RUSSIAN/SOVIET LAUNCH VEHICLE DESIGNERS K H R U N I C H E V S TAT E R E S E A R C H A N D P R O D U C T I O N S PA C E C E N T E R

rigidly, others enable longitudinal motion through their bottles. The engines are cut off by actuating pyro-driven
Payload sliding joints. cut-off valves. To ensure fire-and-hold staging, the sec-
The first stage is powered by six RD-253 autonomous ond stage engines are ignited before the first stage sus-
cruise engines by NPO Energomash (Chief Designer tainer thrust is cut off: as soon as the second stage thrust
10,400

V. P. Glushko). A hydraulic actuator enables maximum goes beyond the residual thrust of the first stage's liquid
∅4,100 thrust vector deflection to an angle of seven-and-a-half min- propellant engines, the pyrobolts that connect the truss-
15,300

Oxygen tank utes. The deflection is made possible by trunnion attach- work between stages are initiated to separate the stages,
ment of the engine in the vicinity of the chamber throat. while simultaneously the products of burning exhausted
Kerosene tank
The RD-253 engine featuring turbopump fuel supply from the second stage combustors act on the thermal
50 m
and oxidizing gas afterburning is fueled by nitrogen protection shield to slow down and push away the
11D58M engine
tetroxide and unsymmetric dimethyl hydrazine at 2.67 burned-out first stage.
DM Block

ratio of the components. The engine delivers a ground
∅3,700 thrust of 1,500 kN, and a vacuum thrust of 1,670 kN for
specific thrust impulse of 2,850 N.s/kg and 3,160 N.s/kg,
RD-0214 L I Q U I D P R O P E L L A N T R O C K E T respectively. With the developed chamber pressure of
E N G I N E S C H E M AT I C 15.0 MPa, the engine's burning time in rocket-integrated
4,110
The rocket's third stage is a cylinder-shaped structure that
includes the equipment bay and the fuel and tail sections.
The equipment bay is designed as a riveted cylinder made
up by structural rings, stringers and skin. The control and
targeting system units are attached to the structural rings.

Oxidizer tank (N2O4) 1 – gas generator valve; 2 – fuel gas generator; 3 – fuel intake
Fuel tank (UDMH) valve; 4 – fuel tank pressurant; 5 – starter; 6 – regulator; 7 – valve;
8 – combustion chamber valve; 9 – combustion chamber;
40 m
10 – bellows; 11 – stabilizer; 12 – oxidizer tank pressurant;
13 – oxidizer intake valve; 14 – gas generator valve; 15 – oxidizer
gas generator; 16 – gas generator valve; 17 – gimbal unit.
RD-0214 engine, ±45°
Second stage
mode is 130 seconds.
The liquid propellant jet engine is ignited by breaking the
pyromembranes at engine inlet, following which the com-
ponents are forced inside the gas generator by the pressur-
ant and hydrostatic fluid column, self-ignite and impose ini-
tial rotation on the turbopump assembly (Fig. 32).
The second, cylinder-shaped stage includes the adapter,
fuel and tail sections.
The adapter section is a riveted structure that serves to
Special manholes are provided in the bay to enable access to
the equipment.
The lentil-shaped oxidizer tank is made up by the middle
ring bulkhead and the lower bottom welded to the frame.
The oxidizer and the fuel tanks are separated by a common
bottom. The fuel tank's lower bottom is cone-shaped and
receives the thrust of the liquid propellant sustainers
attached to it. The top of the oxidizer tank includes a hori-
zontal damping bulkhead. The oxidizer feed line is placed

RD-0213 engine
connect the second and the third stage. The body of the inside the fuel tank.
17,050

