VKS-O

Vertical takeoff, delta winged, single-stage-to-orbit, Lox/Kerosene/LH2 tripropellant rocket engine powered vehicle. 550 tonne gross liftoff mass and 1000 tonne versions studied. Analogous to NASA's Shuttle-2 and RKK Energia's VKS. For the 550 tonne version, dry mass of the launch vehicle would have to be 67,700 kg, with payload 7,500 kg / 1.4 percent of the growth. Payload could therefore be zero depending on the uncertainties in weight growth of the design during development. As in other vertically-launched SSTO designs, this was considered too great a risk, and the air-launched MAKS was selected instead. Velocity loss during ascent estimated at 1619 m/s compared to 1168 m/s for MAKS (payload 3.1% of gross).

Manufacturer: Molniya. LEO Payload: 7,500 kg (16,500 lb). to: 200 km Orbit. at: 51.00 degrees. Total Mass: 550,000 kg (1,210,000 lb).

• Lozino-Lozinskiy, G E, editor, Aviationno-kosmicheskiye sistemy, MAI, Moscow, 1997. ISBN: 5703520681. Russian language collection of technical papers that cover the design, development, engineering, and flight test results of the BOR-4, BOR-5, Buran, and MAKS spaceplanes. Includes intermediate designs More at amazon.com...