Proton with Granat Credit - Lockheed Martin Media Gallery

This derivative of the original four stage Block D / 11S824 version of the Proton was used from 1978 to launch Lavochkin OKB planetary probes (Mars, Venera) and high earth orbit astronomical observatories (Astron, Granat). Guidance to the Block D-1 stage must be supplied by spacecraft. Equipped with N2O4/UDMH verniers for precise placement of payloads in high orbits or planetary trajectories.

Manufacturer: Chelomei. Launches: 11. Success Rate: 100.00%. First Launch Date: 1976-08-09. Last Launch Date: 1989-12-01. Launch data is: complete. Payload: 4,720 kg (10,400 lb). to a: transvenusian trajectory. Associated Spacecraft: Astron, Granat, Luna Ye-8-5M, Vega 5VK, Venera 4V-1, Venera 4V-2. Liftoff Thrust: 8,847.000 kN (1,988,884 lbf). Total Mass: 707,810 kg (1,560,450 lb). Core Diameter: 4.15 m (13.61 ft). Total Length: 57.00 m (187.00 ft). Launch Price $: 70.000 million. in: 1994 price dollars.

6 stage vehicle consisting of 1 x 8S810 + 1 x 8S811 + 1 x 8S812 + 1 x Perekhodnik + 1 x 11S824M + 2 x SOZ

LEO Payload: 5,000 kg (11,000 lb). Payload: 4,350 kg (9,590 lb). to a: geosynchronous transfer orbit trajectory. Apogee: 400,000 km (240,000 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 9,500.000 kN (2,135,600 lbf). Total Mass: 691,500 kg (1,524,400 lb). Core Diameter: 7.40 m (24.20 ft). Total Length: 55.40 m (181.70 ft).

6 stage vehicle consisting of 1 x 8S810 + 1 x 8S811 + 1 x 8S812 + 1 x Perekhodnik + 1 x 11S824F + 2 x SOZ

LEO Payload: 5,000 kg (11,000 lb). Payload: 4,350 kg (9,590 lb). to a: geosynchronous transfer orbit trajectory. Apogee: 400,000 km (240,000 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 9,500.000 kN (2,135,600 lbf). Total Mass: 691,500 kg (1,524,400 lb). Core Diameter: 7.40 m (24.20 ft). Total Length: 55.40 m (181.70 ft).

• Stage Number: 1. 1 x Stage: Proton K-1. Gross Mass: 450,510 kg (993,200 lb). Empty Mass: 31,100 kg (68,500 lb). Thrust (vac): 10,470.158 kN (2,353,785 lbf). Isp: 316 sec. Burn time: 124 sec. Isp(sl): 267 sec. Diameter: 4.15 m (13.61 ft). Span: 7.40 m (24.20 ft). Length: 21.20 m (69.50 ft). Propellants: N2O4/UDMH. No Engines: 6. Engine: RD-253-11D48. Other designations: 8S810K.

• Stage Number: 2. 1 x Stage: Proton K-2. Gross Mass: 167,828 kg (369,997 lb). Empty Mass: 11,715 kg (25,827 lb). Thrust (vac): 2,399.216 kN (539,365 lbf). Isp: 327 sec. Burn time: 206 sec. Isp(sl): 230 sec. Diameter: 4.15 m (13.61 ft). Span: 4.15 m (13.61 ft). Length: 14.00 m (45.00 ft). Propellants: N2O4/UDMH. No Engines: 4. Engine: RD-0210. Other designations: 8S811K.

• Stage Number: 3. 1 x Stage: Proton K-3. Gross Mass: 50,747 kg (111,877 lb). Empty Mass: 4,185 kg (9,226 lb). Thrust (vac): 630.170 kN (141,668 lbf). Isp: 325 sec. Burn time: 238 sec. Isp(sl): 230 sec. Diameter: 4.15 m (13.61 ft). Span: 4.15 m (13.61 ft). Length: 6.50 m (21.30 ft). Propellants: N2O4/UDMH. No Engines: 1. Engine: RD-0212.

• Stage Number: 4. 1 x Stage: Proton 11S824M. Gross Mass: 14,000 kg (30,000 lb). Empty Mass: 1,830 kg (4,030 lb). Thrust (vac): 85.020 kN (19,113 lbf). Isp: 352 sec. Burn time: 570 sec. Diameter: 3.70 m (12.10 ft). Span: 3.70 m (12.10 ft). Length: 5.50 m (18.00 ft). Propellants: Lox/Kerosene. No Engines: 1. Engine: RD-58M. Other designations: 11S824; Block D; D-1-e. Also known as Block D-1; article number 11S824M. Without guidance unit (navigation commands come from payload). Successor to 11S824. Used to launch large Lavochkin bureau unmanned lunar/planetary/high earth orbit spacecraft from 1976 to 1989.