Oxidizer tank (N2O4) section is made of structural rings, a set of molded profile The tail section is a riveted structure accommodating
stringers and the skin. There are four channels in the sec- the four-chamber steering engine. Four powder retro-
30 m ∅4,100
tion's fore end designed to remove gases generated during engines are attached to the tail section. The body of the
Fuel tank (UDMH) ignition of the third stage's steering engine. Six powder tail section is made up by the skin, two docking structur-
retrorockets covered by fairings are installed in the rear of al rings and a set of stringers. In addition, the tail section
the adapter section. provides for attachment of the second stage by means of
The fuel section is designed as a joint block of the propel- pyrobolts and centering pins.
lant and the oxidizer tanks featuring a common intermedi- The thruster unit of the RD-0212 third stage block
ate bottom to reduce stage length. includes the sustainer engine and the four-chamber RD-0214
RD-0211 L I Q U I D P R O P E L L A N T R O C K E T The tail section consists of the shell (skirt), the load-bear- steering engine. In terms of design and operating principle,
E N G I N E S C H E M AT I C ing cone and the protective shield. the sustainer engine is similar to the RD-0210 engine of
20 m Engines 1 – gas generator; 2 – oxidizer valve; 3 – pressurant generator; The thruster facility of the second stage includes four the second stage: in fact, the 0212 model is a modification
1 x RD-0211 4 – turbopump assembly; 5 – starter unit; 6 - throttle; 7 – combus- similar liquid propellant autonomous sustainer jet engines: of RD-0210 (Fig. 33).
3 x RD-0210 tion chamber valve; 8 – starter valve; 9 – combustion chamber;
10 – regulator; 11 – gas generator fuel valve
three RD-0210 and one RD-0211. The engines were The steering engine (designed with no gas generator
4 x 582 KN designed at the KBKhA Design Bureau for Chemical afterburning function) includes four chambers, one tur-
±3°15’
Automation by S. A. Kosberg's team. Unlike RD-0210, the bopump assembly, two gas generators and the powder
Fuel tank (UDMH) 0211 engine features tank pressurization units similar to starter. To ensure thrust vector control, the gimbal-
those of the RD-253, specifically, the fuel tank pressurant mounted combustion chambers are deflected by an electric
First stage

Oxidizer tank (N2O4)

21,180

gas generator unit and the oxidizer tank pressurant mixer
unit. All second stage motors are trunnion-fixed in the stage
10 m structure, which makes possible electrohydraulic deflection
of any to a maximum angle of 3°15'.
The second stage engines incorporate the turbopump fuel
feed system and provide for oxidizer gas afterburning capa-
bility. The propellant components are nitrogen tetroxide
and unsymmetric dimethyl hydrazine at a ratio of 2.67.
Prior to 1992: RD-253 While each engine develops 582 kN vacuum thrust, the spe-
6x(1,500/1,670 kN)
cific thrust impulse is 3,201 N.s/kg, the developed chamber
Since 1992: RD-275
6x(1,600/1,750 kN) pressure is 14.7 MPa, and the burning time is 230 seconds.
RD-253 L I Q U I D P R O P E L L A N T R O C K E T
The engines are kicked-off by a pneumatic starter: the
E N G I N E S C H E M AT I C
Fig. 32. Proton-K Launch Vehicle with 1 – gas duct; 2 – gas generator; 3, 4, 8, 10, 14 – pyrovalves;
initial rotation is imposed on the turbopump assemblies
DM Upper Stage - Cutaway Drawing 5 – regulator; 6 – turbine; 7 – jet pump; 9, 11, 12 – pumps; by the compressed gas stored for the purpose in special
13 – throttle; 15 – nozzle; 16 – combustion chamber
86
actuator to a maximum angle of 45 degrees. The 30.9 kN
RD-0214 steering engine provides a specific thrust impulse
of 2,870 N.s/kg by burning the already mentioned fuel
components: nitrogen tetroxide and unsymmetric
dimethyl hydrazine in 1.8 proportion.
The second and the third stages are separated under the
thrust load developed by the third stage's steering engine
that ignites before the second stage sustainer engines are
cut off, in the meantime, six powder retroengines slow
down the second stage.
The sustainer RD-0213 is cut off at the end of the pow-
ered phase, leaving the steering engine to operate alone.
That approach enables greater accuracy of the required
final velocity of the stage.
87
 RUSSIAN/SOVIET LAUNCH VEHICLE DESIGNERS C O M B AT M I S S I L E S F O R C O N V E R S I O N P R O G R A M S

Payload Aerodynamic
fairing payload fairing
and adapter stage) role of the ascent unit of Strela, thus making any Central Scientific Research Institute for Machine Building
modification of the ground control and targeting system and several other Russian and Ukrainian entities.

34,300
Payload practically unnecessary. The configuration of the prototype missile allows devel-

1,000
Spacecraft The sole new component incorporated into the design of opment of a launch vehicle that meets every requirement
Measurement
the Strela launch vehicle compared to its prototype is the set before a launcher intended to deliver up to 4.0 t pay-
30 m Instruments Control system
Compartment compartment measuring equipment compartment of the ascent unit. The loads into orbit.
new compartment sized 2,400 mm in diameter and 550 mm Dnepr launch vehicle is 34.3 m tall, 3.0 m in diameter.
Payload
Upper stage
in height accommodates the equipment required to provide The rocket is fueled by high-boiling propellant compo-
Payload fairing
fuel tank telemetry and ground-supported trajectory measurements, nents: nitrogen tetroxide and unsymmetric dimethyl
fairing
28,500

Adapter the 1st and 2nd stage booster emergency cutoff system, the hydrazine.

