 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The simple constraint on L1 launch dates.
Rocketdyne Lox/Kerosene rocket engine. Launch thrust 889.36 kN. Gas generator, pump-fed. Thrust and specific impulse values are at sea level.
Subsonic rocket launch aircraft. Loaded/empty mass 156,000/109,629 kg. Thrust 561.90 kN. Specific impulse 9900 seconds. Lockheed airliner swept wing. Release conditions: Belly-mounted, 36,800 kg, 17.1 m length x 7.9 m span at 925 kph at 11,890 m altitude
Russian manned lunar flyby spacecraft. Study 1960. Circumlunar manned spacecraft proposed by Korolev in January 1960. The L1 would a man on a loop around the moon and back to earth by 1964.
Russian manned lunar flyby spacecraft. Study 1962. Early design that would lead to Soyuz. A Vostok-Zh manned tug would assemble rocket stages in orbit. It would then return, and a Soyuz L1 would dock with the rocket stack and be propelled toward the moon.
L-14.
Alternate designation for CZ-4A-3 rocket stage.
L-140.
Alternate designation for Ariane 1-1 rocket stage.
L-140B.
Alternate designation for Ariane 2-1 rocket stage.
L-17.
Alternate designation for Diamant B-1 rocket stage.
L-2.
Rocketdyne Lox/Kerosene rocket engine. Launch thrust 444.63 kN. Gas generator, pump-fed. Thrust and specific impulse values are at sea level.
Russian lunar rover. Study 1963. The L2 was a project to land a remote-controlled self-propelled rover on the surface of the moon. It was described in a 23 September 1963 letter setting out the space exploration plan for 1965 to 1975.
L-220.
Alternate designation for Ariane 4-1 rocket stage.
L2-9K-11K-13K.
Manufacturer's designation for L2-1963 lunar rover.
L3.
Russian manned lunar expedition. Development begun in 1964. All hardware was test flown, but program cancelled in 1974 due to repeated failures of the project's N1 launch vehicle.
L-3.
Russian manned lunar lander. Study 1963. Korolev's original design for a manned lunar landing spacecraft was described in September 1963 and was designed to make a direct lunar landing using the earth orbit rendezvous method.
L-33.
Alternate designation for Ariane 1-2 rocket stage.
L-33B.
Alternate designation for Ariane 2-2 rocket stage.
L3M.
Russian manned lunar base. Study 1970-1972. Follow-on to the L3, a two N1-launch manned lunar expedition designed and developed in the Soviet Union between 1969 and 1974.
Russian manned lunar lander. Study 1970. The first design of the L3M lunar lander had the crew of two accommodated in a Soyuz capsule atop the lander.
Russian manned lunar lander. Study 1972. Revised L3M design of the L3M lunar lander for use with the Block Sr crasher stage. The Soyuz return capsule was completely enclosed in a pressurized 'hangar'.
L3S.
Manufacturer's designation for Ariane 1 orbital launch vehicle.
L4.
Manufacturer's designation for L4-1963 manned lunar orbiter.
L-4.
L-40.
Alternate designation for Ariane 4L rocket stage.
Russian manned lunar orbiter. Study 1960. Lunar orbiter proposed by Korolev in January 1960. The spacecraft was to take 2 to 3 men to lunar orbit and back to earth by 1965.
Russian manned lunar orbiter. Study 1963. The L-4 Manned Lunar Orbiter Research Spacecraft would have taken two to three cosmonauts into lunar orbit for an extended survey and mapping mission.
ISAS solid rocket engine. 7.8 kN.
L-5.
Notional lox/lh2 rocket engine. 30,684 kN. Study 1963. Isp=428s. Used on Nova GD-H launch vehicle.
Notional lox/lh2 rocket engine. 27,350 kN. Study 1963. Isp=410s. Engines for recoverable booster engine package 'half stage' of a 1 1/2 stage arrangement. Used on Nova GD-H launch vehicle.
L500.
ISAS solid rocket engine. 69 kN.
Russian manned lunar rover. Study 1963. The L-5 Heavy Lunar Self-Propelled Craft would be used for extended manned reconnaissance of the lunar surface.
Russian manned lunar lander. Study 1967. At a Lunar Soviet meeting in October 1967 preliminary agreement was reached to study a follow-on to the first N1-L3 lunar landings. A new N1 model was to be developed to launch a new 'L5' spacecraft.
Notional Lox/Kerosene rocket engine. 31,010 kN. Study 1963. Engines used in recoverable stage of ballistic shape; separation at 3,420 m/s at 93,900 m altitude; splashdown using retrorockets under 7 parachutes 1340 km downrange. Isp=330s.
L6H.
Notional lox/lh2 rocket engine. 122,748 kN. Study 1963. Operational date would have been June 1976. Used in booster stage (engines only). Isp=439s. Used on Nova MM 34 launch vehicle.
L7.
MBB N2O4/MMH rocket engine. 27.4 kN. In Production. Isp=320s. Used on Ariane 5 launch vehicle. First flight 1996.
Notional Lox/Kerosene rocket engine. 37,007 kN. Study 1963. Engines used in recoverable stage; separation at 3,365 m/s at 89,300 m altitude; splashdown using retrorockets under 8 46 m diameter parachutes 1300 km downrange. Isp=335s.
L735.
ISAS solid rocket engine. 410 kN.
ISAS solid rocket engine. 118 kN.
L735(1-3).
Alternate designation for Lambda 4SC-2 rocket stage.
L-9.
Alternate designation for Ariane 5-2 rocket stage.
L-90.
Alternate designation for CZ-2E-2 rocket stage.
Italian manufacturer. Universita degli Studi "la Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
La-205.
Missile article number for 205 missile.
La-206.
Missile of 206 surface-to-air missile.
La-207.
Missile of 207 surface-to-air missile.
La-207A.
Missile of 207A surface-to-air missile.
La-207T.
Missile of 207T surface-to-air missile.
La-208.
Missile of 208 surface-to-air missile.
La-215.
Missile of 215 surface-to-air missile.
La-217.
Missile of 217 surface-to-air missile.
La-217M.
Missile of 217M surface-to-air missile.
La-218.
Missile of 218 surface-to-air missile.
La-350.
Manufacturer's designation for Burya intercontinental cruise missile.
Laboratorno-zhiloy modul'.
Alternate designation for LZhM manned lunar habitat.
Laboratory Module.
Alternate designation for MOL LM manned space station module.
Laboroatorno-zavodskoy modul'.
Alternate designation for LZM manned lunar habitat.
LACE.
American military strategic defense satellite. One launch, 1990.02.14, USA 51. The Low-power Atmospheric Compensation Experiment was part of a dual payload with RME carrying laser defense experiments.
LACE.
Liquid Air/LH2 propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 8,000/2,000 kg. Thrust 147.00 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 1200 seconds.
Mitsubishi air augmented Liquid Air/LH2 rocket engine. 147.1 kN. Design 1999. Isp=1200s. Used on H-2 HIMES launch vehicle.
Lacklen, Robert J American personnel manager, at NASA 1945-1964.
LaComb, Maureen Cecil (1956-) American engineer military spaceflight engineer astronaut, 1982-1990.
American military side-looking radar all-weather surveillance radar satellite. Operational, first launch 1988.12.02.
American tactical ballistic missile. Nuclear-armed short-range ballistic missile briefly deployed by the U.S. Army in the late 1950s. Its rocket motor was the basis for the Doorknob sounding rocket.
Laebe German rocket engineer in WW2. Later worked in France at LRBA in the doppler tracking group of the flight mechanics and control department from 1947-1952.
American earth geodetic satellite. 2 launches, 1976.05.04 (Lageos) and 1992.10.22 (Lageos 2). The LAGEOS satellites were passive vehicles covered with retroreflectors designed to reflect laser beams transmitted from ground stations.
Lagrangian Interplanetary Shuttle Vehicle.
American manned Mars expedition. Study 1985. A Lagrangian approach to Mars exploration was proposed in June 1985. This would use the L1 sunward point of equal Earth/Moon/Sun gravity to assemble and refuel a large Interplanetary Shuttle Vehicle spacecraft.
Category of spacecraft.
Lagutev, S N Russian engineer.
LAH.
Lithium aluminium hydride
Laliberté, Guy (1959-) Canadian astronaut, 2009.
Japanese all-solid orbital launch vehicle. All solid-propellant vehicle, Japan's first satellite launcher. The L-4S project simulated the procedures and demonstrated the capabilities required for orbital satellite launch essential to the follow-on Mu project.
All solid-propellant vehicle, Japan's first satellite launcher. The L-4S project simulated the procedures and demonstrated the capabilities required for orbital satellite launch essential to the follow-on Mu project.
Japanese test vehicle. 3-4 stage vehicle series.
Solid rocket stage. 110.00 kN (24,729 lbf) thrust. Mass 1,400 kg (3,086 lb).
Japanese test vehicle. Four stage vehicle consisting of 2 x SB-310 + 1 x L735 + 1 x K420 + 1 x Kappa 8
Solid rocket stage. 410.00 kN (92,172 lbf) thrust. Mass 5,000 kg (11,023 lb).
Solid rocket stage. 110.00 kN (24,729 lbf) thrust. Mass 1,800 kg (3,968 lb).
Solid rocket stage. 110.00 kN (24,729 lbf) thrust. Mass 500 kg (1,102 lb).
Japanese test vehicle. Four stage vehicle consisting of 2 x SB-310 + 1 x L735 + 1 x L735(1/3) + 1 x L500
First Japanese orbital launch vehicle.
Japanese all-solid orbital launch vehicle. Five stage vehicle consisting of 2 x SB-310 + 1 x L735 + 1 x L735(1/3) + 1 x L500 + 1 x L480S
Solid propellant rocket stage. Loaded mass 800 kg. Thrust 69.00 kN.
Japanese all-solid orbital launch vehicle. Five stage vehicle consisting of 2 x SB-310 + 1 x L735 + 1 x L735(1/3) + 1 x L500 + 1 x L480S
Solid propellant rocket stage. Loaded mass 2,500 kg. Thrust 118.00 kN.
Japanese all-solid orbital launch vehicle. Five stage vehicle consisting of 2 x SB-310 + 1 x L735 + 1 x L735(1/3) + 1 x L500 + 1 x L480S
Solid rocket stage. 7.80 kN (1,754 lbf) thrust. Mass 100 kg (220 lb).
Lammerhirt German rocket engineer in WW2. Later worked in France at LRBA in the doppler tracking group of the flight mechanics and control department from 1947-1952.
American military target satellite. One launch, 1963.08.29.
Lampton, Dr Michael Logan (1941-) American physicist payload specialist astronaut, 1978-1990.
Lance.
American short range ballistic missile, which replaced the Little John, Sergeant and Honest John rockets in US Army service in the 1970's. Retired in 1992.
American short range ballistic missile family.
Sounding rocket launch location known to have been used for 2 launches in 1974, reaching up to 320 kilometers altitude.
Land.
Land Group, China
Land.
Land, Edwin American Engineer. Edwin Land was president of the Polaroid Corporation, and a member of the Purcell Panel that assessed space flight capabilities for the U.S. government in 1957-1958.
American surface-to-air missile. Land based-version of Terrier surface-to-air missile. Development begun in 1951. Project cancelled in 1956.
Category of spacecraft.
Earth Resources Technology Satellite.
American earth land resources satellite. 3 launches, 1972.07.23 (Landsat 1) to 1978.03.05 (Landsat 3). The first 3 Landsat missions were also known as the Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS) series.
American earth land resources satellite. 2 launches, 1982.07.16 (Landsat 4) to 1984.03.01 (Landsat 5).
American earth land resources satellite. One launch, 1993.10.05. Landsat 6 was designed to continue the Landsat program and carried an improved suite of instruments.
American earth land resources satellite. One launch, 1999.04.15.
Lang.
Lang German rocket technician and engineer in WW2; later worked in France at LRBA from 1947 to 1950 as leader of the test stand group. Returned to Bremen, Germany thereafter.
Lange, Hermann E (1906-1997) German engineer in WW2, member of the Rocket Team in the United States thereafter.
Langley Research Center.
Second Owner of NASA Langley
LANL.
First Owner of Los Alamos
Lanphier, Thomas G (1915-1987) American manager, as pilot in WW2, one of the group that shot down Yamamoto in 1943. Secretary of the Air Force, 1949-1950; VP at Convair,1951-1960, at Raytheon from 1962.
Lantern.
Alternate designation for Mesbah technology satellite.
Lantern-2.
Alternate designation for Mesbah-2 civilian store-dump communications satellite.
American manned lunar base. Study 1997. Liquid oxygen mined from the moon combined with a LOX-Augmented Nuclear Thermal Rocket earth-to-moon shuttle to achieve dramatic reductions in launch requirements for a lunar base.
Sounding rocket launch location known to have been used for 1 launch in 1960, reaching up to 8 kilometers altitude.
Indonesian manufacturer of rocket engines and rockets. Lembaga Penerbangan dan Antariksa Nasional (National Institute for Aeronautics and Space)Space), Indonesia.
LAPAN solid rocket engine.
Indonesian sounding rocket.
Solid propellant rocket stage. Loaded mass 300 kg.
WRE solid rocket engine family.
WRE solid rocket engine. 80 kN.
WRE solid rocket engine.
Bristol solid rocket engine. 4.5 kN.
Lapygin, Vladimir Lavrentyevich (1925-) Russian engineer. Deputy Chief Designer, then Chief Designer of Pilyugin design bureau. Specialised in guidance and succeeded Pilyugin 1982.
LaRC.
Third Owner of NASA Langley
Russian . One launch, 2003.09.27. No information publicly released. TASS claimed this was a radar calibration satellite.
Lark.
American surface-to-air missile. Lark missile.
