation RD-170 (1)?? Manufacturer Number of engines Engine mass (kg) Glushko 4 (4 nozzles each) 4 1? (or 2 small boosters N) Feed. syst. type Turbopumps Turbopumps Mixture ratio Chamber pressure 250? (bar) Cooling Specific impulse (s) Sea level 308 Vacuum 336 470 Thrust (kn) Sea level 7 260 x 4 1 452 Vacuum 7 900 x 4 1 962 x 4 Burning time (s) 145 480 Nozzle expansion ratio Restart capability (1) Engine of the ZENIT/SL - 16 launch vehicle 5.5 Guidance and control 5.5.1 Guidance 5.5.2 Control STAGE 0 1 Pitch, yaw, roll By gimballing nozzles (3.5 max) By gimballing nozzles (8.6 ) Precision 1 % December 1989 Page 7
6. DATA SOURCE REFERENCES 1 - - Soviet Super Rocket - A.T. Lawton - Spaceflight, vol 29 - August 1987 2 - The Soviet year in Space 1987 - N.L. Johnson - January 1988 3 - Jane's Spaceflight Directory 1988-1989 - pp 465-472 4 - Soviet Space Program Handbook - R. Longstaffe - AD - A 194332 - April 1988 5 - Soviet Space Programs: 1981-1987 - United States Senate - Part 1 - May 1988 6 - What roles for and BURAN? - P.S. Clark - Space Markets/Interavia - 1/1989 - pp 12-17 7 - Aviation Week 16.01.1989, p 42 8 - TRW SPACE LOG 1988 9 - and BURAN: the Soviet space union - T. Furniss - Flight International, 18.02.1989 - pp 22-26 10 - Opportunities from Soviet Space Industry - A commercial user's guide - June 1989 11 - Mission Planner's Manual PROTON commercial launch vehicle - Space Commerce Corporation - Issue n 1 - June 1989 12 - Orbite - Bulletin du C2F - Special BOURANE - Hors Série n 5 - Juin 1989 13 - Air & Cosmos n 1241-10.06.1989 - pp 25-28 December 1989 Page 8