28,270
Payload section auxiliary coast flight phase stabilization system and the The converted launch vehicle includes the first, second
Payload Oxidizer power supply equipment. and the upper stage, the adapter of the first and the second
Breeze KM tank The ascent unit that contains the measuring equip- stages, and the aerodynamic nose cone complete with

5,713
upper stage ment compartment and the payload support pad can be adapter. All the components of the configuration, except for
N2O4 oxidizer Fuel protected optionally by two different fairings: a stan- the nose cone adapter, have been borrowed unchanged from
Measurement tank dard RS-18 nose cone (Ascent Unit 1 option) or a larg- the original RS-20A ICBM.
UDMH fuel
Instruments er cone optimized during RS-18 trial launches (Ascent Payload is mounted in the body of the upper stage on a
Compartment
Unit 2 option). newly designed spacer pad.
14D30 engine,
Mechanisms and By converting an intercontinental ballistic missile into No modifications were introduced into stage engines.
~20 kN
Instruments Section a space launch vehicle the designers secured high reliabil- While the 1st stage has four RD-263 single-chamber gim-
Upper stage

Steering engines

22,337
N2O4 oxidizer ity factor of the prototype ICBM known to be have been baled, close-loop motors, the 2nd stage is powered by the
20 m
successfully launched 152 times in as many as 155 launch RD-0229 single-chamber sustainer and the four-chamber
RD-237 Engine Steering
engines
operations. RD-0230 steering motor (block RD-0228).
RD-0230 A joint decision of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian The original high-precision inertial control system
Second stage

Federation, the Russian Aerospace Agency and the operated by the central onboard digital computer has
Adapter section Sustainer Research and Production Association for Mashine Building been upgraded to ensure adaptability of the software
N2O4 oxidizer engine
designated the new launch site of Svobodny as the main and compatibility of spacecraft's electrical connections
RD-0229
venue for future launches of Strela. In addition, certain with the ground checking and launching equipment,
launches of Strela can take place at Baikonur with use made and to enable input of service pre-launch and in-flight
of the ground infrastructure already available on site. commands.
Based on the existing pattern of Baikonur's ground The rocket launches in a mortar mode from its standard
Oxidizer tank tracks, payloads can be delivered to 63° inclination orbits. launch canister, with the power unit of the 1st stage ignit-
Engines RD-0236 (N2O4)
Unlike that, the Svobodny Launch Site provides for satel- ed upon release of the launch vehicle from the canister.
UDMH fuel
lite insertions into orbits inclined 52°-61° or 90°-97°. «Hot»-mode separation of stages is implemented with the
Hence, utilization of hardware and processes previously steering engine burning, for which purpose the separated
Engine
RD-0235 associated with the decommissioned RS-18 ICBM has lower stage is slowed down by dropping the pressure of gas
134 KN made possible the development of a light launch vehicle in the fuel tank. The payload is separated from the upper
that offers relatively low costs of launching just because stage by burning the upper stage motor in throttled mode
10 m Oxidizer tank newly fabricated nodes or assemblies are very few, and for break-off.
(N2O4) pre-launch processing procedures have been brought to A feature of Dnepr is the launch vehicle's ability to main-
Fuel tank
(UDMH)
perfection over the years of active defense duty, thus tain launch readiness for an unlimited period of time that
Fuel tank introducing a highly competitive product on the global may be restricted solely by the requirements of the inte-
(UDMH)
market of commercial launches. grated payload.
In addition, no supplementary operations are required if
DNEPR LAUNCH VEHICLE launching is rescheduled.
First stage

∅3,000
∅2,500
What is now called Dnepr launch vehicle, was originally
the powerful R-36M (15A14) ICBM – the one designated
RS-20A under START I Treaty or SS-18 (nicknamed
Satan by NATO). The commercial launch vehicle was
developed by a team lead by Chief Designer V. F. Utkin at
KB Yuzhnoye Design Bureau. With a liftoff mass of 211
Engines tons, the converted product offers high power performance,
3 x RD-0233, Cruise engine accuracy of orbital insertion and in-flight reliability.
1 x RD-0234 RD-264 (4 x RD-263)
The overall conversion program is being implemented by
ROCKOT STRELA DNEPR Kosmotras – an international space company established by
KB Yuzhnoye, the Southern Engineering Plant, TsNIIMASH
Fig. 38. Rockot, Strela and Dnepr Launch Vehicles: the Products of Conversion
So far, mission requirements have not been fully met in
only as few as four launches during trial, control or train-
ing launch operations in which production Dnepr rockets
were involved, bringing the estimated flight reliability fac-
tor to 0.97.
The commercial operator of Dnepr is Kosmotras
Company established in 1997.
Dnepr was first launched from Baikonur in April 1999 to
deliver UK's UoSat-12 science research experimental satel-
lite to orbit. In its second launch operation in September
2000 five satellites (Italy's, Malaysia's and Saudi Arabia’s)
were orbited. The third launch took place in December 2002.