Solid propellant rocket stage. Loaded mass 500 kg. Thrust 2.80 kN.
Titan I ICBM base.
LART.
German winged orbital launch vehicle. MBB/ERNO airbreathing horizontal takeoff / horizontal landing single stage to orbit proposal from the mid-1980s. Largely similar to the BAe HOTOL.
Sounding rocket launch location known to have been used for 2 launches in 1966, reaching up to 274 kilometers altitude.
Category of spacecraft.
Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
LAser GEOdynamics Satellite.
Alternate designation for LAGEOS earth geodetic satellite.
LASL.
Second Owner of Los Alamos
LASM.
Land Attack Standard Missile, a derivative of the Standard Missile SM-2MR naval air-defense designed to provide surface-to-surface fire support for the US Marine Corps.
Latvia
Latysheva, Irina Dmitriyevna (1953-) Russian scientist cosmonaut, 1980-1993.
Launch Vehicle Third Stage Motor.
Manufacturer's designation of GF-02 Solid rocket engine.
The postulated opening in a continuum of time or space through which a spacecraft must be launched to achieve a desired encounter, rendezvous, or impact.
Laveykin, Aleksandr Ivanovich (1951-) Russian engineer cosmonaut. Flew on Mir EO-2.
Lavochkin, Semyon Alekseyevich (1900-1960) Russian chief designer. Chief Designer of OKB-301 1937-1960
Russian manufacturer of rockets and spacecraft. Lavochkin Design Bureau, Moscow, Russia.
Lavrov, L I Russian engineer.
Lawrence, Wendy Barrien (1959-) American engineer mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-67, STS-86, STS-91, STS-114. US Navy ocean engineer.
Lawrence Livermore Laboratory.
Second Owner of Livermore
Lawrence Radiation Laboratory.
First Owner of Livermore
Lawrence, Robert Henry Jr (1935-1967) African-American pilot astronaut, 1967-1967.
Lawyer, Richard Earl (1932-2005) American pilot astronaut, 1965-1969.
La-X.
Library of Congress Designation of Burya intercontinental cruise missile.
La-X, Objekt 350.
Alternate designation for Burya rocket stage.
Lazarev, Vasili Grigoryevich (1928-1990) Russian physician cosmonaut. Flew on Soyuz 12, Soyuz 18-1. Survived first manned spaceflight abort during launch.
Lazutkin, Aleksandr Ivanovich (1957-) Russian engineer cosmonaut. Flew on Mir EO-23. Civilian Engineer, Energiya NPO.
N2O4/UDMH propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 41,000/3,200 kg. Thrust 816.29 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 291 seconds.
LBJ.
Lyndon Baines Johnson
Spanish communications technology satellite. One launch, 1995.07.07, UPM/LBSAT 1. Universidad Politecnia de Madrid Satellite; experimental communications, microgravity experiments.
LB-X.
American manned spaceplane. Study 2004. X-Prize suborbital spaceplane concept of Kelly Space & Technology, San Bernardino, California.
LC-.
Launch Complex
LCH4.
Liquid methane has been proposed as a propellant by the Russians.
LCLV.
American low cost orbital launch vehicle. As a result of TRW's review of the Truax/Aerojet Sea Dragon, TRW became so interested in the concept that they undertook studies of their own, which resulted in a design that became known as the 'Big Dumb Booster'. They proposed structural approaches that were even more conservative than Aerojet's, e.g., the use of T-180 steel instead of maraging steel, which would result in even heavier and cheaper tankage. TRW finally obtained USAF funding for fabrication of stage sections and demonstration of scaled-up versions of the TRW pump-fed Apollo Lunar Module ascent engine. The design promised low cost access to space using low technology (steel stages built to low tolerances in shipyards, pressure-fed engines, and low cost storable propellants). But yet again neither NASA or USAF showed interest in true cheap access to space.
LCLV.
Various independently-funded launch vehicles have been advocated, designed, and even developed over the years. A lot of these are attempts to build low-cost launch vehicles using simpler technology. Often such projects begin based on a low cost liquid fuel technology but end up just trying to sell various combinations of Castor solid fuel stages. These enterprises often discover there's more to coming up with a reliable launch vehicle than slashing together a bunch of 'off the shelf' rocket motors and lighting the fuse.... On the other hand, if there is ever a breakthrough in less expensive access to space, it will come through one of these entrepreneurial schemes...
N2O4/UDMH propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 3,253,246/396,013 kg. Thrust 56,368.00 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 267 seconds.
N2O4/UDMH propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 798,389/95,092 kg. Thrust 9,793.30 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 300 seconds.
N2O4/UDMH propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 161,304/19,518 kg. Thrust 2,028.04 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 306 seconds.
LCS.
American military target satellite. 3 launches, 1965.05.06 (LCS 1) to 1971.08.07 (LCS 4). Aluminum sphere used for radar calibration.
LDEF.
American earth micrometeoroid satellite. One launch, 1984.04.06.
Japanese communications technology satellite. 2 launches, 2000.12.20 (LDREX) and 2006.10.13 (LDREX). Japan's NASDA space agency sponsored the LDREX experimental antenna.
Test rocket launch location known to have been used for 5 launches in 1952, reaching up to 1 kilometers altitude.
LE-3.
Rocketdyne N2O4/Aerozine-50 rocket engine. 53.340 kN. MHI(Japan)/Rocketdyne Upper Stage. Pressure-fed. Isp=285s.
LE-5.
Mitsubishi lox/lh2 rocket engine family. Used on H-1 launch vehicle. First flight 1986. Simplified, lower cost version, the LE-5A used an expander bleed cycle turbopump.
LE-5.
Lox/LH2 propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 10,600/1,800 kg. Thrust 102.90 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 450 seconds.
LE-5.
Mitsubishi lox/lh2 rocket engine. 103 kN. Isp=450s. Used on H-1 launch vehicle. First flight 1986.
Mitsubishi lox/lh2 rocket engine. 121.5 kN. Isp=452s. Used on H-2 launch vehicle. First flight 1994.
Lox/LH2 propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 19,600/3,000 kg. Thrust 137.00 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 447 seconds. Lower cost version of H-2 second stage.
Mitsubishi lox/lh2 rocket engine. 137 kN. In production. Isp=447s. Improved model of the LE-5A for second stage of the H-II rocket; used hydrogen for the cooling of the thrust chamber, then as the gas to drive the turbine. First flight 2001.
Lox/LH2 propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 16,700/2,700 kg. Thrust 121.50 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 452 seconds.
LE-7.
Mitsubishi lox/lh2 rocket engine family for H-2 upper stages.
LE-7.
Alternate designation for H-2-1 rocket stage.
LE-7.
Mitsubishi lox/lh2 rocket engine for H-2 upper stage. 1078 kN. Staged combustion turbopump. No throttle capability. Isp=446s. First flight 1994.
Mitsubishi lox/lh2 rocket engine. 1098 kN. In production. Isp=438s. Improved model of the original LE-7 for the first stage of the H-II rocket with a two stage combustion cycle system. First flight 2001.
Leach Spring
American manufacturer. Leading Systems, USA.
LEAP.
Standard warhead of Standard SM-3 anti-ballistic missile.
LEAP.
American anti-ballistic missile. Lightweight Exo- Atmospheric Projectile. SDIO/BMDO project
LEAP.
American manned lunar flyer. Study 1961. LEAP was an early 1960's British design for getting disabled astronauts on the lunar surface quickly to lunar orbit for ferrying home.
Communications satellite leased to U.S. government.
Leased Satellite.
Alternate designation for HS 381 military communications satellite.
Leba.
Sounding rocket launch location known to have been used for 134 launches from 1963 to 1974, reaching up to 90 kilometers altitude.
Russian manufacturer.
Lebedev, Valentin Vitalyevich (1942-) Russian engineer cosmonaut. Flew on Soyuz 13, Salyut 7 EO-1.
Ledovskiy, Aleksei (-1957) Russian phantom cosmonaut. In 1959 Italian news reported a series of cosmonaut deaths on suborbital flights, among these Ledovsky. No historical evidence ever emerged of any Soviet suborbital flights.
Lee.
Lee, Mark Charles (1952-) American engineer mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-30, STS-47, STS-64, STS-82. Was married to astronaut Jan Davis, part of first married couple to fly in space together.
Leestma, David Cornell 'Dave' (1949-) American engineer mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-41-G, STS-28, STS-45.
American space wear, operational 1981. US Space Shuttle crews on operational flights (STS-5 through Mission 51-L) wore no special protective pressure garments.
Lehrer, Tom (1928-) American mathematician and satirist, who penned the song "Wernher von Braun," dealing with the relationship of science to ethics.
Leihfeld, Ludwig (1898-) German engineer in WW2, member of the Rocket Team in the Soviet Union, worked on rocket engine development in Glushko's design bureau from 1947 to 1952. Worked in Oxygen Plant; Dept. 61/ Laboratory.
LEK.
After the N1-launched Zvezda project was cancelled, the new head of NPO Energia, Glushko, still considered the establishment of a moon base to be a primary goal for his country. While the Americans had achieved the first moon landing, it was known that all moon flights after Apollo 17 had been cancelled. There existed an opportunity, through establishment of a permanent moon base, to steal the lead in the space race once again. Furthermore, analysis of the results of the previous unmanned and manned indicated that the moon was suited for a variety of 'special investigations', and that a permanent lunar expeditionary complex (LEK) would be required to accomplish this.
LEK.
Russian manned lunar lander. Study 1973. Lunar lander for the Vulkan surface base. As in the original LK lunar lander, this would be taken to near zero velocity near the lunar surface by the Vulkan Block V 'lunar crasher' rocket stage.
LEK Lunar Expeditionary Complex.
Russian manned lunar base. Cancelled 1974. Although the N1, L3, and DLB projects were cancelled, Glushko still considered the establishment of a moon base to be a primary goal for his country.
Russian manned spacecraft module. Study 1973. Descent stage very similar in appearance to that of Apollo LM, with same function - descent from lunar orbit to landing of crewed module on surface of moon. Landing stage - Carry LEK ascent stage from lunar orbit to lunar surface; act as launching platform for LEK ascent stage..
Russian manned spacecraft module. Study 1973. Descent module was contained within pressurized cabin of LEK ascent stage. Crew may have entered hatch in heat shield. Landing apparatus - Reentry capsule for crew and lunar samples..
Russian manned spacecraft module. Study 1973. Ascent stage, carried a crew of three from the lunar surface to trans-earth trajectory. Contained within the pressurized cabin was a Soyuz descent module for reentry by the crew into the earth's atmosphere. Ascent stage - Carry crew and Soyuz descent module from lunar surface to trans-earth trajectory. Provide crew quarters and midcourse corrections during return journey from lunar surface to earth..
LEM.
Lunar Excursion Module (later changed to LM - lunar module - Apollo)
LEM.
Manufacturer's designation for Apollo LM manned lunar lander.
LEM-70.
Department of Defence Designation of Minuteman ERCS strategic communications missile.
LeMay, Curtis E (1906-1990) American USAF officer, created the Strategic Air Command as a special nuclear-armed force, including its ICBM components, 1947-1965.
Lenoir, Dr William Benjamin 'Bill' (1939-) American engineer mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-5.
Lensch German expert in rocket engines and athodyds during World War II. As of January 1947, last known to be working at Kiel (British Zone of Occupation).
For a brief period in 1959-1964, NASA and the US Air Force actively considered launching manned flying saucers into space. Although very much in tune with UFO mania and science fiction films of the times, the concept lost out to other aerodynamic concepts.
LEO.
Low Earth Orbit
Satellite launcher derived from planned Israeli Shavit-2 launch vehicle, but with rocket motors and major components built in USA to qualify for US contracts.
Israeli all-solid orbital launch vehicle. As Leolink LK-1, but with a Castor-120 motor as the first stage.
Leonard, Richard (1925-) American engineer. Tooling and plant facilities engineer for the Atlas.
Leonov, Aleksei Arkhipovich (1934-) Russian pilot cosmonaut. First person to walk in space. Flew on Voskhod 2, Soyuz 19 (ASTP). Cancelled missions included command of first Soviet circumlunar flight in 1969 and first military space station mission in 1973.
Leontenkov, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Russian engineer. From 1988 Head and Chief Designer of TsKB TM.
British test vehicle. Two stage aerodynamic test vehicle consisting of 1 x Rook + 1 x Gosling. Developed from the basic Rook vehicle for tests requiring higher velocities.
LeRC.
Lewis Research Center (NASA)
Lertes German Manager. Director/manager of the A 25 Special Unit (Fi-103/V-1)
LES.
Launch escape system
LES.
Alternate designation for Apollo LES-1 rocket stage.
LES.
American communications technology satellite. 8 launches, 1965.02.11 (LES 1) to 1976.03.15 (LES 9).
French manufacturer of rockets. Les Mureaux, France.
American manned lunar base. Cancelled 1968. LESA (Lunar Exploration System for Apollo) represented the ultimate lunar base concept studied by NASA prior to the cancellation of further Saturn V production in June 1968.
American manned lunar habitat. Study 1966. LESA (Lunar Exploration System for Apollo) was an advanced lunar surface shelter.
Leshchenko, Sergei Mikhailovich Russian government official. First Deputy Minister of Aviation Industries 1957-1964.
Leslie, Dr Fred Weldon (1951-) American meteorologist payload specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-73.
LEST.
Large Earth-based Solar Telescope
Letunov, Yuri Aleksandrovich (1926-1983) Russian journalist cosmonaut, 1965-1966.
Leuhrsen, Hannes Gunther German engineer in WW2, member of the Rocket Team in the United States thereafter. German expert in guided missiles during WW2. As of January 1947, working at Fort Bliss, Texas.
