Home - Search - Browse - Alphabetic Index: 0- 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9
A- B- C- D- E- F- G- H- I- J- K- L- M- N- O- P- Q- R- S- T- U- V- W- X- Y- Z
Polyblock UR-500
Part of Proton
UR-500 Polyblock
UR-500 Polyblock
The original selected UR-500 'polyblock' configuration. This had the advantage of a much shorter vehicle than the conventional design, with a slight but acceptable weight penalty. The original vehicle would use four large fixed Glushko RD-253 motors surrounded by four smaller gimballed UR-200 motors. During development this was abandoned in favour of six Glushko motors, making for an even simpler and more compact vehicle.
Credit: © Mark Wade
UR-500 design studies considered two variants of the first stage: polyblock and monoblock. The polyblock variant consisted of a center large diameter oxidizer tank surrounded by several smaller diameter fuel tanks. This version could be assembled in a special rig with the lateral blocks being sequentially mounted on the center. In January 1962 this design was chosen as most advantageous, following studies that indicated improved wind loads and bending moment characteristics compared to the monoblock design. The developed version of the design would become known as the Proton.

Status: Design 1962. Payload: 12,000 kg (26,000 lb). Thrust: 8,119.80 kN (1,825,404 lbf). Gross mass: 554,940 kg (1,223,430 lb). Height: 43.00 m (141.00 ft). Diameter: 4.10 m (13.40 ft). Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

This had the advantage of easier installation of the upper stages and payload due to the smaller length of the first stage. This variant was studied in Filial 1 under the lead engineer E. T. Radchenko. The polyblock design received patent number 36616 in 26 July 1966. Named on the patent were V N Chelomei, V N Bugayckiy, V A Birodov, G D Dermichev, N I Yegorov, V K Karrask, Yu P Kolesnikov, Ya B Nodelman, and E T Radchenko.

The design mass and engine performance figures for this version have been given; the calculated payload is 12,000 kg. This is coincidentally very close to the 12,200 kg payload mass given (incorrectly) at the time of the launch of the two-stage variant of the launch vehicle, Proton 1.

LEO Payload: 12,000 kg (26,000 lb) to a 200 km orbit.

Stage Data - Polyblock UR-500



Family: orbital launch vehicle. Country: Russia. Engines: 8D43 + 11D43, RD-0212, RD-0213, 11D43, 8D43. Stages: Monoblock UR-500-2, Monoblock UR-500-3, Polyblock UR-500-1P. Agency: Chelomei bureau.
Photo Gallery

Universal RocketsUniversal Rockets
Chelomei's Universal Rocket Family. From left to right: UR-100 (three variants) and UR-100N (three variants). UR-200. Original UR-500 configuration, composed of clustered UR-200's. Conventional UR-500 monoblock configuration. Selected UR-500 polyblock configuration. UR-500 two-stage configuration - ICBM version and as flown. UR-500K configuration with LK-1; with Block D upper stage and L1; with Block D upper stage for satellite launch. UR-700.
Credit: © Mark Wade



Back to top of page
Home - Search - Browse - Alphabetic Index: 0- 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9
A- B- C- D- E- F- G- H- I- J- K- L- M- N- O- P- Q- R- S- T- U- V- W- X- Y- Z
© 1997-2019 Mark Wade - Contact
© / Conditions for Use