102 103
 R U S S I A' S L A U N C H FA C I L I T I E S L A U N C H FA C I L I T I E S B Y K B O M – T H E G E N E R A L E N G I N E E R I N G D E S I G N B U R E A U

5
1 – The N1 (11A52) launch vehicle
2 – Platform
3 – Trunk
4 4 – Mounting crane
5 – Lightning protection
6 – System for industrial waste collection
3 7 – Escape slide
8 – Knee
9 – Frame
10 – Idling
11 – Antitheft device
6 12 – Working stroke
2
13 – Supporting and rotating gear

7
Top launch
umbilical tower
(1 item)
8 12

11

10
1
Supporting
9
truss (ST, 4 items)

Supporting 13
boom (4 items)

Counterweight

Buffer Fig. 47. N1-L3 Project Launch Facility

Another element located on the supporting ring is the
launch umbilical tower (LUT) designed to bring and con-
nect cables, filling, drain and pneumatic lines or other util-
Driver of ities. Those connections disengage and move away togeth-
Foundation the turn
(4 items)
er with the counterweighted LUT during the launch.
plate
The rooms available inside the launching plant accom-
Turn plate modate stationary propellant filling, thermal condition-
ing, remote control, compressed gas supply systems, fire-
fighting and gas monitoring equipment, etc. A niche in the
launching structure accommodates multiple-level service
cabin for servicing the launch vehicle's lower part. The
cabin extends above the exhaust duct.
The sophisticated equipment of the launching plant is
remotely controlled from the command post, where the
processes are monitored, documented and displayed by
Pilot device Lower launch umbilical applicable systems.
(PD, 4 items) tower (2 items)
The expertise gained by operating Russia's first space
Fig. 46. Baikonur Space Launch Site. R-7 and Soyuz Launch Facilities rocket launching plant facilitated designing and construc-
tion of five more plants in 1958-1961, including one
deployed at Baikonur and four - at Plesetsk.
Long-term operation of the launching plants under cli-
matic extremities of Kazakhstan and Northern Russia,
with seasonal variation of the outdoor temperatures from
-40°C to +50°C, heavy rain and snow, strong wind proved
high reliability of the equipment that survived owing to
its robust design and high maintainability.
N1, ENERGIA-BURAN LAUNCHING PLANTS.
Soviet manned lunar mission program approved in the
1960s required a launch vehicle able to carry at least 100-
tons payload and a set of relevant ground facilities,
including a special launcher. Ground construction works
were kicked off in 1964. Within a short time the launch-
ing plant featuring unprecedented systems and assem-
blies was built with its launch system, erector, propellant
filling equipment and service tower designed to enable
processing, fuelling and launching of the 100-meters tall

126 127
 FOREIGN LAUNCH VEHICLES US LAUNCH VEHICLES

Payload
T I TA N M I S S I O N
Designation Boosters 1st stage 2nd stage 3rd stage
PROFILE
Length, m 48.77 overall length 2nd stage Orbital flight
Diameter, m 3.1 3.0 3.0 4.0 1st stage separation t = 1,018 s
3rd stage
separation t = 541 s h = 163.2 km
Centaur IIA Mass, tons 680 tons overall mass
t = 304 s v = 7.8 km/s
Pratt and Whitney Thrust, kN 2 x 6,210 956 463 2 x 67
RL10A-3-3A engine
Specific impulse, Liquid Liquid
134 kN Control
N.s/kg 2,602 2,959 3,106 4,350 Hydrogen Oxygen system
Nose cone Propellant Solid Aerozine 50/N2O4 H2+O2
Adapter Aerial
Fairings Hydrogen Fairing
jettisoned valve
Aerojet t = 233 s Hydrogen
Guidance
1xLR91-AJ-II h = 114 km tank
system
463 kN
Oxygen
Oxygen
N2O4 tank
Boosters valve
separation
t = 126 s
Helium
h = 51.9 km Hydrazine
Aerozine 50 tank
v = 1.87 km/s tank
Pratt and
Whitney
RL10A liq-
uid propel-
RL10A-4 lant engine
N2O4 PROPELLANT
FLOW SCHEMATIC CENTAUR UPPER STAGE

LITVC tank
Payload
platform Solid propel-
lant engine Adapter stage
1st stage
engine
ignited
Control
t = 115.9 s
system
Aerozine 50
Solid pro-
pellant
engine