Leust, Reimar (1923-) German Physicist. Reimar Leust is a German theoretical physicist who held a variety of prestigious academic and advisory council posts before serving as Director General of ESA from 1984-1990.
LEV.
American manned lunar lander. Study 1989. The Lunar Excursion Vehicle (LEV) figured in numerous NASA studies of the 1980's and 1990's.
Levchenko, Anatoli Semyonovich (1941-1988) Ukrainian test pilot cosmonaut. Flew on Mir LII-1. Graduated from Chernigov Higher Air Force School, 1964. Buran test pilot; cosmonaut training December 1978 - July 1980. Later a civil test pilot for the Soviet Air Force Ministry. Died of a brain tumor in Moscow.
Leverton, Irene (1924-) American pilot, one of the Mercury 13 female astroauts proposed in 1961, but never entered training.
Levin, Grigoriy Isaakovich (1920-1985) Russian officer, Deputy Chief of Control at Filial 4 of 4 NII MO 1968-1972. Key role in developing first research and operations plans for Soviet Space Forces (Shchit and Osnova). Invalided from military in 1972; then worked at NPO Elas MEP.
Levine, Dave (1926-) American engineer. Chief of electrical systems for the Apollo spacecraft.
American earth land resources satellite. One launch, 1997.08.23. Lewis was selected in the NASA SSTI (Small Spacecraft Technology Initiative) program, along with Clark, to demonstrate advanced spacecraft technologies.
Lewis, Fred Parker Jr (1949-) American meteorologist payload specialist astronaut, 1985-1985.
Lex.
French sounding rocket. Single stage vehicle.
Solid rocket stage. 10.00 kN (2,248 lbf) thrust. Mass 100 kg (220 lb).
Ley.
Ley, Willy (1906-1969) German-American writer. German-American writer, extremely effective populariser of the idea of space flight - first in Germany and then in the United States.
LF2.
Liquid Fluorine is the highest performance oxidiser and in the early 1960's it seemed in both American and Russia that a new generation of higher performance engines would emerge. However although test engines were built, fluorine was found to be just too toxic and reactive to be safely used as a propellant.
Liquid Fluorine is the highest performance oxidiser and in the early 1960's it seemed in both American and Russia that a new generation of higher performance engines would emerge. However although test engines were built, fluorine was found to be just too toxic and reactive to be safely used as a propellant. Ammonia (NH3) is a colourless gas and liquid with a strong irritating characteristic odour.
Liquid Fluorine is the highest performance oxidiser and in the early 1960's it seemed in both American and Russia that a new generation of higher performance engines would emerge. However although test engines were built, fluorine was found to be just too toxic and reactive to be safely used as a propellant. Hydrazine (N2H4) found early use as a fuel, but it was quickly replaced by UDMH. It is still used as a monopropellant for satellite station-keeping motors.
Liquid Fluorine is the highest performance oxidiser and in the early 1960's it seemed in both American and Russia that a new generation of higher performance engines would emerge. However although test engines were built, fluorine was found to be just too toxic and reactive to be safely used as a propellant. Rocket propellant RP-1, or its foreign equivalents, is a straight-run kerosene fraction, which is subjected to further treatment, i.e., acid washing, sulphur dioxide extraction. Thus, unsaturated substances which polymerise in storage are removed, as are sulphur-containing hydrocarbons.
Liquid Fluorine is the highest performance oxidiser and in the early 1960's it seemed in both American and Russia that a new generation of higher performance engines would emerge. However although test engines were built, fluorine was found to be just too toxic and reactive to be safely used as a propellant. Liquid hydrogen was identified by all the leading rocket visionaries as the theoretically ideal rocket fuel. It had big drawbacks, however - it was highly cryogenic, and it had a very low density, making for large tanks. The United States mastered hydrogen technology for the highly classified Lockheed CL-400 Suntan reconnaissance aircraft in the mid-1950's. The technology was transferred to the Centaur rocket stage program, and by the mid-1960's the United States was flying the Centaur and Saturn upper stages using the fuel. It was adopted for the core of the space shuttle, and Centaur stages still fly today.
Liquid Fluorine is the highest performance oxidiser and in the early 1960's it seemed in both American and Russia that a new generation of higher performance engines would emerge. However although test engines were built, fluorine was found to be just too toxic and reactive to be safely used as a propellant. High energy fuel demonstrated in with LF2 in the early 1960's. Lithium had to be heated to 179 deg C to be in a liquid state.
Liquid Fluorine is the highest performance oxidiser and in the early 1960's it seemed in both American and Russia that a new generation of higher performance engines would emerge. However although test engines were built, fluorine was found to be just too toxic and reactive to be safely used as a propellant. Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine ((CH3)2NNH2) became the storable liquid fuel of choice by the mid-1950's. Development of UDMH in the Soviet Union began in 1949. It is used in virtually all storable liquid rocket engines except for some orbital manoeuvring engines in the United States, where MMH has been preferred due to a slightly higher density and performance.
LFSA.
List of Frequently Seen Acronyms (!)
American manned lunar flyer. Study 1965. Bell Aerosystems designed a rocket-propelled Lunar Flying Vehicle (LFV) to aid Apollo astronauts in their exploration of the moon.
American manned lunar flyer. Cancelled 1969. The North American design for a Lunar Flying Vehicle would have taken one astronaut and up to 167 kg of cargo to a distance of 3. 2 to 8.5 km from a lunar landing site in minutes, at a maximum speed of 85 m/s.
LGA.
Low Gain Antenna
American manufacturer of spacecraft. L'Garde, Inc. , USA
LGIT.
UM electric rocket engine. 20 mN. Isp=1400s. Linear Gridless Ion Thruster, a two-stage device designed to incorporate the efficient ionization process of gridded ion thrusters and the high thrust density of Hall thrusters.
LGM.
Little Green Men
LGM-118A.
Department of Defence Designation of Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missile.
LGM-134.
Department of Defence Designation of SICBM intercontinental ballistic missile.
LGM-25A.
Department of Defence Designation of Titan 1 intercontinental ballistic missile.
LGM-25C.
Department of Defence Designation of Titan 2 intercontinental ballistic missile.
LGM-30A.
Department of Defence Designation of Minuteman 1A intercontinental ballistic missile.
LGM-30B.
Department of Defence Designation of Minuteman 1B intercontinental ballistic missile.
American intercontinental ballistic missile. Mobile version of Minuteman. Development begun in 1955. Cancelled in 1962.
LGM-30F.
Department of Defence Designation of Minuteman 2 intercontinental ballistic missile.
LGM-30G.
Department of Defence Designation of Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile.
LH.
Liquid Hydrogen (also LH2 or LHX)
LH2.
Liquid hydrogen was identified by all the leading rocket visionaries as the theoretically ideal rocket fuel. It had big drawbacks, however - it was highly cryogenic, and it had a very low density, making for large tanks. The United States mastered hydrogen technology for the highly classified Lockheed CL-400 Suntan reconnaissance aircraft in the mid-1950's. The technology was transferred to the Centaur rocket stage program, and by the mid-1960's the United States was flying the Centaur and Saturn upper stages using the fuel. It was adopted for the core of the space shuttle, and Centaur stages still fly today.
Aerojet lox/lh2 rocket engine. Launch thrust 13.33 kN. Development begun July 1946. Engine R&D, hydrogen production
Notional lox/lh2 rocket engine. 355.7 kN. Study 1959. Isp=425s. Used on Nova 4L launch vehicle.
L-I.
Alternate designation for LLV L-I manned spacecraft module.
Li Qinglong (1962-) Chinese pilot taikonaut, 1996-on.Trained together with Wu Jie in Russia in for one year beginning in November 1996. They formed the basis of the Chinese astronaut cadre for the Shenzhou program.
Li Shichang (1935-) Chinese pilot taikonaut, 1971, but program cancelled less than a year later. Joined PLA in 1956. He was a PLAAF regiment Deputy Party Commissar when selected. Selected as Chinese astronaut in March 1971.
Li Xun (1913-1983) Chinese Engineer. Metallurgist who developed alloys crucial to China's nuclear, missile, and space programmes.
Liang Shoupan Chinese Engineer. Chief Designer of Chinese cruise missiles.
Liang Sili Chinese Engineer. Chief Designer of inertial guidance platforms for Chinese ballistic missiles.
American manned spacecraft. Study 2004. X-Prize suborbital ballistic spacecraft concept of HARC, Huntsville, Alabama.
American manufacturer.
American low cost orbital launch vehicle. Private commercial launch vehicle.
Liberty Lox/Kerosene rocket engine. Development 1994-2006. Pressure-fed engine. Price $ 12,000 in 1995. Used on Scorpius launch vehicle.
Lox/Kerosene propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 17,000/2,240 kg. Thrust 245.00 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 270 seconds.
N2O4/MMH propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 2,180/180 kg. Thrust 17.79 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 300 seconds.
Notional Lox/Kerosene rocket engine. 245.2 kN. Development ended 1988. Pressure-fed engine. Isp=270s. Used on Liberty launch vehicle.
Notional N2O4/MMH rocket engine. 17.8 kN. Development ended 1988. Pressure-fed engine. Isp=300s. Used on Liberty launch vehicle.
Libra.
Code name for NOSS-3 military naval signals reconnaisance satellite.
Libya
License built Castor II.
Alternate designation for H-1-0 rocket stage.
Lichtenberg, Dr Byron Kurt (1948-) American engineer payload specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-9, STS-45. Flew 138 combat missions in Vietnam.
Lida.
Headquarters of an RVSN Division, 1961-1997. Base for units deployed with twelve R-12, 27 RT-2PM, and later nine Pioner, launchers.
Lidorenko, Nikolai Stepanovich (1916-) Russian engineer. Chief Designer of NII IT. Specialised in power sources for spacecraft, including Sputnik.
Liem.
Bui Thanh Liem (1949-1981) Vietnamese pilot cosmonaut, 1979-1980. Graduated from Gagarin Military Academy, Monino, 1978 Captain and fighter pilot, Vietnam Air Force. Flew many combat missions during the Vietnam War. Continued service in Vietnamese Air Force. Died in the crash of a MiG-21UTI trainer.
Liesegang German rocket technician; later worked in France as part of the armature group at LRBA from 1947 until retiring in 1974.
Lifting Body Escape Concept.
Alternate designation for Northrop LBEC manned rescue spacecraft.
Before launch, each astronaut would have a light stick attached to velcro on their left thigh. This would allow them to see in case they would have to get out of the pitch-dark lower deck in an emergency.
American manned lunar rover. Study 1990. In 1990, Boeing Advanced Civil Space Systems performed an Advanced Civil Space Systems Piloted Rover Technology Assessment Study, which considered both a large pressurized and a small unpressurized rover.
LII.
Russian agency overseeing development of rockets and spacecraft. Flight-Research Institute, Russia.
L-II.
Alternate designation for LLV L-II manned spacecraft module.
Russian air-launched winged orbital launch vehicle. LII (the Gromov Experimental Flight Institute at Zhukoskiy) designed several alternate spaceplane concepts for air-launch from the An-225 transport. These were similar to the various MAKS concepts.
Russian manned spaceplane. Study 1993. LII (the Gromov Experimental Flight Institute at Zhukovskiy) designed several alternate spaceplane concepts for air-launch from the An-225 transport. These were similar to the various MAKS concepts.
Likhushin, Valentin Yakovlevich (1918-1982) Russian engineer. Director of NII-1 1955-1988. Specialised in advanced engines.
Lilliput.
Manufacturer's designation of KS-50 Lox-Kerosene rocket engine.
Lilly, Howard Clifton 'Tick' (1916-1948) American test pilot. Flew the XS-1; died in a crash of the D-558-1.
Lilly, William E (1921-) American NASA budget manager, 1960-1981.
Unidentified American expermental silo-launched interceptor missile, probably the Sprint II concept.
LIM-49A.
Department of Defence Designation of Spartan anti-ballistic missile.
Unidentified American expermental silo-launched interceptor missile, possibly the Sprint ABM.
limb.
The outer edge or a portion of the edge of a celestial body such as the Moon, Venus, or the Sun, as seen from a distance.
American manufacturer of spacecraft. MIT Lincoln Laboratory, USA.
Atlas F (SMS 551) ICBM base.
Lincoln Experimental Satellite.
Alternate designation for LES communications technology satellite.
Lind.
Lind, Dr Don Leslie (1930-) American physicist mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-51-B. Longest wait for an American for a spaceflight after becoming an astronaut (19 years).
Lindbergh, Charles A (1902-1974) American pioneering aviator, first pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1927. Appointed to senior government committees on aerospace development. Worked with Guggenheim to support Goddard's rocket development in Roswell in 1930s.
Lindenberg, Hans (1904-1946) German-American rocket technician from Dresden. Died at Fort Bliss, Texas.
Lindenmayer, Hans Josef (1912-) German engineer in WW2, member of the Rocket Team in the United States thereafter.
Lindgren, Kjell Norwood (1973-) American physician mission specialist astronaut, 2009-on.
Lindner, Kurt A (1914-1960) German-American engineer. Member of the von Braun's Rocket Team, became director of the Guidance and Control Laboratory of the Research and Development Division at Huntsville.
Lindsey, Steven Wayne (1960-) American test pilot astronaut. Flew on STS-87, STS-95, STS-104, STS-121, STS-133. Grew up in Temple City, California.
Linenger, Dr Jerry Michael (1955-) American physician mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-64, Mir NASA-3.
American pressure suit, tested 1955. Developmental partial pressure suit concept by Arthur S Iberall while at the Rand Corporation.
Ling.
Ling, Donald P American engineer, headed Bell Labs and Bellcom, key NASA management contractors during the Apollo project.
Selection of links to other Internet sites of value...
Linnehan, Dr Richard Michael (1957-) American veterinarian mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-78, STS-90, STS-109, STS-123. US Army
Linteris, Dr Gregory Thomas (1957-) American engineer payload specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-83, STS-94.
