Start-1 Credit - © Mark Wade

Launch vehicle based on decommissioned ICBM's. Launched from mobile transporter. Liftoff mass 47 tonnes.

Manufacturer: MITT. Launches: 6. Success Rate: 100.00%. First Launch Date: 1993-03-25. Last Launch Date: 2006-04-25. Launch data is: continuing. LEO Payload: 632 kg (1,393 lb). to: 200 km Orbit. at: 52.00 degrees. Payload: 500 kg (1,100 lb). to a: space station orbit, 407 km, 51.6 deg trajectory. Associated Spacecraft: Early Bird, Odin, Ofeq 3, Start, Zeya. Liftoff Thrust: 887.400 kN (199,495 lbf). Total Mass: 47,200 kg (104,000 lb). Core Diameter: 1.61 m (5.28 ft). Total Length: 22.70 m (74.40 ft). Launch Price $: 9.000 million. in: 1999 price dollars.

• Stage Number: 1. 1 x Stage: Start-1. Gross Mass: 26,000 kg (57,000 lb). Empty Mass: 3,000 kg (6,600 lb). Thrust (vac): 980.000 kN (220,310 lbf). Isp: 263 sec. Burn time: 60 sec. Isp(sl): 238 sec. Diameter: 1.61 m (5.28 ft). Span: 1.61 m (5.28 ft). Length: 8.50 m (27.80 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: MIHT-1. Status: In production. All estimated

• Stage Number: 2. 1 x Stage: Start-2. Gross Mass: 13,000 kg (28,000 lb). Empty Mass: 1,500 kg (3,300 lb). Thrust (vac): 490.000 kN (110,150 lbf). Isp: 280 sec. Burn time: 64 sec. Isp(sl): 220 sec. Diameter: 1.55 m (5.08 ft). Span: 1.55 m (5.08 ft). Length: 6.00 m (19.60 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: MIHT-2. Status: In production. All estimated except stage gross mass

• Stage Number: 3. 1 x Stage: Start-3. Gross Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Empty Mass: 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). Thrust (vac): 245.000 kN (55,078 lbf). Isp: 280 sec. Burn time: 56 sec. Isp(sl): 220 sec. Diameter: 1.50 m (4.90 ft). Span: 1.50 m (4.90 ft). Length: 3.00 m (9.80 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: MIHT-3. Status: In production. All estimated

• Stage Number: 4. 1 x Stage: Start-4. Gross Mass: 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). Empty Mass: 300 kg (660 lb). Thrust (vac): 9.800 kN (2,203 lbf). Isp: 295 sec. Burn time: 207 sec. Isp(sl): 0 sec. Diameter: 1.40 m (4.50 ft). Span: 1.40 m (4.50 ft). Length: 2.50 m (8.20 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: MIHT-4. Status: In production. All estimated

1993 March 25 - 13:15 GMT - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC158. Launch Pad: LC158. Launch Vehicle: Start-1. Model: Start-1.

• Start-1 Nation: Russia. Payload: EKA-1. Mass: 260 kg (570 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Start. Agency: MO RF. Perigee: 681 km (423 mi). Apogee: 964 km (599 mi). Inclination: 75.80 deg. Period: 101.40 min. COSPAR: 1993-014A. USAF Sat Cat: 22561. Test flight of new booster based on SS-25 ICBM. Full-scale mock-up (actual weight) for the flight-design testing of the Start-1 carrier rocket. Experimental satellite launched by a Start-1 carrier rocket from the Plesetsk launch site. References: 1, 2, 5, 6.

• Zeya Nation: Russia. Payload: Zeya No. 1. Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Zeya. Agency: MO RF. Manufacturer: NPO Prikladnoi Mekhaniki, Zhelenogorsk. Perigee: 460 km (280 mi). Apogee: 472 km (293 mi). Inclination: 97.30 deg. Period: 93.60 min. COSPAR: 1997-010A. USAF Sat Cat: 24744. Decay Date: 1999-10-25. References: 4.

• Early Bird Nation: USA. Payload: EarlyBird. Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian. Spacecraft: Early Bird. Agency: EarthWat. Manufacturer: Orbital Sciences Corp., McLean (formerly DSI and CTA). Perigee: 479 km (297 mi). Apogee: 488 km (303 mi). Inclination: 97.30 deg. Period: 94.10 min. COSPAR: 1997-085A. USAF Sat Cat: 25123. Decay Date: 2000-07-27. References: 4.

• EROS A1 Nation: Israel. Mass: 240 kg (520 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian. Spacecraft: Ofeq 3. Agency: ImageSat. Manufacturer: Israel Aircraft Industries, Tel Aviv. Perigee: 488 km (303 mi). Apogee: 503 km (312 mi). Inclination: 97.30 deg. COSPAR: 2000-079A. USAF Sat Cat: 26631. Launch delayed from November 28. The Israeli commercial imaging satellite EROS A1 was owned by ImageSat (an Israeli-led company registered in the Netherlands Antilles) and built by IAI using the Ofeq-3 design. EROS A1 was placed in a sun-synchronous orbit together with the DS 5th stage. The 250 kg (dry mass) triaxially stabilized spacecraft carried a black and white high resolution (1.8 m) CCD camera, to obtain images (with terrain width of 12.6 km) of locations chosen by Israeli military or world-wide commercial clients, and downlink them at one of the 14 ground stations.References: 4, 552, 554.

• Odin Nation: Sweden. Mass: 250 kg (550 lb). Class: Astronomy. Type: Infrared. Spacecraft: Odin. Agency: Swedish Space Corp. (Sweden). Manufacturer: Swedish Space Corp. Perigee: 622 km (386 mi). Apogee: 622 km (386 mi). Inclination: 97.83 deg. COSPAR: 2001-007A. USAF Sat Cat: 26702. Sweden's Odin scientific satellite carried a submillimeter wave astronomy instrument and a radiometer for atmospheric studies. The 1.1-meter reflector fed 500 GHz and 119 GHz radiometers and was used to study galactic molecular clouds, complementing NASA's SWAS satellite. The Odin satellite was designed and built by the Swedish Space Corporation (Svenska Rymdbolaget or Rymdaktiebolaget). SSC does most of its satellite design and construction in-house, although Saab made the antenna and carried out satellite final assembly. SSC was a goverment-owned company and a contractor for the Rymdstyrelsen (Swedish National Space Board).References: 4, 296, 552, 554.

• EROS-B Nation: Israel. Mass: 350 kg (770 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian. Spacecraft: Ofeq 3. Agency: ImageSat. Manufacturer: IAI-MBT. Perigee: 505 km (313 mi). Apogee: 514 km (319 mi). Inclination: 97.30 deg. Period: 94.80 min. COSPAR: 2006-014A. USAF Sat Cat: 29079. Combined civilian/military imaging satellite operated by an Israeli company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. Its capability was demonstrated when, within days of launch, sharp photographs of people and motor vehicles on a Syrian dam were released.

• 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.

• Isakowitz, Steven J,, International Reference to Space Launch Systems Second Edition, AIAA, Washington DC, 1991 (succeeded by 2000 edition). ISBN: 1563473534. Superseded by the later editions. More at amazon.com...

• Placard, TsNIIMASH Museum, .

• Isakowitz, Steven J, Hopkins, Joshua B, and Hopkins, Joseph P, International Reference to Space Launch Systems, AIAA, Washington DC, 2004. ISBN: 156347591X. The best reference on launch vehicles ever produced. More at amazon.com...