1976 August 9 - 15:04 GMT - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC81. Launch Pad: LC81/23. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824M. Model: Proton-K/D-1. LV Configuration: Proton-K/D-1 288-02.

• Luna 24 Nation: USSR. Program: Luna. Payload: Ye-8-5M s/n 413. Mass: 5,306 kg (11,697 lb). Class: Planetary. Type: Lunar. Spacecraft: Luna Ye-8-5. Agency: MOM. Perigee: 115 km (71 mi). Apogee: 115 km (71 mi). Inclination: 120.00 deg. Period: 119.00 min. COSPAR: 1976-081A. USAF Sat Cat: 9272. Decay Date: 1976-08-18. Lunar Sample Return. Landed on Moon 18 Aug 1976 at 02:00:00 GMT, Latitude 12.25 N, Longitude 62.20 E - Mare Crisium (Sea of Crisis). The last of the Luna series of spacecraft, Luna 24 was the third Soviet mission to retrieve lunar ground samples (the first two were returned by Luna 16 and 20). The mission successfully returned 170 grams of lunar samples to the Earth on 22 August 1976.References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 67, 274, 296.

• Venera 11 Nation: USSR. Program: Venera. Payload: 4V-1 s/n 360. Mass: 4,715 kg (10,394 lb). Class: Planetary. Type: Venus. Spacecraft: Venera 4V-1. Agency: MOM. COSPAR: 1978-084A. USAF Sat Cat: 11020. Venera 11 was part of a two-spacecraft mission to study Venus and the interplanetary medium. Each of the two spacecraft, Venera 11 and Venera 12, consisted of a flight platform and a lander probe. Identical instruments were carried on both spacecraft. Venera 11 was launched into a 177 x 205 km, 51.5 degree inclination earth orbit from which it was propelled into a 3.5 month Venus transfer orbit. After ejection of the lander probe, the flight platform continued on past Venus in a heliocentric orbit. Near encounter with Venus occurred on December 25, 1978, at approximately 34,000 km altitude. The flight platform acted as a data relay for the descent craft for 95 minutes until it flew out of range and returned its own measurements on interplanetary space. The Venera 11 descent craft separated from its flight platform on December 23, 1978 and entered the Venus atmosphere two days later at 11.2 km/sec. During the descent, it employed aerodynamic braking followed by parachute braking and ending with atmospheric braking. It made a soft landing on the surface at 06:24 Moscow time on 25 December after a descent time of approximately 1 hour. The touchdown speed was 7-8 m/s.

  Both Venera 11 and 12 landers failed to return colour television views of the surface and perform soil analysis experiments. All of the camera protective covers failed to eject after landing (the cause was not established) The soil drilling experiment was apparently damaged by a leak in the soil collection device, the interior of which was exposed to the high Venusian atmospheric pressure. The leak had probably formed during the descent phase because the lander was less aerodynamically stable than had been thought.

  Two further experiments on the lander failed as well. Results reported included evidence of lightning and thunder, a high Ar36/Ar40 ratio, and the discovery of carbon monoxide at low altitudes.References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 67, 274, 296, 428.

• Venera 12 Nation: USSR. Program: Venera. Payload: 4V-1 s/n 361. Mass: 4,715 kg (10,394 lb). Class: Planetary. Type: Venus. Spacecraft: Venera 4V-1. Agency: MOM. COSPAR: 1978-086A. USAF Sat Cat: 11025. Venera 12 was part of a two-spacecraft mission to study Venus and the interplanetary medium. Each of the two spacecraft, Venera 11 and Venera 12, consisted of a flight platform and a lander probe. Identical instruments were carried on both spacecraft. Venera 12 was launched into a 177 x 205 km, 51.5 degree inclination Earth orbit from which it was propelled into a 3.5 month Venus transfer orbit which involved two mid-course corrections, on 21 September and 14 December. After ejection of the lander probe on 19 December, two days before encounter, the flight platform continued on past Venus in a heliocentric orbit. Near encounter with Venus occurred on December 21, 1978, at approximately 34,000 km altitude. The flight platform acted as a data relay for the descent craft for 110 minutes until it flew out of range and returned to its own measurements on interplanetary space. The Venera 12 descent craft entered the Venus atmosphere at 11.2 km/sec two days after separation from the flight bus. During the descent, it employed aerodynamic braking followed by parachute braking and ending with atmospheric braking. It made a soft landing on the surface at 06:30 Moscow time on 21 December after a descent time of approximately 1 hour. The touchdown speed was 7-8 m/s.