Lipp.
Lipp, James E (1910-) American engineer, at Douglas, 1935-1948; at Rand from 1948, heading its aerospace division.
Lippisch, Alexander Martin (1894-1976) German expert in tailless aircraft during World War II. As of January 1947, working at Wright Field, Ohio.
German manufacturer of rockets. Lippisch, Germany.
LIPS.
American tether technology satellite. 3 launches, 1980.12.09 (LIPS 1) to 1987.05.15 (LIPS 3).
Liquid air has no advantage as a stored propellant, but in a Liquid Air Cycle Engine (LACE) relatively freely available atmospheric air is scooped up, liquefied, and burned with a fuel in a conventional rocket engine.
Liquid Air Cycle Engine.
Alternate designation for LACE rocket stage.
Liquid air has no advantage as a stored propellant, but in a Liquid Air Cycle Engine (LACE) relatively freely available atmospheric air is scooped up, liquefied, and burned with a fuel in a conventional rocket engine. Liquid hydrogen was identified by all the leading rocket visionaries as the theoretically ideal rocket fuel. It had big drawbacks, however - it was highly cryogenic, and it had a very low density, making for large tanks. The United States mastered hydrogen technology for the highly classified Lockheed CL-400 Suntan reconnaissance aircraft in the mid-1950's. The technology was transferred to the Centaur rocket stage program, and by the mid-1960's the United States was flying the Centaur and Saturn upper stages using the fuel. It was adopted for the core of the space shuttle, and Centaur stages still fly today.
Liquid air has no advantage as a stored propellant, but in a Liquid Air Cycle Engine (LACE) relatively freely available atmospheric air is scooped up, liquefied, and burned with a fuel in a conventional rocket engine. In one variation this is replaced with stored liquid oxygen as the rocket ascends out of the atmosphere.
Liquid air has no advantage as a stored propellant, but in a Liquid Air Cycle Engine (LACE) relatively freely available atmospheric air is scooped up, liquefied, and burned with a fuel in a conventional rocket engine.
Liquid Rocket Booster.
Alternate designation for Shuttle LRB rocket stage.
Lira.
Lisun, Mikhail Ivanovich (1935-) Ukrainian engineer cosmonaut, 1965-1989.
Literaturnaya Gazeta, Russian newspaper.
Lithuania
Sounding rocket launch location known to have been used for 5 launches from 1964 to 1966, reaching up to 200 kilometers altitude.
Little Carter Bay, Bahama Island (Same as Walker Cay?)
Javelin launch complex.
Little Joe was used to test the Mercury capsule launch escape system. The booster was designed by NASA Langley using existing components. Six to eight solid rocket motors were mounted in an aerodynamic finned fairing built by North American.
Little Joe was used to test the Mercury capsule launch escape system. The booster was designed by NASA Langley using existing components. Six to eight solid rocket motors were mounted in an aerodynamic finned fairing built by North American.
American test vehicle.
American test vehicle. Two stage vehicle consisting of 4 x Recruit + 2 x Pollux
Solid propellant rocket stage. Loaded mass 4,200 kg.
American test vehicle. Two stage vehicle consisting of 4 x Recruit + 4 x Castor
American test vehicle. Two stage vehicle consisting of 4 x Recruit + 4 x Pollux
In April 1959, plans were made for three or four Mercury-Little Joe flights with animal passengers. NASA secretly considered a manned mission but quickly dropped the idea when the dynamic pressures involved were reviewed.
American test vehicle. Little Joe II was an enlarged version of the Little Joe concept used in the Mercury program, used to test the Apollo capsule launch escape system. The vehicle was designed by General Dynamics. Six to nine solid rocket motors were mounted in an aerodynamic finned fairing.
Little Joe II was an enlarged version of the Little Joe concept used in the Mercury program, used to test the Apollo capsule launch escape system. The vehicle was designed by General Dynamics. Six to nine solid rocket motors were mounted in an aerodynamic finned fairing.
American test vehicle. Single stage vehicle consisting of 6 x Algol 1D motors.
American test vehicle. Single stage vehicle consisting of 4 x Recruit + 2 x Algol 1D fired in sequence.
American test vehicle. Single stage vehicle consisting of 5 x Recruit + 4 x Algol 1D fired in sequence.
American test vehicle. Single stage vehicle consisting of 6 x Recruit + 1 x Algol 1D fired in sequence.
American tactical ballistic rocket. The Little John was the smallest nuclear-capable rocket the U.S. Army ever deployed. Studies to develop a lightweight rocket based on the M31/MGR-1 Honest John to give airborne Army units a nuclear capability began in 1953 under the name Honest John Junior. After preliminary studies by Douglas during 1954, the development program - renamed as Little John - was officially started at Redstone Arsenal in June 1955.
Titan 2 ICBM base.
Little Rock AFB Missile Site 09.
Little Rock AFB Missile Site 18.
American manufacturer of spacecraft. Litton, USA.
Litton Suit - 1958.
Alternate designation for Mark I ELSS space suit.
Litvinov, Valentin Yakovlevich (1910-1983) Russian government official. Director of Progress Plant 1944-1962. Deputy Minister of General Machine Building 1965-1973.
Liu Buoming (1966-) Chinese pilot taikonaut. Flew on Shenzhou 7. In the 05/2003 issue of Fliegerrevue, this was one of 12 new names listed as Chinese astronauts in training. Selected in 2008 as prime crew of Shenzhou 7
Liu Chongfu (1941-) Chinese pilot taikonaut, 1971, but program cancelled less than a year later. Joined PLA in 1960. He was a PLAAF squadron commander when selected. Selected as Chinese astronaut in March 1971.
Liu Wang (1970-) Chinese pilot taikonaut, 1998-on. In the 05/2003 issue of Fliegerrevue, this was one of 12 new names listed as Chinese astronauts in training.
Liu Zhongyi Chinese pilot taikonaut, 1971, but program cancelled less than a year later. Born in the north east of China and joined the PLA in 1958. He was an PLAAF pilot when selected. Selected as Chinese astronaut in March 1971.
American agency overseeing development of rockets and spacecraft. Livermore, USA.
Livermore Light Gas Gun.
Manufacturer's designation for SHARP gun-launched test vehicle.
LJ.
Little Joe
LK.
Russian manned lunar lander. 3 launches, 1970.11.24 (Cosmos 379) to 1971.08.12 (Cosmos 434). The LK ('Lunniy korabl' - lunar craft) was the Soviet lunar lander - the Russian counterpart of the American LM Lunar Module.
Russian manned lunar lander. Study 1988. Lunar lander for Energia-launched lunar expedition. The LOK and LK lander would be inserted into lunar orbit by separate Energia launches.
Russian manned spacecraft module. Study 1988. Descent stage similar in appearance to Apollo LM and LEK stages, but of differing dimensions. Descent from lunar orbit to lunar surface, launch platform for ascent stage..
Russian manned spacecraft module. Study 1988. Although similar in appearance to LEK ascent stage, 80% smaller and no descent module for reentry into earth's atmosphere. Ascent from lunar surface to lunar orbit, dock with LOK Energia..
LK-1.
Solid propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 13,990/1,240 kg. Thrust 774.00 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 268 seconds. Lengthened version of Shavit/RSA-3 rocket motor. For lower stage use with 17.1:1 nozzle. Fitted with 23.6:1 nozzle for upper stage use specific impulse increases to 279 seconds, length to 8.4 m, and empty and gross mass are increased by 135 kg.
LK-1.
Russian manned lunar flyby spacecraft. Cancelled 1965. The LK-1 was the spacecraft designed by Chelomei for the original Soviet manned lunar flyby project.
LK-1.
IAI solid rocket engine. 774 kN. In production. Isp=272s. Lengthened version of Shavit rocket motor. Lower stage used 9:1 nozzle. 23.6:1 nozzle for upper stage use inceased Isp to 279 seconds, First flight 1995.
Russian manned spacecraft module. Cancelled 1965. Calculated masses, specific impulse based on mission requirements and drawing of spacecraft. Equipment-engine section.
Russian manned spacecraft module. Cancelled 1965. Total internal volume 8.37 m3. Assumes capsule was similar to TKS VA. Reentry Capsule.
LK-3.
Russian manned lunar lander. Reached mock-up stage, 1972. The LK-3 was Chelomei's preliminary design for a direct-landing alternative to Korolev's L3 manned lunar landing design.
LK-4.
Hydrazine propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 237/71 kg. Thrust 0.40 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 200 seconds. Upper stage for orbital insertion of Shavit or Leolink payloads.
Russian manned lunar lander. Chelomei's direct-landing alternative to Korolev's L3 manned lunar landing design. Developed at a low level 1964 to 1974, reaching mockup and component test stage.
Russian manned spacecraft module. Study 1968. Three identical stages of 34,491 kg each clustered around the core. Translunar Injection Stage.
Russian manned spacecraft module. Study 1968. Differed from the lateral Block 1 stages in having an engine unit for orientation of the assembly. Main engine of 23,500 kgf and three engines for soft landing / midcourse maneuvers of 1,670 kgf each. Midcourse manoeuvre/lunar braking stage.
Russian manned spacecraft module. Study 1968. Soft Landing Stage.
Russian manned spacecraft module. Study 1968. Main engine of 13,400 kgf and three engines for soft landing / midcourse maneuvers of 1,670 kgf each. Trans-earth injection / midcourse manoeuvre stage.
Russian manned spacecraft module. Study 1968. VA Re-entry Capsule.
LKA.
Code name for Spiral OS manned spaceplane.
LKS.
Russian manned spaceplane. Mock-up stage when cancelled in 1983. The LKS was a Chelomei design for a reusable manned winged spacecraft, similar to the later European Hermes spaceplane.
LL.
Russian manned rocketplane. Flown 1945. The LL was a transonic aerodynamic testbed authorized by LII in September 1945. Three were built: the LL-1 with a straight wing; LL-2 with a conventional swept wing; and LL-3 with a forward swept wing.
Llewellyn, Dr John Anthony 'Tony' (1932-) British-American pilot astronaut, 1967-1968.
LLi.
High energy fuel demonstrated in with LF2 in the early 1960's. Lithium had to be heated to 179 deg C to be in a liquid state.
Combination demonstrated in a tripropellant motor with LF2 in the early 1960's. Lithium had to be heated to 179 deg C to be in a liquid state.
LLL.
Lawrence Livermore Laboratory
LLNL.
Lawrence-Livermore National Laboratory
LLRV.
Lunar landing research vehicle
LLTV.
Lunar landing training vehicle
LLV.
Manufacturer's designation for Athena-1 all-solid orbital launch vehicle.
LLV.
American lunar logistics spacecraft. Study 1966. Many versions of new Lunar Logistic Vehicles (LLV's) using several possible candidate propellants were studied by NASA and its contractors in the mid-1960's for post-Apollo lunar base support.
LLV 2.
Manufacturer's designation for Athena-2 all-solid orbital launch vehicle.
LLV 3.
Manufacturer's designation for Athena-3 all-solid orbital launch vehicle.
American manned spacecraft module. Study 1966. Lunar Orbit Insertion stage for placing LLV into lunar orbit. Propulsion 2 x RL10-A3 with N2O4/MMH thrusters for orientation, midcourse, and ullage. Lunar orbit insertion of Lunar Logistics Vehicle lander and payload.
American manned spacecraft module. Study 1966. Landing stage for delivery of up to 13,400 kg payload from lunar orbit to lunar surface. Propulsion 2 x RL10-A3 with N2O4/MMH thrusters for orientation, midcourse, and ullage. Delivery of lunar base elements from lunar orbit to lunar surface.
Large Launch Vehicle Planning Group
LM.
Lunar Module (a.k.a. LEM) (Apollo spacecraft)
LM 100.
Manufacturer's designation for Lunar Prospector lunar orbiter.
American communications satellite. 98 launches, 1997.05.05 (Iridium 8) to 2002.06.20 (Iridium SV98 ). The LM 700 had its first use in the Iridium system, a commercial communications network comprised of a minimum of 66 LEO spacecraft.
LM Adapter Surface Station.
Alternate designation for Apollo LASS manned lunar habitat.
LM Ascent Propulsion Development Diary
LM Communications Development Diary
LM Crew Station Development Diary
LM Descent Propulsion Development Diary
LM ECS Development Diary
LM Electrical Development Diary
LM Guidance Development Diary
LM Hatch Development Diary
LM Lab.
Alternate designation for Apollo LM Lab manned space station.
LM Landing Gear Development Diary
American manned lunar lander. Study 1961. This early open-cab single-crew Langley lunar lander design used storable propellants, resulting in an all-up mass of 4,372 kg.
American manned lunar lander. Study 1961. This early open-cab Langley design used cryogenic propellants. The cryogenic design was estimated to gross 3,284 kg - to be compared with the 15,000 kg / 2 man LM design that eventually was selected.
American manned lunar lander. Study 1961. Extremely light-weight open-cab lunar module design considered in early Langley studies.
LM Mode Debate Diary
LM Original Specification Development Diary
LM RCS Development Diary
LM Shelter.
Alternate designation for Apollo LM Shelter manned lunar habitat.
LM Simulator Development Diary
LM Source Selection Diary
LM Structural Development Diary
LM Taxi.
Alternate designation for Apollo LM Taxi manned lunar lander.
LM Television Development Diary
LM Truck.
Alternate designation for Apollo LM Truck lunar logistics spacecraft.
LM Weight Development Diary
LMAS.
Lockheed Martin Astro Space, USA
LMC.
Large Magellanic Cloud
Lockheed Martin Telecommunications, East Windsor (formerly, USA
LMI.
American manufacturer.
LMI.
