Soyuz (rocket)

This article is about the original Soyuz. For later derivatives, see Soyuz (rocket family).

Soyuz 11A511

A Soyuz rocket being rolled out to the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Function	Carrier rocket
Manufacturer	OKB-1
Country of origin	Soviet Union
Size
Height	45.6 metres (150 ft)
Diameter	10.3 metres (34 ft)
Mass	308,000 kilograms (680,000 lb)
Stages	2
Capacity
Payload to LEO	6,450 kilograms (14,200 lb)
Associated rockets
Family	R-7
Derivatives	Soyuz-U Soyuz-U2 Soyuz-FG Soyuz-2
Launch history
Status	Retired
Launch sites	Baikonur Sites 1/5 & 31/6
Total launches	30
Successes	28
Failures	2
First flight	28 November 1966
Last flight	24 May 1975
Notable payloads	Soyuz
Boosters (Stage 0) - Block A/B/V/G
No boosters	4
Engines	1 RD-107
Thrust	994.3 kilonewtons (223,500 lbf)
Specific impulse	315 sec
Burn time	118 seconds
Fuel	RP-1/LOX
First Stage - 11S59
Engines	1 RD-108
Thrust	977.7 kilonewtons (219,800 lbf)
Specific impulse	315 sec
Burn time	292 seconds
Fuel	RP-1/LOX
Second Stage - 11S510
Engines	1 RD-0110
Thrust	294 kilonewtons (66,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	330 sec
Burn time	246 seconds
Fuel	RP-1/LOX

The Soyuz (Russian: Союз, meaning "union", GRAU index 11A511) was a Soviet expendable carrier rocket designed by OKB-1 and manufactured by State Aviation Plant No. 1 in Samara, Russia. It was used to launch Soyuz spacecraft as part of the Soyuz programme, initially on unmanned test flights, followed by the first 19 manned launches of the programme.

The 11A511 first flew in 1966, and was derived from the Voskhod 11A57 rocket, but introduced a new, uprated core stage and strap-ons, which became standard for all R-7 derived launch vehicles to replace the numerous older variants in use on the 8A92, 11A57, and 8K78M. it was a member of the R-7 family of rockets. It was a two-stage rocket, with four liquid-fuelled strap-on boosters clustered around the first stage, with a Block I second stage.

The aborted Soyuz 18-1 launch in 1975 was the final manned flight of the 11A511 and as it occurred shortly before the ASTP mission, the United States requested that the Soviets provide details about this failure. They stated that Soyuz 19 would be using a newer model of booster (ie. the 11A511U) and Soyuz 18-1's malfunction had no bearing on it.

Soyuz rockets are assembled horizontally in the MIK Building at the launch site. The rocket is then rolled out, and erected on the launch pad.