Engine
nozzle
Expanding
nozzle
IUS UPPER STAGE
Titan LV
liftoff
t=0s
Guidance and Control Pratt and Whitney RL10 liquid-propellant engine
Guidance: inertial platform and digital computer of RL10A-3-3A RL10A-4 RL10A-4-1 RL10A-4-2
General Motors Delco System Thrust, kN 67 85.28 91.43
STAGE 0 1 2 3 Mixture Ratio 5:1 5.5:1 5.5:1 5.5:1
Pitch, yaw N2O4 injection Hydraulic Hydraulic By gimballing Specific Impulse 4,444 4,490 4,510 4,510
TVC gimballing gimballing nozzles
the 2 nozzles the 2 nozzles
Roll idem Hot gas Hot gas Aerojet
2xLR-87-AJ-II
956/1,054 kN
Fig. 67. Titan IIIE Launch Vehicle Fig. 68. IUS, Centaur Upper Stages

156 157
 FOREIGN LAUNCH VEHICLES EUROPEAN LAUNCH VEHICLES

The fuel charge is a set of four Flexdyne solid-fuel

blasters, each one having a star-shaped channel.
The solid-fuel booster is separated by means of spring-
Fairing loaded pushers with the force of 5.9-6.8 tons. The force pro-
V=59 m3 ∅2,600
(Oerlikon-Contraves) vides for the booster to be ejected laterally at a speed of
Diameter: 4 m V=49 m3 ∅4,000
Mass: 805-915 kg
about 5 m/s.
V=86 m3

5,000
∅4,000 ∅3,650
∅4,000 The strap-on booster engines are started up simultane-

4,000
Spelda ∅3,650 ously with the first-stage liquid engine, while the PAP solid
∅4,000

6,250
(British Aerospace) propellant booster ignites 3 seconds after the first-stage liq-
Height: 3.8-4.8 m ∅3,360 uid engine.
∅3,360

2,800
∅3,650

2,800
Mass: 400-450 kg
V=28 m3 The commercial operator for Ariane is Arianespace. The
V=28 m3 launch of an Ariane-4-4L costs between 90-110 million US
Vehicle Equipment Bay
(Matra Marconi Space) dollars. On February 15, 2003 Ariane 4 launcher completed
Height: 1 m its highly successful 15-year career with a perfect mission
Mass: 520 kg
for its largest customer Intelsat. Demonstrated reliability
Third Stage H10 (Aerospatiale) N O S E C O N E C O N F I G U R AT I O N O P T I O N S of Ariane-4 is 97.4 percent with only three unsuccessful
Mass: 12.5 t Fuel capacity: 10.5 t (O2/H2) launches out of a total of 116 since June 1988.
Engine: HM-7B, 62 kN thrust

2/3 Intermediate Stage

ARIANE-5 LAUNCHER
UH-25
The Ariane-5 heavy launch vehicle was developed by
N2O4
±3° ESA. The development budget is approx. $10 billion. After
∅2,600
S E C O N D S TA G E C O N F I G U R AT I O N the first launch of the LV in 1997 failed and the second
1 – helium; 2 – N2O4 oxidizer; 3 – UH-25 fuel; launch operation in October 1997 resulted in payload
Second Stage L-33 4 – water; 5 – Viking-4 engine delivery into an off-nominal orbit, the third launch a year
(Erno, Deutsche Aerospace)
later (October 1998) was fully successful. The launch oper-
Mass: 38,285 kg water
Fuel capacity: 35 t (UH-25/N2O4) ation designated AR504 in December 1999 marked the first
Engine: Viking-4, commercial event by Arianespace.
786 kN thrust In total, there were thirteen commercial launches of the
Burn time: 126 s basic Ariane-5 version (indexed Ariane-5G-Generic)
1/2 Intermediate Stage implemented by Arianespace in 2000-2002. The four-
teenth launch performed by an upgraded 10-ton version of
Ariane-5 ECA with a cryogenic stage on December 11,
±3° 2002 was a failure.
∅3,800 The Ariane-5 launch vehicle is able to automatically
deliver 18-ton payloads to a low-Earth orbit, or 5.9-6.8-ton
First Stage L-220 (Aerospatiale)
Fuel capacity: 226 t (UH-25/N2O4 + H2O)
payloads – to a geostationary transfer orbit.
∅3,800 The Ariane-5 performance for its different main missions
Engines: 4 x Viking-5, 4 x 677 kN
Burn time: 205 s, ±6° is given in the table below.