Russian communications satellite. One launch, 1999.09.26. Lockheed Martin Intersputnik's LMI-1 satellite was a joint Russian-American venture. LMI-1 provided communications services to Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
LMLV.
Alternate designation for Athena-1 all-solid orbital launch vehicle.
LMLV 2.
Alternate designation for Athena-2 all-solid orbital launch vehicle.
LMLV 3.
Alternate designation for Athena-3 all-solid orbital launch vehicle.
LM-S.
Lockheed Martin, Sunnyvale , USA
LMSC.
American manufacturer of rocket engines. Lockheed Missiles and Space Company (now LMMS), USA.
LMT.
Lockheed Martin Telecommunications (formerly Astro Space), USA
Lockheed Martin, Valley Forge , USA
LN2.
Liquid N2 (Nitrogen)
LNG.
Liquefied natural gas - mainly methane,with traces of sulfur, etc.
LO.
Liftoff
LO.
Russian manned space station. Study 1984. A later version of the 37K design for civilian experiments, the LO Laboratory Compartment, would be retained in the payload bay of Buran and connected to the orbiter's cockpit area by an access tunnel.
LO2.
Liquid oxygen
LO3.
Liquid ozone offered the possibility of higher performance than liquid oxygen. But it combined the dual drawbacks of very high toxicity and very shock sensitive and was found to be too difficult for practical use.
American anti-ballistic missile. Low-Altitude Defense System, BTDS, SDIO/BMDO project
Lobanov, Nikolai Aleksandrovich (1909-1978) Russian engineer. Chief Designer 1968-1977 of NIEI PDS. Specialised in parachutes and succeeded Tkachev.
American surface-to-surface missile. In 1955 Convair undertook a small R&D program to develop a resupply missile that would deliver supplies and communications equipment to surrounded or isolated Army field units.
Lobedinskiy, Andrei Vladimirovich (1902-1965) Russian physician. First Director of IMBP 1963-1965 An early space medicine pioneer.
RO solid rocket engine.
Local Scientific Survey Module.
Alternate designation for LSSM manned lunar habitat.
Location of Russian Manned Spacecraft.
Where you can see flown and unflown Russian manned spacecraft...
Lockhart, Paul Scott 'Paco' (1956-) American test pilot astronaut. Flew on STS-111, STS-113.
American manufacturer of rockets, spacecraft, and rocket engines. Lockheed Martin, Sunnyvale, CA, USA.
American manned space station. Study 1963. Lockheed made an unsolicited proposal to NASA in 1963 for an ambitious space station project. The elements would be launched by Saturn I, as would the 'Astrocommuter' shuttle.
American space tug. Study 1963. Lockheed proposed a space tug to service its 1963 space station.
American manned rescue spacecraft. Study 1966. Lockheed's EEOED was a three-crew Discovery-type re-entry vehicle.
Lockheed Martin.
First name of Valley Forge
Lockheed Martin.
First name of Lockheed
Lockheed Martin (1995-).
Third Owner of Martin
Lockheed Martin (1996-1998).
Fourth Owner of East Windsor
Lockheed Martin Astronautics.
Fourth Owner of Lockheed
Lockheed Martin Electronics & Missiles.
American manufacturer. Lockheed Martin Electronics & Missiles, USA.
Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space.
Third Owner of Lockheed
Lockheed Martin Tactical Defense Systems.
American manufacturer. Lockheed Martin Tactical Defense Systems, USA.
Lockheed Martin Vought Systems.
Third Owner of Vought
Lockheed Missiles and Space Company (now LMMS).
Fifth Owner of Lockheed
American manned spacecraft. Study 1958. Lockheed's proposal for the Air Force initial manned space project was a 20 degree semiapex angle cone with a hemispherical tip of 30 cm radius. The pilot was in a sitting position facing rearward.
American manned spaceplane. Study 1963. In 1962 NASA funded studies with several contractors on Operations and Logistics for Space Stations.
American sled-launched winged orbital launch vehicle. Lockheed's HTHL TSTO spaceplane concept from 1963, an outgrowth of an earlier USAF study with Hughes. The fully reusable orbiter would have been carried by a sled-launched booster rocket rocketplane.
American manned spaceplane. Study 1963. Lockheed investigated the economics of reusable launch vehicles for crews and light space station cargo during the early 1960s. Lockheed proposed a new reusable 10-man spaceplane as a follow-on to the Apollo CSM.
Loertsch German rocket technician and engineer in WW2; later worked in France at LRBA as assistant to Engine Department Head Pilz.
German manned spaceplane. Hardware construction stage, 1945. There exist in US Army postwar files a murky photo of what some think is a large-scale mock-up of the Saenger antipodal bomber, taken in Lofer, Austria after the end of the World War II.
American communications technology satellite. 2 launches, 1961.02.22 (Lofti) and 1963.06.15 (Lofti 2A). The Low Frequency Trans-Ionospheric (LOFTI) satellites were produced as a cooperative effort with the Radio Division.
American earth magnetosphere satellite. One launch, 1962.01.24. Carried 5 satellites.
Logachev, Anatoli Grigoryevich (1922-) Russian officer. Lieutenant General, Deputy Chief GUKOS Space Forces for political units 1974-1980.
Category of spacecraft.
LOI.
Lunar Orbit insertion
LOK.
Lunar orbital spacecraft (Russian abbreviation).
Russian manned lunar orbiter. Study 1988. Lunar orbiter for Energia-launched lunar expedition. The LOK and LK lander would be inserted into lunar orbit by separate Energia launches.
Russian manned spacecraft module. Study 1988. The LOK provided a pressurized volume for three crew. Within the cabin was a descent module of the same configuration as Soyuz, but almost 50% larger. Equipment-engine section - Lunar orbit maneuver, trans-orbit propulsion, pressurized crew quarters..
Russian manned spacecraft module. Study 1988. Descent module of Soyuz configuration but 50% larger dimensionally and nearly twice as heavy. Reentry capsule for crew and lunar samples.
Russian manned spacecraft module. 2 launches, 1971.06.26 (N-1 6L) to 1972.11.23 (LOK). Unique PAO developed for Soyuz lunar orbiter. Powerful sophisticated engine for lunar orbit rendezvous maneuvers and trans-earth injection. Equipment-engine section.
LOK, T1K.
Alternate designation for Soyuz 7K-LOK manned lunar orbiter.
Loki.
American unguided solid-propellant barrage anti-aircraft rocket adapted to use as a meteorological sounding rocket.
Loki.
American unguided solid-propellant barrage anti-aircraft rocket adapted to use as a meteorological sounding rocket.
Loki.
GCR solid rocket engine. 15 kN.
American sounding rocket. Single stage vehicle.
Solid rocket stage. 15.00 kN (3,372 lbf) thrust.
American sounding rocket. Balloon-launched Loki with larger fins for stability at high altitudes. The basic Loki was used in this manner on 23 September 1955, measuring cosmic rays.
Loktionov, Yuri Alekseyevich (1950-) Russian scientist cosmonaut, 2000-on.
American pressure suit, tested 1958. Developmental partial pressure suit developed by Dr. Lombard of Northrop.
Lonchakov, Yuri Valentinovich (1965-) Russian pilot cosmonaut. Flew on STS-100, ISS EP-4, ISS EO-18. Air Defence Force
American manufacturer of spacecraft. Lone Star, USA.
Long Duration Exposure Facility.
Alternate designation for LDEF earth micrometeoroid satellite.
The amazing story of rocket development in China is given in the milestones below.
Long March 1.
Alternate designation for CZ-1 orbital launch vehicle.
Long March 1C.
Alternate designation for CZ-1C orbital launch vehicle.
Long March 1D.
Alternate designation for CZ-1D orbital launch vehicle.
Long March 1M.
Alternate designation for CZ-1M orbital launch vehicle.
Long March 2A.
Alternate designation for CZ-2A orbital launch vehicle.
Long March 2C.
Alternate designation for CZ-2C orbital launch vehicle.
Long March 2D.
Alternate designation for CZ-2D orbital launch vehicle.
Long March 2E.
Alternate designation for CZ-2E orbital launch vehicle.
Long March 2E(A).
Alternate designation for CZ-2E(A) orbital launch vehicle.
Long March 2F.
Alternate designation for CZ-2F orbital launch vehicle.
Long March 3.
Alternate designation for CZ-3 orbital launch vehicle.
Long March 3A.
Alternate designation for CZ-3A orbital launch vehicle.
Long March 3B.
Alternate designation for CZ-3B orbital launch vehicle.
Long March 3B(E).
Alternate designation for CZ-3B(A) orbital launch vehicle.
Long March 3C.
Alternate designation for CZ-3C orbital launch vehicle.
Long March 4A.
Alternate designation for CZ-4A orbital launch vehicle.
Long March 4B.
Alternate designation for CZ-4B orbital launch vehicle.
Long March 4C.
Alternate designation for CZ-4C orbital launch vehicle.
Long March Next Generation Launch Vehicle Type A.
Alternate designation for CZ-NGLV-522-HO orbital launch vehicle.
Long March Next Generation Launch Vehicle Type B.
Alternate designation for CZ-NGLV-504-HO orbital launch vehicle.
Long March Next Generation Launch Vehicle Type C.
Alternate designation for CZ-NGLV-540-HO orbital launch vehicle.
Long March Next Generation Launch Vehicle Type D.
Alternate designation for CZ-NGLV-504 orbital launch vehicle.
Long March Next Generation Launch Vehicle Type E.
Alternate designation for CZ-NGLV-522 orbital launch vehicle.
Long March Next Generation Launch Vehicle Type F.
Alternate designation for CZ-NGLV-540 orbital launch vehicle.
Long March Next Generation Light Launch Vehicle.
Alternate designation for CZ-NGLV-200 orbital launch vehicle.
Long Tank Augmented Thrust Thor.
Alternate designation for Thorad SLV-2H Agena D orbital launch vehicle.
Long Tank Thor.
Alternate designation for Delta Thor LT rocket stage.
Long Tank Thor.
Alternate designation for Delta 0100, Delta L, Delta M, and Delta N orbital launch vehicles.
Australian sounding rocket. Two stage vehicle consisting of 1 x Long Tom + 1 x Mayfly
Solid propellant rocket stage. Loaded mass 600 kg. Thrust 190.00 kN.
Solid propellant rocket stage. Loaded mass 300 kg. Thrust 62.00 kN.
Longhurst, Peter Hervey (1943-2010) British engineer payload specialist astronaut, 1984-1986. Bachelor of science in electrical engineering from the Royal Navy Engineering College, Plymouth, 1966. Commander, Royal Navy. Later became a farmer in Somerset, England.
Loon.
American short range cruise missile, a copy of the German V-1 (Fieseler Fi 103).
Lopez-Alegria, Michael Eladio 'LA' (1958-) Spanish-American test pilot mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-73, STS-92, STS-113, ISS EO-14.
Lopez-Falcon, Jose Armando (1950-) Cuban pilot cosmonaut, 1978-1980. Graduated from Carlos Ullo military pilot school, 1967. Graduated from Gagarin Military Academy, Monino. Cuban Air Force Captain and pilot. Continued service as a pilot in the Cuban Air Force.
Lopota, Vitali Aleksandrovich (1950-) Chechen engineer. General Designer of TsNII-RTK from 1991 to 2007. General Designer of RKK Energia from 2007
LOR.
Lunar orbit rendezvous. Refers to the technique of manned lunar landing that involves detaching a small lunar lander from the earth return capsule. This lands on the surface, then returns to lunar orbit, with the crew transferring back to the mother ship for the return to earth. Purportedly this saved total launch mass, allowing a manned lunar landing to be accomplished in a single booster launch.
Space Systems/Loral, USA
Loral Orion Inc., USA
Loral Skynet, Bedminster, UK
Lorenzoni, Andrea (1946-) Italian engineer payload specialist astronaut, 1984-1986. Colonel, Italian Air Force. Payload specialist for the Italian TSS-Project. International Space Station Program manager for Node 2, Italian Space Agency (ASI).
Loria, Christopher Joseph 'Gus' (1960-) Hispanic-American test pilot astronaut, 1996-2005. US Marine Corps. Grew up in Belmont, Massachusetts. Flew 42 combat missions over Iraq.
Australian test vehicle. Two stage vehicle consisting of 1 x Dorado + 1 x Lupus
LORL.
American manned space station. Study 1962. Large Orbiting Research Laboratory was a term applied to a number of NASA and USAF designs of the 1960's intended to succeed MORL. Typically these were rotating stations orbited in a single Saturn V launch.
LORS.
Lunar optical rendezvous system
American agency overseeing development of spacecraft. Los Alamos, USA.
American military strategic defense satellite. One launch, 1991.07.07. Test flight of DOD sensors; Low Altitude Satellite Experiment.
Ukrainian manufacturer of rocket engines. Lotarev Design Bureau, Ukraine.
Lothaller, Clemens (1963-) Austrian engineer cosmonaut, 1989-1991. Doctorate degree from University of Vienna, 1987. One of five Austrian candidates in 1992 ESA selection. Made short list twice, but not selected in 1992 and 1998. Later had his own medical practice.
American manned lunar rover. Study 1989. The LOTRAN (LOcal TRANsportation) two-crew rover was the unpressurized lunar rover intended for local base operations in NASA's 90-Day-Study moon base concept of 1989.
American manufacturer. Louisiana, Louisiana, USA.
Lounge, John Michael 'Mike' (1946-) American geophysicist mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-51-I, STS-26, STS-35. Grew up in Burlington, Colorado. Flew 99 combat missions in Vietnam.
Lousma, Jack Robert (1936-) American pilot astronaut. Flew on Skylab 3, STS-3.
Louzada, Mozart Marques Brazilian pilot mission specialist candidate, 1998.
Love.
Love, Stanley Glen (1965-) American astronomer mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-122.
