The
Soyuz-M
(
Russian
:
Союз
, meaning
"Union"
),
GRAU index
11A511M
was a
Soviet
expendable
carrier rocket
designed by
OKB-1
and manufactured by
State Aviation Plant No. 1
in
Samara, Russia
. It was originally built to launch crewed
Soyuz 7K-VI
spacecraft for the Soviet armed forces. Following the cancellation of this programme, development of the rocket continued for the
Soyuz 7K-S
spacecraft. After this too was cancelled, Soyuz-M development was also abandoned, and the rockets that had been completed were used to launch
reconnaissance satellites
.
Soyuz-M
Function
| Carrier rocket
|
---|
Manufacturer
| OKB-1
|
---|
Country of origin
| Soviet Union
|
---|
|
Height
| 50 metres (160?ft)
|
---|
Diameter
| 10.3 metres (34?ft)
|
---|
Mass
| 300,000 kilograms (660,000?lb)
|
---|
Stages
| Two
|
---|
|
|
Mass
| 6,600 kilograms (14,600?lb)
|
---|
|
---|
|
Family
| R-7
(
Soyuz
)
|
---|
|
Status
| Retired
|
---|
Launch sites
| Plesetsk
Sites
41/1
&
43/4
|
---|
Total launches
| 8
[1]
|
---|
Success(es)
| 8
|
---|
First flight
| 27 December 1971
|
---|
Last flight
| 31 March 1976
|
---|
Type of passengers/cargo
| Zenit-4MT
|
---|
|
While the exact details of the Soyuz-M are not known, it is believed to be a two-stage rocket, derived from the
Soyuz
. It may have been similar to the later
Soyuz-U
.
[2]
Following the cancellation of the Soyuz 7K-S, eight were launched with
Zenit-4MT
spacecraft.
[2]
The first of these launches occurred on 27 December 1971, and the last on 31 March 1976. All launches occurred from the
Plesetsk Cosmodrome
, six from
pad 41/1
and two from
pad 43/4
.
[1]