PAL Boosters
Mission option Orbit parameters Payload
(Erno, Deutsche Aerospace) GTO Apogee altitude: Single payload:
Mass: 2 x 42.2 t (Geostationary 35,786 km 6,800 kg
Fuel capacity: 2 x 39 t Transfer Orbit) Perigee altitude: Double payload:
(UH-25/N2O4) 580 km 5,970 kg
Liquid engine: Viking-6, SSO Altitude: 800 km
2 x 666 kN thrust (Sun Synchronous Inclination: 98.6 ° 10,000 kg
Burn time: 135-143 s Orbit)
LEO Altitude: 500 km
1/2 Intertank Structure (Low Earth Orbit) Inclination: 28.5° 18,000 kg

PAP Boosters VIKING-5C LIQUID ENGINE The two-stage Ariane-5 has a liftoff weight of around 740
(Fiat Avio - Aerospatiale Matra)
P R O P E L L A N T S U P P LY S Y S T E M tons. The approximately 52-m high launch vehicle includes
Mass: 2 x 12.6 t
Fuel capacity: 2 x 9.5 t C O N F I G U R AT I O N two solid propellant boosters strapped on in parallel to the
Solid motor: 2 x 650 kN thrust 1 – preburner; 2 – turbine; 3 – N2O4 pump; first stage that is powered by a liquid engine. The propel-
Burn time: 40.5 s 4 – water feed pump; 5 – regulator F I R S T S TA G E C O N F I G U R AT I O N lant for the solid propellant boosters (abbreviated as EAP
Fixed 10° 1 – N2O4 oxidizer; 2 – nitrogen; 3 – water; or Etage Acceleration a Poudre) consists of ammonium per-
4 – UH-25 fuel; 5 – 4 x Viking-5C propulsion system chlorate ~ 66 % (the oxidizer) and butadiene (~16 %) and
Fig. 89. Ariane-4-4LP Launcher aluminum ~16 % (the fuel).

192 193
 FOREIGN LAUNCH VEHICLES J A PA N ' S L A U N C H V E H I C L E S A N D L A U N C H S I T E S

50 m large large H-II FLIGHT PROFILE

payload payload
fairing fairing
2nd stage
1st stage Payload separation
engine ignition
separation t = 362 s
second
payload t = 356 s
40 m stage:
fairing second
liquid 50 m
stage:
rocket
payload liquid payload

50,000
third stage:
payload fairing rocket faring fairing
solid rocket Fairing
fairing third stage: LE-5B
second third jettisoned
third stage solid rocket LE-5A
30 m stage: stage: t = 226 s
second second liquid solid
stage: stage: rocket rocket
liquid liquid
LE-5
rocket rocket second
stage: first stage:
LE-3
solid liquid 40 m
20 m
rocket rocket hydrogen
tank
first stage:
first first liquid
first liquid
stage: stage: rocket
stage: rocket
liquid liquid booster
liquid oxygen
10 m rocket rocket 2 solid
rocket first tank
boosters 2 solid
stage:
3 solid solid solid boosters
boosters boosters rocket LE-5A
solid
30 m engine
boosters
122 kN
MB-3 MB-3 MB-3 LE-7 2xLE-7A

oxygen
LE-7 ROCKET ENGINE tank
SRB-A 2x2,300 kN
S C H E M AT I C
N-I N-II H-I H-II J-I H-IIA (Augmented) 1 – hydrogen pump; 2 – gas generator;
Liftoff mass, ton 3 – oxygen pump; 4 – combustor; 5 – nozzle
90 135 140 260 90 410
Overall Rocket Length, m
33 35 40 50 33 53 20 m
Vehicle’s First Stage Diameter, m liquid
2.4 2.4 2.4 4 1.8 4 helium
GSO Payload Capacity, kg tanks
130 350 550 2,200 100 4,000 SRBs burn out hydrogen
and separate tank
Fig. 94. Japan's Launch Vehicles
SRB solid
rocket boosters:
2 x 1,600 kN
multiple advanced design, process or configuration solu- time is 346 sec. With the components supplied by means of
tions (Fig. 95). a turbopump assembly, the turbines of the assembly are 10 m
H-II is a two-stage launcher with two solid rocket boost- driven by the gas produced by the gas generator.
ers. The second stage incorporates the re-startable main The LE-7 engine's pivoting in gimbal suspension enables
LE-5A engine. While the guidance system does not include pitch and yaw control of the vehicle during the flight.
a gyro-stabilized platform, the corresponding function is Rolling control is effected by two 2-kN thrusters that are Additional
implemented by laser gyroscopes. fueled by liquid hydrogen borrowed from the cruise engine
Liftoff
The first stage of H-II is 35 m long, 4 m in diameter. The engine's supplies. SRB ignition hydraulic
mass of the stage is 97 tons, including 85 tons propellant. The The fuel tank is a thin-wall, cylinder-shape shell with two 1st stage system tank
propellant components (liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen) spherical bottoms. The lower bottom occupies a large vol- engine (LE-7) LE-7 engine
ignition 840/1,080 kN
feature the fuel-to-oxidizer mass ratio of 6.0 (Fig. 95). ume in the rear compartment.
t=0s
The cruise engine LE-7 of the rocket's first stage with its The structure elements of the tank are made of aluminum
dry mass of 1,714 kg delivers a thrust of 840 kN on the alloy. The tank covered with thermal insulation coating is
ground or 1,080 kN in vacuum. The combustor pressure is pressurized with vaporized hydrogen withdrawn from the
13 MPa, the nozzle expansion ratio is 52, while the burning combustor cooling line.
Fig. 95. H-II Launch Vehicle
202 203
 FOREIGN LAUNCH VEHICLES LAUNCH VEHICLES AND LAUNCH SITES OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