Love, Michael V (1938-1976) American test pilot. Flew on X-24B, killed during a routine chase flight in an F-4 from Edwards AFB, due to a malfunction of the ejection seat.
Lovelace, Alan M (1929-) American materials scientist. Father of the commercial Atlas. Without his vision, leadership, and prestige the commercial Atlas would never have happened.
Lovell, James Arthur Jr 'Shaky' (1928-) American test pilot astronaut. Flew on Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8, Apollo 13. Member of first crew to rendezvous in space, and first to orbit the moon. Altitude (401,056 km) record.
Lovell, A C Bernard (1913-) British physicist. Established the Jodrell Bank radio observatory, used during the cold war to support NASA satellites and receive Soviet probe signals.
Low.
Low, George David (1956-2008) American engineer mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-32, STS-43, STS-57. Son of former NASA administrator George M Low.
Category of launch vehicles.
American orbital launch vehicle. This variant of the Shuttle C was envisioned for delivery of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to orbit.
Low Cost Launch Vehicle.
Full name of LCLV low cost orbital launch vehicle.
Category of spacecraft.
Low Power Hydrazine Arcjet.
Alternate designation for MR-508 Hydrazine rocket engine.
Low, George M (1926-1984) Austrian-American engineer, at NASA 1950-1976. He occupied key manned spaceflight leadership positions at NASA during the Mercury, Germini, Apollo, Skylab, and early Shuttle programs.
Lowell, Percival (1855-1916) American astronomer; predicted the existence of the planet Pluto; enamoured with the prospect of life on Mars and theorized that its canals were the product of intelligent life; great influence on public thinking.
Low-power Atmospheric Compensation Experiment.
Alternate designation for LACE military strategic defense satellite.
Titan I ICBM base.
LOX.
Liquid oxygen was the earliest, cheapest, safest, and eventually the preferred oxidiser for large space launchers. Its main drawback is that it is moderately cryogenic, and therefore not suitable for military uses where storage of the fuelled missile and quick launch are required.
Liquid oxygen was the earliest, cheapest, safest, and eventually the preferred oxidiser for large space launchers. Its main drawback is that it is moderately cryogenic, and therefore not suitable for military uses where storage of the fuelled missile and quick launch are required. Alcohol (C2H5OH) was the fuel used for the German V-2 rocket, and the first derivative rocket engines in the United States, Soviet Union, and China used it as well. Better performance was achieved by increasing the alcohol concentration in the post-war engines. But after better-performance rocket-grade kerosene was developed by Rocketdyne in the REAP program of 1953, use of alcohol was abandoned.
Liquid oxygen was the earliest, cheapest, safest, and eventually the preferred oxidiser for large space launchers. Its main drawback is that it is moderately cryogenic, and therefore not suitable for military uses where storage of the fuelled missile and quick launch are required. Ammonia (NH3) is a colourless gas and liquid with a strong irritating characteristic odour.
Lox/Beryllium+Pentaborane in Hydrazine 30%/70%.
Liquid oxygen was the earliest, cheapest, safest, and eventually the preferred oxidiser for large space launchers. Its main drawback is that it is moderately cryogenic, and therefore not suitable for military uses where storage of the fuelled missile and quick launch are required.
Liquid oxygen was the earliest, cheapest, safest, and eventually the preferred oxidiser for large space launchers. Its main drawback is that it is moderately cryogenic, and therefore not suitable for military uses where storage of the fuelled missile and quick launch are required.
Liquid oxygen was the earliest, cheapest, safest, and eventually the preferred oxidiser for large space launchers. Its main drawback is that it is moderately cryogenic, and therefore not suitable for military uses where storage of the fuelled missile and quick launch are required.
Liquid oxygen was the earliest, cheapest, safest, and eventually the preferred oxidiser for large space launchers. Its main drawback is that it is moderately cryogenic, and therefore not suitable for military uses where storage of the fuelled missile and quick launch are required. Gasoline of various grades were used as fuel in the earliest rocket engines of Goddard and others. Once appropriate blends of kerosene were developed in the United States and Soviet Union, that became the hydrocarbon fuel of choice.
Liquid oxygen was the earliest, cheapest, safest, and eventually the preferred oxidiser for large space launchers. Its main drawback is that it is moderately cryogenic, and therefore not suitable for military uses where storage of the fuelled missile and quick launch are required. Hydrazine (N2H4) found early use as a fuel, but it was quickly replaced by UDMH. It is still used as a monopropellant for satellite station-keeping motors.
Category of engines.
Liquid oxygen was the earliest, cheapest, safest, and eventually the preferred oxidiser for large space launchers. Its main drawback is that it is moderately cryogenic, and therefore not suitable for military uses where storage of the fuelled missile and quick launch are required. Hydyne was a propellant blend pushed rather vigorously by the Redstone arsenal in the late 1950's, but it found little application. Hydyne, which is also known as MAF-4, is a 60 per cent, by weight, mixture of UDMH and 40 weight percent diethyltrianine (DETA).
Liquid oxygen was the earliest, cheapest, safest, and eventually the preferred oxidiser for large space launchers. Its main drawback is that it is moderately cryogenic, and therefore not suitable for military uses where storage of the fuelled missile and quick launch are required. In January 1953 Rocketdyne commenced the REAP program to develop a number of improvements to the engines being developed for the Navaho and Atlas missiles. Among these was development of a special grade of kerosene suitable for rocket engines. Prior to that any number of rocket propellants derived from petroleum had been used. Goddard had begun with gasoline, and there were experimental engines powered by kerosene, diesel oil, paint thinner, or jet fuel kerosene JP-4 or JP-5. The wide variance in physical properties among fuels of the same class led to the identification of narrow-range petroleum fractions, embodied in 1954 in the standard US kerosene rocket fuel RP-1, covered by Military Specification MIL-R-25576. In Russia, similar specifications were developed for kerosene under the specifications T-1 and RG-1. The Russians also developed a compound of unknown formulation in the 1980's known as 'Sintin', or synthetic kerosene.
Tripropellant motors use high-density kerosene for the boost phase, then low-density, high-performance liquid hydrogen for the later stages of ascent. However the propellants are stored in separate tanks. The fuel density indicated is the average for the MAKS design, which burned 17,850 kg LH2 and 18,698 Kerosene to reach orbit using 175,758 kg of liquid oxygen oxidiser.
Liquid oxygen was the earliest, cheapest, safest, and eventually the preferred oxidiser for large space launchers. Its main drawback is that it is moderately cryogenic, and therefore not suitable for military uses where storage of the fuelled missile and quick launch are required. Liquid methane has been proposed as a propellant by the Russians.
Category of engines.
Liquid oxygen was the earliest, cheapest, safest, and eventually the preferred oxidiser for large space launchers. Its main drawback is that it is moderately cryogenic, and therefore not suitable for military uses where storage of the fuelled missile and quick launch are required. Liquid hydrogen was identified by all the leading rocket visionaries as the theoretically ideal rocket fuel. It had big drawbacks, however - it was highly cryogenic, and it had a very low density, making for large tanks. The United States mastered hydrogen technology for the highly classified Lockheed CL-400 Suntan reconnaissance aircraft in the mid-1950's. The technology was transferred to the Centaur rocket stage program, and by the mid-1960's the United States was flying the Centaur and Saturn upper stages using the fuel. It was adopted for the core of the space shuttle, and Centaur stages still fly today.
Liquid oxygen was the earliest, cheapest, safest, and eventually the preferred oxidiser for large space launchers. Its main drawback is that it is moderately cryogenic, and therefore not suitable for military uses where storage of the fuelled missile and quick launch are required. Liquefied natural gas - mainly methane,with traces of sulfur, etc.
Liquid oxygen was the earliest, cheapest, safest, and eventually the preferred oxidiser for large space launchers. Its main drawback is that it is moderately cryogenic, and therefore not suitable for military uses where storage of the fuelled missile and quick launch are required.
Liquid oxygen was the earliest, cheapest, safest, and eventually the preferred oxidiser for large space launchers. Its main drawback is that it is moderately cryogenic, and therefore not suitable for military uses where storage of the fuelled missile and quick launch are required. Solid propellants have the fuel and oxidiser embedded in a rubbery matrix. They were developed to a high degree of perfection in the United States in the 1950's and 1960's. In Russia, development was slower, due to a lack of technical leadership in the area and rail handling problems.
Category of engines.
Liquid oxygen was the earliest, cheapest, safest, and eventually the preferred oxidiser for large space launchers. Its main drawback is that it is moderately cryogenic, and therefore not suitable for military uses where storage of the fuelled missile and quick launch are required. Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine ((CH3)2NNH2) became the storable liquid fuel of choice by the mid-1950's. Development of UDMH in the Soviet Union began in 1949. It is used in virtually all storable liquid rocket engines except for some orbital manoeuvring engines in the United States, where MMH has been preferred due to a slightly higher density and performance.
Lozino-Lozinskiy, Gleb Yevgenyevich (1909-2001) Russian Chief Designer of spaceplanes, headed NPO Molniya 1976-2001. Developed the Buran space shuttle and MAKS spaceplane. Earlier had headed the Spiral spaceplane project at MiG 1965-1976.
LP.
Lithium perchlorate
LPC.
LPC Global.
American solid rocket engine. 690 kN.
Boeing solid rocket engine.
LPCE.
Alternate designation for TR-106 Lox-LH2 rocket engine.
LPI.
LPO.
La Palma Observatory
LPU.
Lunar landing unit (Russian abbreviation). Landing gear of the LK manned lunar lander that provided launch stand for ascent from lunar surface.
LPV.
Long Period Variable
LR-.
Liquid rocket (US DoD designation series)
LR10.
Reaction Motors rocket engine. Viking RTV-N-12.
Rocketdyne Lox/Kerosene rocket engine family. Verniers for Thor and Delta boosters.
Rocketdyne Lox/Kerosene rocket engine. 5.3 kN. In Production. Isp=246s. Verniers for RS-27 powerplant, used on Delta boosters 1974-1992.
Rocketdyne N2O4/MMH rocket engine. 5.148 kN. Upper Stage Target Engine Systems. Pressure-fed. Derived from Atlas vernier. Isp=251s.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
Rocketdyne Lox/Kerosene rocket engine family. Atlas Sustainer.
Rocketdyne Lox/Kerosene rocket engine. 375 kN. Out of Production. Early version of Atlas Sustainer. Gas generator, pump-fed. Isp=308s.
Rocketdyne Lox/Kerosene rocket engine. 386.4 kN. Atlas E, F. Atlas Sustainer. Gas generator, pump-fed. Separate turbopumps for each booster engine. Isp=316s. First flight 1960.
Rocketdyne Lox/Kerosene rocket engine. 386.4 kN. Atlas space launchers. Out of production. Atlas Sustainer. Gas generator, pump-fed. Evolved from MA-2 ICBM system. Isp=316s. First flight 1963.
Hughes liquid rocket engine.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
LR10-RM-1.
Government designation of LR10 rocket engine.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
LR115.
Government designation of RL-10A-1 Lox-LH2 rocket engine.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
LR119.
Government designation of RL-10A-3 Lox-LH2 rocket engine.
LR12.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
Rocketdyne liquid rocket engine. NF-104A .
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
Pratt and Whitney lox/lh2 rocket engine. Engine developed for boost/glide aerospace craft; later modified into unsuccessful competitor for Space Shuttle main engine.
LR13.
Aerojet Nitric acid/Amine rocket engine family. B-29 ATO. Development begun June 1948. Ceramic chamber and nozzle.
LR14.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
LR16.
Aerojet rocket engine.
LR17.
Curtiss-Wright Lox/Gasoline rocket engine. RATO rocket for XB-45. Launch thrust 17.6 kN. Assisted take-off power. Single thrust chamber, both regeneratively cooled and film-cooled with water, spark plug ignition, turbine-pump fed.
LR18.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
LR19.
Curtiss-Wright Lox/Gasoline rocket engine. Launch thrust 44.1 kN. Experimental unit for either missiles or piloted aircraft. Single thrust chamber, regnenerativey cooled and film cooled with water-alcohol mixture.
LR2.
Reaction Motors liquid rocket engine.
LR21.
Curtiss-Wright Lox/Gasoline rocket engine. Launch thrust 266.83 kN. Turbine pump-fed, single thrust chamber unit intended for cancelled missile application. Engine designed to fit into the envelope dimensions of the German V-2!
LR22.
Reaction Motors liquid rocket engine.
LR26.
Reaction Motors liquid rocket engine.
LR27.
Curtiss-Wright liquid rocket engine. planned for XF-91; cancelled.
LR28.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
LR29.
Curtiss-Wright liquid rocket engine. cancelled project.
Fairchild liquid rocket engine. 2.8 kN.
LR30.
Reaction Motors Lox/Ammonia rocket engine. 222.6 kN. D-558-3. Capable rocket engine planned for use in D-558-3 and X-15. Cancelled in favour of XLR-99.
LR31.
Kellogg liquid rocket engine. cancelled project.
LR32.
Reaction Motors liquid rocket engine. XH-15 blade-tip engine .
LR33.
Reaction Motors liquid rocket engine. cancelled project. Engine development halted, component work continued.
LR34.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
LR35.
Reaction Motors liquid rocket engine. Hiroc RTV-A-2. Engine development halted, component work continued.
LR36.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
LR37.
Curtiss-Wright Lox/Gasoline rocket engine. 0.225 kN. Small experimental engine for ram-rocket tests. Single thrust chamber, regneratively cooled with gasoline, film cooling also used, spark plug ignition. Test article only built.
LR38.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
LR39.
Reaction Motors Lox/Alcohol rocket engine. 0.225 kN. Small experimental engine. Single thrust chamber, water cooled, equipped only with spark plug igntion system and propellant flow valves. Test article only built.
