Vostok (rocket family)

Updated on Nov 26, 2024

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Function Carrier rocket Country of origin USSR Status Retired No. boosters 4 Family R-7		Manufacturer RKK Energia Comparable AtlasTitan Stages 2 Total thrust 3,883.4 kN First flight 15 May 1960 (Vostok-L)

Payload to LEO 4,725 kilograms (10,417 lb) Total launches Vostok-L: 4; Vostok-K: 13; Vostok-2: 45; Vostok-2M: 94; Soyuz/Vostok: 2 Similar Rokot, RM‑81 Agena, Voskhod, Soyuz, Sputnik 1

Vostok (Russian: Восток, translated as "East") was a family of rockets derived from the Soviet R-7 Semyorka ICBM designed for the human spaceflight programme. This family of rockets launched the first artificial satellite (Sputnik 1) and the first manned spacecraft (Vostok) in human history. It was a subset of the R-7 family of rockets.

On March 18, 1980 a Vostok-2M rocket exploded on its launch pad at Plesetsk during a fueling operation, killing 48 people. An investigation into a similar – but avoided – accident revealed that the substitution of lead-based for tin-based solder in hydrogen peroxide filters allowed the breakdown of the H₂O₂, thus causing the resultant explosion.

Variants

The major versions of the rocket were:

Luna 8K72 - used to launch the early Luna spacecraft

Vostok-L 8K72 - Variant of the Luna, used to launch prototype Vostok spacecraft

Vostok-K 8K72K - a refined version of the above. This was the version actually used for human spaceflight

Vostok-2 8A92 - used for launching Zenit reconnaissance satellites throughout the 1960s

Vostok-2M 8A92M - modified version for launching Meteor weather satellites into higher orbits.

Soyuz/Vostok 11A110 - hybrid of Soyuz and Vostok rockets used as an interim for two launches

Vostok 8K72K

Stage number: 1 - Strap-on boosters; 4 x Vostok 8K72K-0

Gross mass: 43,300 kg

Empty mass: 3,710 kg

Thrust (vac): 4 x 99,000 kgf (971 kN) = 3.88 MN

Isp: 313 seconds (3.07 km/s)

Burn time: 118 s

Isp(sl): 256 seconds (2.51 km/s)

Diameter: 2.68 m

Span: 8.35 m

Length: 19.00 m

Propellants: Lox/Kerosene

Engines: 1 x RD-107-8D74-1959 per booster = 4

Stage number: 2 - Core stage; 1 x Vostok 8K72K-1

Gross mass: 100,400 kg

Empty mass: 6,800 kg

Thrust (vac): 912 kN

Isp: 315 seconds (3.09 km/s)

Burn time: 301 s

Isp(sl): 248 seconds (2.43 km/s)

Diameter: 2.99 m

Length: 28.00 m

Propellants: Lox/Kerosene

Engine: 1 x RD-108-8D75-1959

Stage number: 3 - Final stage; 1 x Vostok 8K72K-2

Gross mass: 7,775 kg

Empty mass: 1,440 kg

Thrust (vac): 54.5 kN

Isp: 326 seconds (3.20 km/s)

Burn time: 365 s

Diameter: 2.56 m

Span: 2.56 m

Length: 2.84 m

Propellants: Lox/Kerosene

Engine: 1 x RD-0109

References

Vostok (rocket family) Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

Contents

Variants

Vostok 8K72K

References