T H I R D S TA G E Apart from the commercial benefits involved in selling Table 19

50 m
Fairing launch services and launching international satellites, the
Support
People's Republic of China clearly hopes to get access to the Parameter Boosters 1st Stage 2nd Stage
Design contractor
most advanced Western technologies. Mass, t
∅4,000 Hydrogen
LM-1D LAUNCH VEHICLE. The LM-1D is developed Propellant mass, t 4 x 37
Payload Oxygen based on the LM-1 launch vehicle that launched the first Propellant UDMH/N2O4
YF-75 Chinese satellite in 1970. LM-1D successfully conducted its Propulsion 4 x YF-20 YF-21 YF-22
Engine first flight in November 1997. A three-stage, 31.28 m tall system (4 x YF-20) YF-23 (vernier)
Avionics Avionics 2 x 78.5 kN Thrust, kN 4 x 697
Compartment launch vehicle, LM-1D can deliver almost 1,000 kg of pay- Specific thrust
Compartment
load to a near-Earth orbit. With both the first and the sec- impulse, N.s/kg 2,680 2,680 2,911
ond stages featuring a diameter of 2.25 m, the rocket is 2,834 (vernier)
40 m
3rd Stage
topped by a diameter 2.05 m nose cone. The liftoff mass of
Fuel Tank LM-1D is 85.4 tons. The propulsion system of the rocket's LM-3 LAUNCH VEHICLE. In 1984, the LM-3 launch
first stage uses unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine vehicle delivered a 1,400-kg satellite to the 200-35,786 km
∅3,000 S E C O N D S TA G E (UDMH) as the fuel, and nitric acid (HNO3-27s) as the high, inclination 31.1° orbit. While the lower two stages are
3rd Stage oxidizer. The second stage, powered also by a liquid propul- fueled by UDMH/N2O4, the rocket's third stage burns
Oxygen Tank sion unit, is fueled by UDMH and N2O4. LM-1D's third H2/O2 components. The propulsion system features the
N2O4
stage is a solid rocket. YF-20 liquid engine on the first stage, the YF-22 on the sec-
Adapter LM-2C AND LM-2C/SD LAUNCH VEHICLES. The ond stage and the YF-73 on the third stage.
Section UDMH LM-2C launch vehicle is a two-stage, 35 m tall rocket with a LM-3A LAUNCH VEHICLE. The three-stage carrier is
YF-75 3rd YF-22 liftoff mass of 213 tons. The propellant components are able to deliver payloads to low-Earth, geostationary or
Stage Engine Cruise
30 m
UDMH and N2O4. The diameter of the first, second stage and Sun-synchronous orbits. The 52-meters tall, 3.35 m in
Engine
2nd Stage Adapter the nose cone is 3.35 m. The LM-2C first launched in 1975. diameter LM-3A was developed on the basis of the LM-3
Oxidizer Tank The LM-2C/SD developed out of the LM-2C differs from using many advanced technologies. Similar to LM-3, the
2nd Stage YF-23 Vernier the original space rocket by a new upper stage. The rocket first and the second stages of LM-3A are fueled by
Fuel Tank Engine successfully launched for the first time in 1997, features liq- UDMH/N2O4, while the third stage propulsion system
Adapter
uid first and second stages (UDMH/N2O4) and a solid pro- burns H2/O2. The rocket has a liftoff mass of 241 tons. The
Section pellant third stage. first stage incorporates the YF-20B liquid engine deliver-
F I R S T S TA G E LM-2E LAUNCH VEHICLE. A two-stage liquid rocket ing a thrust of 4 x 740 kN, the second stage's liquid YF-25
YF-23 2nd Stage
Vernier Engines with four dia. 2.25 m, 15 m tall liquid strap-on boosters. The offers 740 kN thrust, the third stage is powered by YF-75
YF-22 2nd Stage diameter of the first and the second stages is 3.35 m, the over- liquid propellant engine for 2 x 78.5 kN thrust.
N2O4
Cruise Engine 762 kN all liftoff mass is 460 tons, the height is 49.7 m. The LM-2E is LM-3B LAUNCH VEHICLE. The LM-3B is described
UDMH topped with diameter 3.8 m nose cone. See Table 19 for more as one of China's most powerful launch vehicles with four
20 m
details of the rocket. LM-2E strap-on liquid boosters (Fig. 100).
1st Stage
Oxidizer Tank Four YF-20B
Adapter
Engines
∅3,350 Adapter

