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Soyuz 11A511M
Part of R-7
Soyuz LV
Soyuz LV
Credit: © Mark Wade
Russian orbital launch vehicle. Development of the Soyuz-M began in 1967 to launch the 6.6 metric ton Soyuz 7K-VI manned military spacecraft into a 65-degree inclination earth orbit. The spacecraft was cancelled, but development continued, and eight Soyuz-M's were built and used to launch Zenit-4MT reconnaissance satellites in 1971-1976. It has been said that these missions flew elements of the 11A511U modifications (such as the 11D511/11D512 variants of the RD-107/8 engines).

AKA: 11A511M;A-2;Sapwood;SL-4;Soyuz. Status: Retired 1976. First Launch: 1971-12-27. Last Launch: 1976-03-31. Number: 8 . Payload: 6,600 kg (14,500 lb). Thrust: 4,054.00 kN (911,375 lbf). Gross mass: 300,000 kg (660,000 lb). Height: 50.00 m (164.00 ft). Diameter: 2.95 m (9.67 ft). Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

The Kozlov filial of Korolev's OKB-1 was tasked with designing the Soyuz 7K-VI manned military spacecraft. In the first quarter of 1967 a substantially revised design was issued. The new spacecraft, with a crew of two, would have a total mass of 6.6 metric tons and could operate for a month in orbit. However the 11A511 launch vehicle could only put 6.3 metric tons into the 65 degree inclination design orbit. This would limit the crew to one. However the military objected to this. A second cosmonaut, without a spacesuit, but with life support systems and consumables would take another 400 kg of payload.

In order to meet the military requirements, Kozlov designed a new variant of the Soyuz launch vehicle, the 11A511M Soyuz-M. The project as reformulated was approved by the central committee on 21 July 1967 by the Central Committee of the Communist Party, with first flight to be in 1968 and operations to begin in 1969. However by the end of the year Kozlov's version of the spacecraft and the project had been taken over by Mishin's main office of OKB-1.

Development of the 11A511M continued for a time, perhaps to support planned solo flights of the Soyuz 7K-S military variant (cancelled in 1974). Eight of the 11A511M were built and eventually used to launch a few Zenit-4MT reconnaissance satellite missions from Plesetsk in the early 1970's (all other Zenit-4MT used the standard 11A511U). The differences compared to the 11A511U are not known, and what (if anything) differentiated these Zenit-4MT missions from others is also a mystery.

LEO Payload: 6,600 kg (14,500 lb) to a 300 km orbit at 65.00 degrees.

Family: orbital launch vehicle. Country: Russia. Spacecraft: Zenit-4MT. Launch Sites: Plesetsk, Plesetsk LC43/4. Stages: Soyuz 11A511U2-2, Molniya 8K78M-0, Molniya 8K78M-1. Agency: Korolev bureau.
1971 December 27 - . 14:04 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: Plesetsk LC43/4. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511M.
1972 July 13 - . 14:30 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511M.
1972 December 27 - . 10:30 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511M.
1973 June 27 - . 11:50 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511M.
1973 December 17 - . 12:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511M.
1974 June 29 - . 12:50 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511M.
1974 November 4 - . 10:40 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511M.
1976 March 31 - . 12:50 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511M.
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