LR4.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
LR40.
Reaction Motors H2O2/Kerosene rocket engine. 35.690 kN. F8U-1 supercruise engine, 1957. Engine exploded during an early ground test, killing two company mechanics. This accident caused Reaction Motors to pull out of the project.
LR41.
North American liquid rocket engine.
LR42.
North American liquid rocket engine.
LR44.
Thiokol liquid rocket engine. Sparrow AAM-N-6, White Lance GAM-79.
LR45.
Aerojet Nitric acid/Kerosene rocket engine family. B-47C ATO. Development begun August 1948.
LR46.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
LR47.
Kellogg liquid rocket engine. RATO rocket planned for cancelled B-47C (B-56).
LR48.
Reaction Motors liquid rocket engine.
LR49.
Aerojet rocket engine.
LR50-GE-1.
Government designation of X-405 Lox-Kerosene rocket engine.
LR51.
Aerojet rocket engine.
LR52-AJ-1.
Government designation of AJ10-118 Nitric acid-UDMH rocket engine.
LR54.
Rocketdyne H2O2/Kerosene rocket engine. 26.4 kN. After the failure of the Reaction Motors XLR-40 for use in the F8U-1 fighter, Vought elected to continue the project using the XLR-54 . Project never reached flight status
LR55.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
LR56.
Aerojet storable liquid engine. F8U-3F. Aerojet was considered as the supplier for a liquid rocket superperformance engine for the F8U-3. It is not known to have reached test stage.
LR57.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
LR58.
Thiokol liquid rocket engine. Bullpup AGM-12B, Bulldog AGM-83.
LR58-RM-1.
Government designation of LR58 rocket engine.
LR59-AJ-1.
Government designation of 45LR-35000 Nitric acid-UDMH rocket engine.
LR6.
Reaction Motors liquid rocket engine. Lark SAM-N-2, CTV-N-9.
LR60.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
LR61.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
LR62.
Thiokol liquid rocket engine. Bullpup AGM-12C/E.
LR62-RM-1.
Government designation of LR62 rocket engine.
LR64.
Rocketdyne Lox/Kerosene rocket engine family. AQM-37. Target System Sustainer.
LR64.
Government designation of P4-1 Sustainer and P4-1 Booster Lox-Kerosene rocket engines.
LR65.
Bell rocket engine for the X-9 Shrike, an experimental prototype of the Rascal air-to-ground missile.
LR66-AJ-2.
Government designation of AJ10-196 rocket engine.
LR67.
Bell rocket engine. Rascal GAM-63. Harry Meyers made a major contribution to the development of Bell's Rascal engines. The engine was made of aluminum, using the "spaghetti tube" concept of brazed tubes for thrust chamber cooling.
LR67-B-1.
Government designation of LR67 rocket engine.
LR69.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
LR73.
Aerojet storable liquid engine.
LR73-AJ-1.
Government designation of LR73 rocket engine.
LR75.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
LR77.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
LR79.
Rocketdyne Lox/Kerosene rocket engine family. Designed for booster applications. Boosted Thor and early model Delta rockets.
Rocketdyne Lox/Kerosene rocket engine. 758.7 kN. Out of production. Designed for booster applications. Gas generator, pump-fed. Isp=282s. First flight 1957.
LR79--NA-7.
Government designation of LR79-7 Lox-Kerosene rocket engine.
LR81-B-1.
Government designation of Bell 8048 Nitric acid-UDMH rocket engine.
LR83.
Rocketdyne Lox/Kerosene rocket engine family for the booster of the Navaho intercontinental cruise missile. The engine was fully developed before Navaho G-38 cancellation.
Rocketdyne Lox/Kerosene rocket engine. 683 kN. Development ended 1958. Isp=282s. Planned production version of the engine for the booster of the Navaho G-38 intercontinental cruise missile.
LR85.
American liquid rocket engine. Buck Duck GAM-71.
LR87.
Aerojet N2O4/Aerozine-50 rocket engine family for the Titan booster stage. The Aerojet LR87 was the only engine known in the world that was operated (with modifications) using all three major propellant combinations: kerosene RP-1 and liquid oxygen; storable hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide; and liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
Aerojet N2O4/Alumizine rocket engine. 1960's USAF development effort for a Titan storable engine using a metallized fuel (for greater impulse density) and gelled propellants (to facilitate in-space starts after a period of coasting).
Aerojet lox/lh2 rocket engine. 667 kN. Development ended 1961. Version of the Titan engine, and first large Lox/LH2 engine fired in the world. 52 static tests. But NASA selected Rocketdyne instead to develop the J-2 engine for Saturn from scratch.
Aerojet N2O4/Aerozine-50 rocket engine. 1634.4 kN. Study 1965. Nominal improved LR87 in booster studies. Isp=293s. Used on Martin Astrorocket launch vehicle.
Aerojet N2O4/Aerozine-50 rocket engine. 1218.8 kN. Out of production. Isp=302s. Powered Titan 3 and 4 first stages. Replaced the -9 model, first flown 1968. First flight 1964.
Aerojet N2O4/Aerozine-50 rocket engine. Launch thrust 1008.31 kN. Version of LR-87-11 tuned for launch pad ignition when used on Titan 3B. First flight 1966.
Aerojet Lox/Kerosene rocket engine. 733.9 kN. Study 1957. Titan 1 booster engine. Surplus Flight Engines were available for various uses in the 1960's. Isp=290s. First flight 1959.
Aerojet N2O4/Aerozine-50 rocket engine. 1096.8 kN. Out of Production. Isp=297s. Used on Titan 2 launch vehicle. Engines refurbished for space launcher versions from decommissioned missiles between 1974-1982.
Aerojet N2O4/Aerozine-50 rocket engine. 1086.1 kN. Study 1961. Version of LR-87-5 used on Gemini Titan 2 launch vehicle. Isp=296s. Proposed for unflown Titan 3L2, Titan 3L4 boosters. First flight 1962.
Aerojet N2O4/Aerozine-50 rocket engine. Launch thrust 956.1 kN. Variant of LR-87 used on early versions of Titan III B,C First flight 1966.
LR89.
Rocketdyne Lox/Kerosene rocket engine family. Booster engine for Atlas rockets.
Rocketdyne Lox/Kerosene rocket engine. 822.5 kN. Atlas E, F. Designed for booster applications. Gas generator, pump-fed. Separate turbopumps for each booster engine. Isp=290s. First flight 1960.
Rocketdyne Lox/Kerosene rocket engine. 948 kN. Atlas space launchers. Out of production. Designed for booster applications. Gas generator, pump-fed. Shared turbopumps for booster engines. Evolved from MA-2 ICBM system. Isp=294s. First flight 1963.
Reaction Motors Lox/Alcohol rocket engine for rocketplanes. Out of Production. Launch thrust 26.67 kN. Advanced version of the LR-11, 4 chambers. Engine in the X-1E was modified in 1958 to increase chamber pressure to 20 atm and burn Hydyne fuel.
LR91.
Aerojet N2O4/Aerozine-50 rocket engine family. Titan Stage 2. Scaled down version of stage 1 engine featuring fixed single chamber.
Aerojet N2O4/Aerozine-50 rocket engine. 467 kN. Out of production. Isp=316s. Second stage engine for Titan 3 and 4. First flight 1968.
Aerojet Lox/Kerosene rocket engine. 355.9 kN. Development begun 1957. Titan 1 Stage 2 major production version. Isp=308s. Proposed for second stage of Juno V-A, Super-Jupiter in 1959. Flown 1959-1965.
Aerojet N2O4/Aerozine-50 rocket engine. 444.8 kN. Titan 2 ICBM Stage 2. Out of Production. Isp=315s. Scaled down version of stage 1 engine featuring fixed single chamber. Gas generator cycle. First flight 1962.
Aerojet N2O4/Aerozine-50 rocket engine. 444.8 kN. Study 1961. Version used on Stage 2 of Gemini Titan 2 Launch Vehicle. Isp=316s. Proposed for unflown Titan 3L2, Titan 3L4 boosters. First flight 1962.
Aerojet N2O4/Aerozine-50 rocket engine. 448.605 kN. Titan III B, C, D. Out of Production. Version used in earlier versions of Titan 3 upper stages. Isp=316s. First flight 1965.
LR93.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
LR95.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
LR97.
American liquid rocket engine. Designation allocated, but no information available.
American air-launched target rocket. Air-launched anti-ballistic missile target composed of two surplus SR19 states in tandem.
Solid rocket stage. 267.70 kN (60,181 lbf) thrust. Mass 7,032 kg (15,503 lb).
LRB.
Liquid Rocket Booster
LRBA.
French manufacturer of rocket engines and rockets. LRBA, France.
LRC.
Langley Research Center (NASA)
LRE.
Japanese earth geodetic satellite. One launch, 2001.08.29. The 87 kg Laser Ranging Experiment was a passive mirror ball of diameter 51 cm and carried 24 glass sheets and 126 prisms on its surface.
LRL.
Lawrence Radiation Laboratory (later LLL and LLNL)
LRO.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter was a NASA spacecraft that comprehensively mapped the lunar surface at a resolution of up to 0.5 m and determined the extent of water ice for possible use by future manned bases.
LRV.
Lunar roving vehicle (Rover)
LS 400.
Manufacturer's designation for Globalstar communications satellite.
LS-A.
Japanese test vehicle. Early suborbital test version of the Lambda rocket series.
LS-A.
Mitsubishi solid rocket engine. 10 kN.
Mitsubishi solid rocket engine. 60 kN.
Solid propellant rocket stage. Loaded mass 400 kg. Thrust 60.00 kN.
Solid propellant rocket stage. Loaded mass 300 kg. Thrust 10.00 kN.
LSAM.
American manned lunar lander. Study 2018. Lunar lander proposed by NASA in 2005 for their planned return to the moon by 2018.
LS-C.
Mitsubishi solid rocket engine family.
LS-C.
Japanese test vehicle. Two stage vehicle consisting of 1 x LS-C Booster + 1 x LS-C
Solid propellant rocket stage. Loaded mass 300 kg.
Solid propellant rocket stage. Loaded mass 300 kg.
Mitsubishi solid rocket engine.
Japanese test vehicle. Early suborbital test version of the Lambda rocket series.
Mitsubishi solid rocket engine.
LSR.
Local Standard of Rest
LSRS.
Lunar Surface Rescue Spacecraft
American lunar rover. Study 1963. The BellComm Lunar Logistic System unmanned Site Survey Payload was outlined in a January 1963 study. The 2 x 2 vehicle had articulated wheels, a 1.5 m diameter folded chassis. and a range of 260 km.
LSSM.
American manned lunar rover. Study 1968. The Bendix Local Science Survey Module was a forerunner of the Lunar Rover. The LSSM was a small size vehicle used to support a local manned survey. It was proposed for delivery with an LM Shelter.
LST.
Large Space Telescope (satellite)
LSU.
Life Support Umbilical.
LSV.
American manned lunar rover. Study 1971. The Lunar Sortie Vehicle (LSV), was a North American Rockwell design of 1971, conceived as a railroad train without the rails.
LTA.
Lunar test article
LTP.
Lunar Transient Phenomenon
LTV.
Second name of Vought
American Naval Ordnance Test Station solid-propellant test vehicle to support development of ramjet-powered missiles. Flew in 1949 and was 4.5 m long.
Lu.
Lu, Dr Edward Tsang (1963-) American engineer mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-84, STS-106, ISS EO-7.
Lu Xiangxiao (1936-) Chinese PLAAF pilot, astronaut in the first Chinese training group of 1971-1972.
Luch.
Russian military communications satellite. 5 launches, 1985.10.25 (Cosmos 1700) to 1995.10.11 (Luch 1).
Lucid, Dr Shannon Matilda Wells (1943-) American biochemist mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-51-G, STS-34, STS-43, STS-58, Mir NASA-1. Biochemist, first American woman to make a long-duration space station mission.
American manned spacecraft. Study 2004. X-Prize suborbital ballistic spacecraft concept of Acceleration Engineering, Bath, Michigan.
Ludmila (-1961) Russian phantom cosmonaut, claimed by Judica-Cordiglia brothers to have died in space in 1961 - or 1963.
Luedecke, Alvin R (1910-1998) American manager. Air force nuclear weapons and propulsion liaison positions, 1949-1958. General Manager AEC 1958-1964; Deputy Director JPL 1964-1967.
Luehrsen, Hannes (1907-1986) German-American architect. Member of von Braun's team at Peenemuende and in US; designed the buildings, roads, and infrastructure at Peenemuende and at Huntsville.
German agency overseeing development of spacecraft. Luftwaffe, Germany.
Lukyanyuk, Dr Vasili Yuryevich (1958-) Russian physician cosmonaut, 1989-2003.
Luna.
Luna.
Soviet lunar probe series. Lunas were the first manmade objects to attain of escape velocity; to impact on the moon; to photograph the far side of the moon; to soft land on the moon; to retrieve and return lunar surface samples to the earth; and to deploy a lunar rover on the moon's surface.
Luna.
Russian tactical ballistic rocket.
Luna.
Family of missiles.
Russian orbital launch vehicle. R-7 ICBM with single-engine upper stage used for early Soviet unmanned lunar shots.
Lox/Kerosene propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 43,400/3,800 kg. Thrust 990.00 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 312 seconds.
Lox/Kerosene propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 95,300/6,900 kg. Thrust 936.50 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 315 seconds.
Lox/Kerosene propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 8,100/1,120 kg. Thrust 49.00 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 316 seconds.
Russian lunar impact probe. 4 launches, 1958.09.23 (Luna failure) to 1959.01.02 (Luna 1). The first spacecraft to achieve escape velocity and the first to reach the Moon. The spacecraft was sphere-shaped. Five antennae extended from one hemisphere.
