Function Carrier rocket Country of origin Soviet Union Diameter 10.3 metres (34 ft) | Manufacturer OKB-1 Height 50 metres (160 ft) | |
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Mass 300,000 kilograms (660,000 lb) | ||
The Soyuz-L (Russian: Союз, meaning "union"), GRAU index 11A511L was a Soviet expendable carrier rocket designed by OKB-1 and manufactured by State Aviation Plant No. 1 in Samara, Russia. It was created to test the LK lunar lander in low Earth orbit, as part of the Soviet lunar programme.
The Soyuz-L was a derivative of the original Soyuz rocket featuring the reinforced first stage and boosters supporting the Molniya-M's third stage, so that it could carry a more massive payload. A larger payload fairing was also fitted, to accommodate the LK spacecraft. The Soyuz-L was only launched three times between 1970 and 1971, all successful. The later Soyuz-U used a similar configuration to the Soyuz-L.
References
Soyuz-L Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA