Molniya (rocket)


The Molniya, GRAU Index 8K78, was a modification of the well-known R-7 Semyorka rocket and had four stages. The rocket was given the name Molniya due to the large number of Molniya communication satellites the rockets launched.

History

The 8K78 resulted from a crash program by the Korolev Bureau to develop a booster for launching planetary probes. A larger third stage was added along with a fourth stage that was designed to fire in-orbit to send the payload out of LEO and the core and strap-ons had the new uprated 8D74K first stage engines. The first couple of 8K78s flown used an 8K74 core however vehicles flown in 1962-63 used the older 8K71 core. The 8K74 core returned for vehicles flown in 1964 and later.
The initial 8K78s had a faulty Blok I design that was prone to vibration issues and pump cavitation. The Blok I was redesigned afterward and the improved version was first flown on 11 November 1963. The uprated 8K78M booster was introduced in 1965 but 8K78s continued to fly into 1967. The Molniya also carried early Venera probes to Venus.
Molniya was a minor revision adapted for Luna E-6 series space probes where the guidance system for the entire launch vehicle was moved to the probe itself.

Characteristics

  • Length: 43.440 m
  • Diameter: 10.300 m
  • Launch mass: 305,000 kg
  • Strap-On Boosters: Blok-B,V,G,D / 4 × RD-107
  • Stage 1: Blok-A / RD-108K
  • Stage 2: Blok-I / RD-0108
  • Stage 3: Blok-L / S1.5400

    Launches

Molniya rockets were launched 40 times:
DateVersionSerial No.LSPayloadResult
10.10.1960MolniyaL1-4MBaikonur LC-1/5Mars
14.10.1960MolniyaL1-5MBaikonur LC-1/5Mars
04.02.1961MolniyaL1-7VBaikonur LC-1/5Venera
12.02.1961MolniyaL1-6VBaikonur LC-1/5Venera 1
25.08.1962MolniyaT103-12Baikonur LC-1/5Venera
01.09.1962MolniyaT103-13Baikonur LC-1/5Venera
12.09.1962MolniyaT103-14Baikonur LC-1/5Venera
24.10.1962MolniyaT103-15Baikonur LC-1/5Mars
01.11.1962MolniyaT103-16Baikonur LC-1/5Mars 1
04.11.1962MolniyaT103-17Baikonur LC-1/5Mars
04.01.1963Molniya T103-09Baikonur LC-1/5Luna E-6 No.2 Luna
03.02.1963Molniya G103-10Baikonur LC-1/5Luna E-6 No.3 Luna
02.04.1963Molniya G103-11Baikonur LC-1/5Luna 4
11.11.1963MolniyaG15000-017Baikonur LC-1/5Kosmos 21
19.02.1964Molniya T15000-019Baikonur LC-1/5Zond
21.03.1964Molniya T15000-020Baikonur LC-1/5Luna
27.03.1964Molniya T15000-022Baikonur LC-1/5Kosmos 27
02.04.1964Molniya G15000-028 ?Baikonur LC-1/5Zond 1
20.04.1964Molniya T15000-021Baikonur LC-1/5Luna
04.06.1964MolniyaG15000-018Baikonur LC-1/5Molniya-1
22.08.1964MolniyaG15000-019Baikonur LC-1/5Kosmos 41
30.11.1964MolniyaG15000-029Baikonur LC-1/5Zond 2
12.03.1965Molniya G15000-024Baikonur LC-1/5Kosmos 60
10.04.1965Molniya U15000-022Baikonur LC-1/5Luna
23.04.1965MolniyaU15000-035Baikonur LC-1/5Molniya-1 1
09.05.1965Molniya U15000-024Baikonur LC-1/5Luna 5
08.06.1965Molniya U15000-033Baikonur LC-1/5Luna 6
18.07.1965MolniyaU15000-032Baikonur LC-1/5Zond 3
14.10.1965MolniyaU15000-034Baikonur LC-1/5Molniya-1 2
12.11.1965Molniya U15000-042Baikonur LC-31/6Venera 2
16.11.1965Molniya U15000-031Baikonur LC-31/6Venera 3
23.11.1965Molniya U15000-030Baikonur LC-31/6Kosmos 96
03.12.1965MolniyaU15000-048Baikonur LC-31/6Luna 8
27.03.1966Molniya U15000-040Baikonur LC-31/6Molniya-1
25.04.1966Molniya N15000-037Baikonur LC-31/6Molniya-1 3
20.10.1966Molniya N15000-040Baikonur LC-1/5Molniya-1 4
24.05.1967Molniya N15000-041Baikonur LC-1/5Molniya-1 5
31.08.1967Molniya N15000-081Baikonur LC-1/5Kosmos 174
03.10.1967Molniya Ya15000-083Baikonur LC-1/5Molniya-1 6
22.10.1967Molniya Ya15000-084Baikonur LC-1/5Molniya-1 7