Table 20
China's Liquid Propulsion Systems
Booster LM-2E BOOSTER
System Index YF-3 YF-20 YF-22 YF-73 YF-75
10 m Propellant NT + UDMH NT + UDMH NT + UDMH O 2 + H2 O2 + H2
Oxidizer N2O4
Year developed 1970 1975 1975 1984
Tank YF-20 LV (ICBM) LM-1D LM-2C LM-2C LM-3 LM-3B
1st Stage UDMH Liquid Stage 2nd 1st 2nd 3rd 3rd
Fuel Tank Engine Engines on stage 1 + 1 vernier 4 1 + 1 vernier 1 2
Fairing 697 kN Mission control method by steering by chamber by steering by chamber by chamber
Fuel Tank liquid engine swing liquid engine swing swing
Adapter System configuration 1 chamber + 1 chamber + 1 chamber + 4 chambers + 2 chambers +
Stage 1 turbopump 1 turbopump 1 turbopump 1 turbopump 1 turbopump
Thrust, kN 294 (ground) 4 x 697(ground) 762 (vacuum) 44 (vacuum) 2 x 78.5 (vacuum)
Specific thrust impulse,
YF-20B Cruise Engines
N.s/kg 2,620 2,680 2,740 4,169 4,286
4 x 740 kN ∅2,250 Chamber pressure, MPa 7.0 8.5 8.5 3.0
Tail Section Burn time, s 135 132 129 451

Fig. 100. LM-3B Launch Vehicle

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 FOREIGN LAUNCH VEHICLES LAUNCH VEHICLES OF INDIA

INERTIAL NAVIGATION AND GUIDANCE

The three-axis attitude stabilization of the vehicle is achieved by

autonomous control systems provided in each stage. Single
plane Engine Gimbal Control (EGC) of the four strapons of the
first stage are used for pitch, yaw and roll control. The core
Satellite motor of the first stage (S125) is provided with Secondary
∅3,400 Injection Thrust Vector Control (SITVC) to augment the pitch and
yaw control. The second stage has Engine Gimbal Control (EGC)
for pitch and yaw and hot gas Reaction Control System (RCS) for
roll. For the third stage, two swivellable auxiliary engines, LH2
H2 Fuel Tank
and LOX, provided pitch, yaw and roll control during thrusting
phase and cold gas system during coast phase.
∅2,800 The Inertial Guidance System (IGS) in the Equipment Bay (EB)
housed above the third stage guides the vehicle till spacecraft
injection. The closed loop guidance scheme resident in the
onboard computer ensures the required accuracy in the injec-
O2 tion conditions.
Oxidizer Tank

Stage 3
S TA G E 3 ( 1 2 K R B U P P E R S TA G E )

N2O4
Oxidizer Tank
ASLV AUGMENTED SATELLITE
Stage 2 LAUNCH VEHICLE

UDMH The launcher that followed was the ASLV or the

Fuel Tank Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle, a rocket by far more
powerful than SLV-3. After at least two failure launches in
1987 and 1988, the SROSS-C and SROSS-C2 were orbited
by ASLV, respectively, in 1992 and 1994 (Fig. 104). All of
Vikas Engine ASLV's four stages have solid rocket motors.
725 kN

PSLV POLAR SATELLITE LAUNCH

VEHICLE

The third series of India's launchers was made by the

PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle), each around 300
N2O4 tons in mass, over 40 meters in height. The launchers were
Oxidizer Tank able to bring satellites to Sun-synchronous orbits some
800-900 km above the Earth. After the PSLV's maiden
launch failed in 1993, the second attempt on October 15,
∅2,100 1994 was a success as the launcher delivered the 300-kg
UDMH IRS-P2 satellite to orbit. In the third launch in 1996, also
Fuel Tank successful, another satellite, IRS-P3 of similar mass (300
kg) was injected into the target orbit. The fourth launch of
PSLV with more powerful propulsion system took place on
September 29, 1997. Similar to earlier launch operations,
the launcher lifted off the Sriharikota space launch site
some 100 km away from Madras. The latter operation was
India's first fully independent launch of the IRS-1D satel-
lite, the fourth in the IRS family after the 1A, 1B and 1C
spacecraft orbited under contracts by Russia's launch vehi-
cles (Fig. 105). The successful launch saved India about
Vikas Engines $20 million.
4 x 662 kN PSLV's payload capacity is growing continuously. In its
4,286/4,800 kN present configuration dubbed PSLV-C3 the rocket has a
6°
liftoff mass of 294 tons, six strap-on boosters, solid first and Fig. 107. GSLV on Launch Pad
Fig. 106. GSLV Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle third stages and liquid second and fourth stages.

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