  Both Venera 11 and 12 landers failed to return colour television views of the surface and perform soil analysis experiments. All of the camera protective covers failed to eject after landing (the cause was not established) The soil drilling experiment was apparently damaged by a leak in the soil collection device, the interior of which was exposed to the high Venusian atmospheric pressure. The leak had probably formed during the descent phase because the lander was less aerodynamically stable than had been thought. Therefore the landing gear of the following two landers (Venera-13/14) were equipped with tooth-shaped stabilisers.

  Results reported included evidence of lightning and thunder, a high Ar36/Ar40 ratio, and the discovery of carbon monoxide at low altitudes.

  The Venera-12 flyby bus continued in solar orbit and successfully used its Soviet-French ultraviolet spectrometer to study Comet Bradfield on 13 February 1980 (one year and two months after its Venus encounter). At that time the spacecraft was 190,373,790 km from Earth.References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 67, 274, 296, 428.

• Venera 13 Nation: USSR. Program: Venera. Payload: 4V-1 s/n 760. Mass: 4,500 kg (9,900 lb). Class: Planetary. Type: Venus. Spacecraft: Venera 4V-1. Agency: MOM. COSPAR: 1981-106A. USAF Sat Cat: 12927. Venera 13 and 14 were identical spacecraft built to take advantage of the 1981 Venus launch opportunity and launched 5 days apart. After launch and a four month cruise to Venus, the descent vehicle separated and plunged into the Venus atmosphere on 1 March 1982. As it flew by Venus the bus acted as a data relay for the brief life of the descent vehicle, and then continued on into a heliocentric orbit. After the descent vehicle braked to subsonic speed a parachute was deployed. At an altitude of 47 km the parachute was released and simple airbraking was used the rest of the way to the surface. Venera 13 landed about 950 km northeast of Venera 14 at 7 deg 30 min S, 303 E, just east of the eastern extension of an elevated region known as Phoebe Regio. The area was composed of bedrock outcrops surrounded by dark, fine-grained soil. After landing an imaging panorama was started and a mechanical drilling arm reached to the surface and obtained a sample, which was deposited in a hermetically sealed chamber, maintained at 30 degrees C and a pressure of about .05 atmospheres. The composition of the sample, as determined by the X-ray flourescence spectrometer, put it in the class of weakly differentiated melanocratic alkaline gabbroids. The lander survived for 127 minutes (the planned design life was 32 minutes) in an environment with a temperature of 457 degrees C and a pressure of 84 Earth atmospheres. The bus carried instruments built by Austrian and French specialists, as well as Soviet scientific equipment.References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 67, 274, 296, 428.

• Venera 14 Nation: USSR. Program: Venera. Payload: 4V-1 s/n 761. Mass: 4,000 kg (8,800 lb). Class: Planetary. Type: Venus. Spacecraft: Venera 4V-1. Agency: MOM. COSPAR: 1981-110A. USAF Sat Cat: 12938. Venera 13 and 14 were identical spacecraft built to take advantage of the 1981 Venus launch opportunity and launched 5 days apart. After launch and a four month cruise to Venus, the descent vehicle separated and plunged into the Venus atmosphere on 5 March 1982. As it flew by Venus the bus acted as a data relay for the brief life of the descent vehicle, and then continued on into a heliocentric orbit. The parachute of the descent vehicle opened after the lander reached subsonic speed. At an altitude of about 50 km the parachute was released and simple airbraking was used the rest of the way to the surface. Venera 14 landed about 950 km southwest of Venera 13 near the eastern flank of Phoebe Regio at 13 deg 15 min S by 310 E on a basaltic plain. After landing an imaging panorama was started It has been reported that the surface analysis arm accidentally landed on one of the ejected camera covers and therefore didn't send back any data on the Venusian soil. This is visible in photographs sent back. On the other hand, the official account very specifically states that the mechanical drilling arm obtained a sample, which was deposited in a hermetically sealed chamber, maintained at 30 degrees C and a pressure of about .05 atmospheres. The composition of the sample was determined by the X-ray flourescence spectrometer, showing it to be similar to oceanic tholeiitic basalts. The lander survived for 57 minutes (the planned design life was 32 minutes) in an environment with a temperature of 465 degrees C and a pressure of 94 Earth atmospheres.References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 67, 274, 296, 428.

• Astron Nation: USSR. Payload: Astron 1 s/n 602L. Mass: 3,250 kg (7,160 lb). Class: Astronomy. Spacecraft: Astron. Agency: MOM. Perigee: 28,386 km (17,638 mi). Apogee: 175,948 km (109,328 mi). Inclination: 34.70 deg. Period: 5,931.70 min. COSPAR: 1983-020A. USAF Sat Cat: 13901. Astrophysics. Electrophysical research of galactic and extragalactic sources of ultraviolet ray and X-ray emission. The scientific apparatus was built jointly by scientists and specialists from the USSR and France. References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 67, 274.

