For the first time, a Soyuz rocket with a manned spacecraft was launched on 1968-23-04. Pilot-cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov piloted it. Throughout the flight, many imperfections in the design were revealed. A day after the launch, the ship's rescue system failed during the descent of the apparatus from orbit. The ship with the astronaut inside crashed on the ground. With such a tragic incident, the path of the spacecraft began, which later became a space long-liver. The article will focus on the Soyuz launch vehicle.
History of Creation
Soyuz is a three-stage launch vehicle (LV). It was intended to launch Soyuz manned spacecraft and Kosmos automated spacecraft into Earth orbit.
The creation process began on May 20, 1954 with a decree on the development of an intercontinental ballistic missile. The leaders of the development process were D. I. Kozlov and S. P. Korolev. The basis for the new launch vehicle was Voskhod and R-7A. Construction began in 1953.
To work out all the characteristics in 1955, the construction of a test site began. It was decided to create it in Kazakhstan near the Tyura-Tam railway station. Today it is the well-known Baikonur Cosmodrome.
Only after the successful creation of the launch vehicle "Vostok", "Voskhod" S. P. Korolev began the development of a completely new direction in astronautics. He set about creating manned spacecraft (PC) with a domestic compartment on board. The Soyuz rocket was supposed to launch the PC.
Created it on the basis of the Voskhod launch vehicle. The block of the third stage was subjected to significant modernization. This made it possible to improve the energy characteristics of the apparatus.
Design
The Soyuz rocket outwardly has distinctive design features. It is easily recognizable by the four cone-shaped side blocks located on the first step.
The length depends on the type of PC, but it does not exceed 50.67 meters. The starting mass must be less than 308 tons with a total fuel weight of 274 tons.
Component parts:
- 1st stage includes four launch boosters;
- 2nd is the central block "A";
- 3rd is Block B;
- emergency rescue system;
- payload adapter;
- head fairing.
The Soyuz space rocket is capable of launching a payload of up to 7.1 tons into orbit.
Fuel
Woall three stages of the launch vehicle use the same fuel. They are jet kerosene T-1. The oxidizing agent is liquid oxygen. It is non-toxic, but highly flammable and explosive.
For the operation of auxiliary systems, the device is filled with a small amount of liquid nitrogen, hydrogen peroxide.
RN modifications
The Soyuz rocket gave life to its other modifications:
- "Soyuz-L" - to work out the lunar cabin. Its launches were carried out from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in 1970-1971.
- Soyuz-M - all launches were carried out from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in 1971-1976. For the first time, with its help, a ship was launched into orbit, and then they began to use Zenith Orion to launch reconnaissance satellites.
- "Soyuz-U" - designed to launch into orbit a variety of spacecraft (manned, cargo). It differs from the basic design in more powerful engines of the 1st and 2nd stages. About 770 launches have been made to date.
- "Soyuz-2" - a modification from type U. In the project it is called "Rus".
- Soyuz-ST is based on the type 2 base. It provides commercial launches from the Kourou launch site.
History of launches
From 1966 to 1976, 32 launches were made, of which 30 were successful. For the first time, the launch vehicle was launched on November 28, 1966, as a result of which an unmanned spacecraft was launched into orbit. The last time the Soyuz rocket, the photo of which is presented, took off on 1976-14-10, putting a transport ship into orbit.
All launches were made from Baikonur. For thislaunch pads 1, 31 were used.
The launch of the Soyuz rocket was marked by two disasters, the first of which took place on 1966-14-12. The problems began in preparation for the launch, when the side block did not work with a pyro-pump. Automation did not work, the rocket remained standing. While the fuel was draining, the emergency rescue system worked, which was in operation all this time and monitored the state of the ship. The reason for turning on the system was that the Earth changed its angle during rotation, and the rocket changed it with it. The crew at that time was standing at the foot of the launch vehicle.
The coolant caught fire in the part of the rocket left on the ground. This led to subsequent explosions. Most of the people managed to leave the territory. Major Korostylev died immediately, who hid behind the wall and suffocated from the smoke. Two soldiers died on the second day.
The second disaster occurred on 1975-05-04. On board the PC were V. G. Lazarev and O. G. Makarov. They made the second flight into space. The malfunctions began when the PC was put into orbit, the automation made an emergency separation. At the same time, an altitude of 150 kilometers was gained.
The ship hit the mountainside near the city of Gorno-Altaisk. He rolled down the slope and miraculously caught on a tree that grew near the edge of the abyss. The astronauts survived thanks to the fact that they did not fire the parachute. The astronauts were evacuated by helicopter. Their flight lasted 21 minutes 27 seconds.
