Molniya-M carrier rocket
| |
| Function | Medium launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Energia |
| Country of origin | Soviet Union |
| Size | |
| Height | 43.44 m |
| Diameter | 10.3 m |
| Mass | 305,000 kg |
| Stages | 4 |
| Associated rockets | |
| Family | R-7 |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Retired |
| Launch sites | Baikonur, Plesetsk |
| Total launches | 40 |
| 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. The basic R-7 core was also structurally strengthened and given more powerful engines.
A rushed development produced multiple malfunctions of the upper stages, which led to its being replaced by the improved Molniya (M) in 1964, but there were enough 8K78s left to continue flying them into 1967.[4][5][6][7] The Molniya also carried early Venera probes to Venus.[2]
Molniya (E6) was a minor revision adapted for launch of some Luna series space probes.[2]
Molniya rockets were launched 40 times:[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 (4c) (Ye-6 No.2, Sputnik 25) | Partial failure |
| 03.02.1963 | Molniya (E6) | G103-10 | Baikonur LC-1/5 | 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 |
"Molniya-M Carrier Rocket". РКЦ Прогресс. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
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