• Venera 15 Nation: USSR. Program: Venera. Payload: 4V-2 s/n 860. Mass: 4,000 kg (8,800 lb). Class: Planetary. Type: Venus. Spacecraft: Venera 4V-2. Agency: MOM. Perigee: 1,000 km (600 mi). Apogee: 65,000 km (40,000 mi). Inclination: 87.50 deg. Period: 1,440.00 min. COSPAR: 1983-053A. USAF Sat Cat: 14104. Venera 15 was part of a two spacecraft mission (along with Venera 16) designed to use side-looking radar mappers to study the surface properties of Venus. The two spacecraft were inserted into Venus orbit a day apart with their orbital planes shifted by an angle of approximately 4 degrees relative to one another. This made it possible to reimage an area if necessary. Each spacecraft was in a nearly polar orbit with a periapsis at 62 N latitude. Together, the two spacecraft imaged the area from the north pole down to about 30 degrees N latitude over the 8 months of mapping operations. Data is for Venus orbit.References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 67, 274, 296, 428.

• Venera 16 Nation: USSR. Program: Venera. Payload: 4V-2 s/n 861. Mass: 4,000 kg (8,800 lb). Class: Planetary. Type: Venus. Spacecraft: Venera 4V-2. Agency: MOM. COSPAR: 1983-054A. USAF Sat Cat: 14107. Venus radar mapper; entered Venus orbit 10/14/83. Venera 16 was part of a two spacecraft mission (along with Venera 15) designed to use side-looking radar mappers to study the surface properties of Venus. The two spacecraft were inserted into Venus orbit a day apart with their orbital planes shifted by an angle of approximately 4 degrees relative to one another. This made it possible to reimage an area if necessary. Each spacecraft was in a nearly polar orbit with a periapsis at 62 N latitude. Together, the two spacecraft imaged the area from the north pole down to about 30 degrees N latitude over the 8 months of mapping operations.References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 67, 274, 296, 428.

• Vega 1 Nation: USSR. Program: Venera. Payload: 5VK s/n 901. Mass: 4,000 kg (8,800 lb). Class: Planetary. Type: Venus. Spacecraft: Vega 5VK. Agency: MOM. COSPAR: 1984-125A. USAF Sat Cat: 15432. Investigations of the planet Venus and Halley's Comet. The APV-V plasma antenna did not deploy until the first mid-course correction burn. Deployed lander and balloon at Venus on June 19 1985. Rendezvoused with comet Halley on March 6, 1986. Fitted with scientific apparatus and equipment built in the USSR, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, German Democratic Republic, Poland, France, Federal Republic of Germany and C zechoslovakia.References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 67, 274, 428.

• Vega 2 Nation: USSR. Program: Venera. Payload: 5VK s/n 902. Mass: 4,000 kg (8,800 lb). Class: Planetary. Type: Venus. Spacecraft: Vega 5VK. Agency: MOM. COSPAR: 1984-128A. USAF Sat Cat: 15449. Investigations of the planet Venus and Halley's Comet. The APV-V plasma antenna did not deploy until the first mid-course correction burn. Deployed lander and balloon at Venus on June 14, 1985. The surface experiments of the lander failed to send back data because they were inadvertently switched on at an altitude of 20 km. Apparently high winds activated a G-force sensor that was to automatically switch on the surface package after the jolt of touchdown. The bus continued in heliocentric orbit and rendezvoused with comet Halley on March 9, 1986. The images of the comet were nearly lost when a television sensor failed shortly before the flyby. A back-up sensor was activated just in time. Fitted with scientific apparatus and equipment built in the USSR, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, German Democratic Republic, Poland, France, Federal Republic of Germany and C zechoslovakia.References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 67, 274, 428.

• Granat Nation: USSR. Payload: Granat 1AS s/n 1. Mass: 3,200 kg (7,000 lb). Class: Astronomy. Spacecraft: Granat. Agency: MOM. Perigee: 53,697 km (33,365 mi). Apogee: 149,862 km (93,119 mi). Inclination: 86.60 deg. Period: 5,899.90 min. COSPAR: 1989-096A. USAF Sat Cat: 20352. Decay Date: 1999-05-25. X-, gamma-ray observatory; Danish, French, Bulgarian payloads. Granat orbital observatory. Conduct of studies of X-ray and soft gamma ray radiation sources in space by the USSR jointly with France, Denmark and Bulgaria. References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 67, 274.

• McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.

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• Afanasyev, Igor, Novosti kosmonavtiki, "35 let RN Proton", 1998, Issue 5, page 40.

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• Melnik, T G, Voenno-Kosmicheskiy Siliy, Nauka, Moscow, 1997.. Two-volume official history of the (now defunct) Russin space forces.