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MOLNIYA Launch Vehicle
«Молния» – наименование четырехступенчатых ракет-носителей, разработанных на базе ракет-носителей типа Р-7 с добавлением блоков 3-й и 4-й ступеней. Ракета-носитель «Молния» предназначена для выведения радиотрансляционных спутников типа «Молния», исследовательских спутников типа «Прогноз» и спутников серии «Космос».
MOLNIYA Series
"Molniya" is the four stage launch vehicle developed on the base of "R-7" launch vehicle with addition of the 3-rd and the 4-th stages modules.
"Molniya" launch vehicle is designed for injection of radio relay satellites of "Molniya"-type, research satellites of "Prognoz"-type and satellites of "Kosmos"-series.
The efficient injection scheme is based on usage of parking orbit and launch of the fourth stage under zero-gravity and allows injecting the payload into stretched elliptical and transfer orbits to other objects of the solar system. "Molniya-M" launch vehicle was used for injecting the first interplanetary spacecraft to the Moon, Venus and Mars. On December, 1995 "IRS-1C" Indian satellite launch was made into circular Sun-synchronous orbit. The first launch of "Molniya" launch vehicle was made on October 10, 1960.
The launch vehicle was modernized in 1965. The modification was named "Molniya-M". The operation of "Molniya-M" launch vehicle was finished in 2010. |
MOLNIYA Series
Lifting characteristics of "Molniya-M" launch vehicle(with 2,7 m nose fairing)
|
Inclination (degree) |
Circular orbit average altitude (km) |
High-elliptical orbit altitude (km) |
Injected payload mass (kg) | |
Plesetsk |
62,8
|
510
|
40000
|
2000
|