Family of spacecraft.
Russian lunar impact probe. 2 launches, 1959.06.18 (Luna) to 1959.09.12 (Luna 2). First probe to impact lunar surface. Delivered a pennant to the surface of the Moon and conducted research during flight to the Moon.
Family of spacecraft.
Russian lunar flyby probe. 3 launches, 1959.10.04 (Luna 3) to 1960.04.19 (Luna). The E-3 was designed to loop around the moon and photograph the Moon's far side.
Family of spacecraft.
Russian lunar lander. 12 launches, 1963.01.04 (Sputnik 25) to 1966.01.31 (Luna 9). E-6 probes were designed by Korolev's OKB-1 with the objective of making the first soft landing on the moon and beaming back pictures of the surface.
Russian lunar orbiter. 2 launches, 1966.08.24 (Luna 11) to 1966.10.22 (Luna 12). Photographed lunar surface and orbital space environment in preparation for manned missions.
Russian lunar orbiter. 3 launches, 1967.05.17 (Cosmos 159) to 1968.04.07 (Luna 14). The E-6LS was a radio-equipped version of the E-6 used to test tracking and communications networks for the Soviet manned lunar program.
Russian lunar lander. One launch, 1966.12.21, Luna 13. Modernized version of the E-6 with the ALS lander mass increased from 84 kg to 150 kg. Conducted further scientific investigation of the moon and circumlunar space.
Russian lunar orbiter. 2 launches, 1966.03.01 (Cosmos 111) to 1966.03.31 (Luna 10).
Family of spacecraft.
Russian lunar rover. 3 launches, 1969.02.19 (Ye-8 s/n 201) to 1973.01.08 (Luna 21).
Russian lunar lander. 11 launches, 1969.06.14 (Ye-8-5 VA) to 1975.10.16 (Luna 24). Unmanned lunar soil sample return.
Russian lunar lander. 4 launches, 1974.10.28 (Luna 23) to 1976.08.09 (Luna 24 Return Vehicle). Lunar sample return. Conduct of further scientific investigation of the moon and circumlunar space.
Russian lunar orbiter. 2 launches, 1971.09.28 (Luna 19) to 1974.05.29 (Luna 22). Lunar surface mapping. Lunar Orbit (Selenocentric). Investigation of the moon and near-lunar space from the orbit of an artificial satellite.
Luna-M.
Family of missiles.
Russian tactical ballistic rocket.
Category of spacecraft.
Category of spacecraft.
Lunar Application of a Spent S-IVB Stage.
Alternate designation for Apollo LASS S-IVB lunar logistics spacecraft.
Category of spacecraft.
The Lunar Base never seemed to be a high priority to space visionaries, who were mainly interested in getting on to Mars. It was usually seen as a proving ground for Mars vehicle technology, or as a place to mine propellant for use in a larger space infrastructure.
American lunar logistics spacecraft. Study 1962. The lunar "bus" was an early NASA Apollo logistics vehicle study.
Lunar Escape Ambulance and close orbit Pickup.
Alternate designation for LEAP manned lunar flyer.
American manned lunar base. Study 1989. In August 1989 NASA's Office of Exploration completed a two-year, NASA-wide plan for future manned space exploration.
Lunar Excursion Module.
Code name for Apollo LM manned lunar lander.
Lunar Excursion Vehicle.
Alternate designation for LEV manned lunar lander.
Lunar Exploration Program 1968.
American manned lunar base. Cancelled 1968. In January 1968, Bellcomm, NASA's Apollo project management advisor, proposed a four-phase program for exploration of the lunar surface using Apollo and Apollo-derived hardware.
Lunar Exploration System for Apollo.
Alternate designation for LESA Lunar Base manned lunar base.
Category of spacecraft.
Category of spacecraft.
Lunar flyers would use rocket power to get crew or cargo quickly from one point on the lunar surface to another. The larger versions could act as rescue vehicles to get crew members to lunar orbit for pick-up and return to earth. Their horrendous fuel requirements meant that they were mainly considered for one-use rescue missions - for example to return a crew from a disabled lunar rover, beyond walking distance back to their lander. Some Apollo variants proposed using leftover propellant from the Lunar Module descent stage to fuel such flyers.
Lunar Flying Vehicle.
Alternate designation for LFV North American and LFV Bell manned lunar flyers.
Category of spacecraft.
Lunar habitats were usually for early lunar exploration or as modules for fixed-location base buildup. Mobile habitats were the more logical solution for extended exploration (see Lunar Rovers).
Category of spacecraft.
The Soviet program to put a man on a circumlunar flight around the moon.
The Soviet program to land a man on the moon and return him safely to earth.
Category of spacecraft.
Category of spacecraft.
Lunar Lander Test Vehicle.
Manufacturer's designation for Apollo LLRV manned lunar lander test vehicle.
Lunar lander design started with the British Interplanetary Society's concept of 1939, followed by Von Braun's 3964 tonne monster of 1953. It then settled down to more reasonably-sized variants. Landers came in three main types: two stage versions, with the first stage being a lunar crasher that would brake the spacecraft until just above the lunar surface, then separate, allowing the second stage to land on the surface; two stage versions consisting of a descent stage that went all the way to the surface, and an ascent stage that would take the crew from the surface to lunar orbit or on an earth-return trajectory; and single stage versions, using liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen propellants.
Lunar Landing Research Facility.
Alternate designation for Apollo LLRF manned lunar lander test vehicle.
Lunar Landing Research Vehicle.
Code name for Apollo LLRV manned lunar lander test vehicle.
Lunar Landing Vehicle.
Alternate designation for LLV lunar logistics spacecraft.
American manned lunar rover. Study 1964. One of the many bizarre modes for lunar transportation proposed in the early 1960's.
Lunar Logistic System 13.7 kW.
American manned lunar rover. Study 1963. This NASA Lunar Logistic System lunar rover design of March 1963 had 4 wheels, rigidly mounted, and a range of 450 km with a crew of 2 on a 30 day traverse. The cabin had a volume of 9.72 cubic meters.
American manned lunar rover. Study 1963. This NASA Lunar Logistic System lunar rover design of March 1963 had 4 wheel unit, each wheel 1.3 m in diameter and 20 cm wide. It had a range of 370 km with a crew of 2 on a 7 day traverse.
Category of spacecraft.
Lunar Logistics Vehicle.
Manufacturer's designation for LLV lunar logistics spacecraft.
Lunar Mapping and Survey System.
Alternate designation for Apollo LMSS manned space station.
American lunar rover. Study 1961. The Bendix Lunar Mobile System was an unmanned lunar rover design of September 1961. The vehicle had 3 wheels, powered separately, and a range of 800 km.
Lunar Module.
Alternate designation for Apollo LM manned lunar lander.
Lunar Module Adapter Laboratory.
Alternate designation for Apollo LMAL manned space station.
Lunar module Test Article.
Alternate designation for Apollo LTA technology satellite.
Lunar Orbit Insertion Module.
Alternate designation for Gemini LSRS LOIM manned spacecraft module.
Russian manned lunar orbiter. Study 1968. In Chelomei's draft project for the UR-700, he proposed that lunar versions of the Almaz OPS be placed in lunar orbit to conduct detailed reconnaissance of the surface using manned assistance.
American manned lunar orbiter. Study 1984. A variety of lunar orbital way-stations, based on space station components, were studied by NASA in the 1980's.
American lunar orbiter. 5 launches, 1966.08.10 (Lunar Orbiter 1) to 1967.08.01 (Lunar Orbiter 5). Photography of the moon's surface from selenocentric orbit. The Lunar Orbiter series took photos of lunar surface from selenocentric orbit.
Category of spacecraft.
Manned lunar orbiters and orbiting stations were rarely designed for this purpose alone, but usually used in a lunar-orbit rendezvous lunar landing scenario together with a separate lunar lander. They were more powerful than circumlunar manned spacecraft in that they required substantial propellant to brake into and get out of lunar orbit.
American manned lunar base. Study 1989.
Lunar Payload Module.
Alternate designation for Apollo LPM lunar logistics spacecraft.
American manned lunar rover. Study 1999. Pressurized rover concept for a hypothetical lunar polar mission.
American lunar orbiter. One launch, 1998.01.07.
Lunar Reconnaissance Module.
Alternate designation for Apollo LRM manned lunar orbiter.
Category of spacecraft.
Lunar rovers were studied in a dizzying variety of sizes and shapes by NASA in the 1960's - including crawlers, trains, hoppers, and even worms. Two rovers designed for manned use actually traveled the lunar surface in the 1970's - the American two-man Lunar Rover, and the Soviet Lunokhod, which traveled the moon in robotic mode but was originally designed as emergency cosmonaut transportation.
Lunar Roving Vehicle.
Alternate designation for Apollo LRV manned lunar rover.
Lunar Sortie Vehicle.
Alternate designation for LSV manned lunar rover.
Category of spacecraft.
Lunar Surface Access Module.
Alternate designation for LSAM manned lunar lander.
Lunar Transfer Vehicle.
Alternate designation for OTV space tug.
American manned lunar rover. Study 1966. The Aeronutronic Division of Philco Corp. proposed the unique Lunar Worm Planetary Roving Vehicle Concept in 1966.
Lundin, Bruce T (1919-2006) American engineer, at NASA 1943-1977, heading propulsion development efforts at Lewis, notably the Centaur engine.
Lundquist, Gustav E American test pilot, flew the X-1 rocketplane.
US Air Force manned lunar base. Studied 1958-1961. The final lunar expedition plan of 1961 was for a 21-airman underground Air Force base on the moon by 1968 at a total cost of $ 7.5 billion.
American manned lunar lander. Studied 1958-1961. The largest single development objective for the Lunex program was to provide a spacecraft capable of transporting men and equipment to the lunar surface and returning them to a selected earth base.
Lunney, Glynn S (1936-) American engineer, at NASA 1958-1985. Worked on projects Mercury and Apollo, managed Apollo-Soyuz project, managed development of the space shuttle.
Lunniy ekspeditionniy korabl'.
Alternate designation for LEK manned lunar lander.
Lunniy korabl.
Alternate designation for LK Energia manned lunar lander.
Lunniy orbital'niy korabl'.
Alternate designation for LOK Energia manned lunar orbiter.
Lunokhod.
Alternate designation for Luna Ye-8 lunar rover.
Russian lunar rover. Study 1965. The Lunokhod lunar rover was delivered to the surface by the Ye-8 robotic lander.
Russian manned lunar rover. Study 1973. Lunar rover for the Vulkan Lunar Expedition. The rover provided pressurized quarters for 2 crew, allowing trips up to 200 km from the lunar base at a top speed of 5 km/hr.
American manned lunar base. Study 1993. The NASA/JSC LUNOX proposal of 1993 tried to reduce the cost of maintaining a First Lunar Outpost by producing liquid oxygen propellant for the return to Earth from lunar soil.
WRE solid rocket engine.
Lusser, Robert (1899-1969) German Engineer. Engineer, expert in guided missiles, worked with Klemm, Messerschmitt, Heinkel, and then was head of development at the Fieselerwerke during World War II.
Sounding Rocket experiment to capture interplanetary particles .
French tactical ballistic missile.
Headquarters of an RVSN Division, 1960-1992. Probably an R-12 missile base.
Lutz.
Lutz, Otto German expert in aerodynamics during World War II. As of January 1947, working at Braunschweig.
Luxembourg
LV.
Launch Vehicle.
LV.
Family of launch vehicles.
LV-109.
Manufacturer's designation for Millenium Express ssto vtovl orbital launch vehicle.
LV-2.
LV-2
LV-3A.
Department of Defence Designation of Atlas Agena D orbital launch vehicle.
LV-3B.
Department of Defence Designation of Atlas LV-3B - Mercury orbital launch vehicle.
American orbital launch vehicle. First operational version of Atlas ICBM and used as launch vehicle for Project Mercury.
LV-3C.
Department of Defence Designation of Atlas Centaur orbital launch vehicle.
LVI.
Launch shroud for dual TKS capsules (Russian abbreviation)
Lvov.
Base for units deployed with two R-1 missile launchers.
LVS.
Launch vehicle systems
LVSO.
Launch Vehicle Systems Office
Lyakhov, Vladimir Afanasyevich (1941-) Russian pilot cosmonaut. Flew on Salyut 6 EO-3, Salyut 7 EO-2, Mir EP-3.
Russian manufacturer. Lyapin Design Bureau, Russia.
Lydon, Malcolm Webb (1946-) American engineer military spaceflight engineer astronaut, 1979-1986.
The ultraviolet region of the spectrum of the hydrogen atom immediately adjacent to the Lyman line spectrum with wavelengths shorter than 912 Å.
Lynx.
NAWC solid rocket engine.
Lysenko, Aleksandr Ivanovich (1945-1977) Russian test pilot cosmonaut, 1977-1977. Flying Research Institute named for Gromov of GKOOP. Selected as a cosmonaut for the Buran program by the Gromov Flight Test Center, but the selection was not confirmed by the government commission. Died in the crash of a MiG-23 with Mamontov.
Russian manufacturer of rockets. Lyulev Design Bureau, Ekaterinburg, Russia.
Russian manufacturer of rocket engines. Lyulka Design Bureau, Russia.
Lyulka, Arkhip Mikhailovich (1908-1984) Russian chief designer. Chief Designer and General Designer 1946-1981 of OKB-165. Specialised in cryogenic engines for the N1.
LZhM.
Russian manned lunar habitat. Study 1973. Laboratory-living module. Three story lunar surface residence and laboratory for Vulkan-launched Lunar Expedition.
LZM.
Russian manned lunar habitat. Study 1973. Laboratory-Factory Module for the Vulkan surface base.
LZS.
Functional test model of the LK manned lunar lander (Russian abbreviation)