Sputnik (rocket)

For the Sputnik 11A59 rocket, see Polyot (rocket).

**Sputnik (8K71PS/8A91)**
Size
Sputnik Rocket
Function	Small carrier rocket
Manufacturer	OKB-1
Country of origin	USSR
Height	8K71PS: 30.0 m (98.4 ft) 8A91: 31.1 m (102 ft)
Diameter	2.99 m (9.8 ft)
Mass	267,000 kg (589,000 lb) 8A91: 269,300 kg (593,700 lb)
Stages	1
Capacity
Payload to LEO (8K71PS)	8K71PS: 500 kg (1,100 lb) 8A91: 1,327 kg (2,926 lb)
Associated rockets
Family	R-7
Comparable	Vanguard Juno I
Launch history
Status	Retired
Launch sites	LC-1/5, Baikonur
Total launches	4 (2 8K71PS, 2 8A91)
Successes	3
Failures	1 (8A91)
First flight	8K71PS: 4 October 1957 8A91: 27 April 1958
Last flight	8K71PS: 3 November 1957 8A91: 15 May 1958
Notable payloads	Sputnik 1 Sputnik 2 Sputnik 3
Boosters
N^o boosters	4
Engines	1 RD-107
Thrust	970 kN (220,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	306 sec
Burn time	120 seconds
Fuel	LOX/RP-1
First Stage
Engines	1 RD-108
Thrust	912 kN (205,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	308 sec
Burn time	330 seconds
Fuel	LOX/RP-1

The Sputnik rocket was an unmanned orbital carrier rocket designed by Sergey Korolyov, derived from the R-7 Semyorka ICBM. On 4 October 1957, it was used to perform the world's first satellite launch, placing Sputnik 1 into a low Earth orbit.

Two versions of the Sputnik were built, the Sputnik-PS (GRAU index 8K71PS), which was used to launch Sputnik 1 and later Sputnik 2, and the Sputnik (8A91), which failed to launch a satellite in April 1958, and subsequently launched 3 on 15 May 1958.^[1]

A later member of the R-7 family, the Polyot, used the same configuration as the Sputnik rocket, but was constructed from Voskhod components. Because of the similarity, the Polyot was sometimes known as the Sputnik 11A59.

Specifications

Stage number: 0 - Strap-on boosters; 4 x 8K71PS-0
- Gross mass: 43.0 tons
- Empty mass: 3.400 tons
- Thrust (vac): 4 × 99,000 kgf = 396 Mgf (3.89 MN)
- Isp: 306 s (3,000 N·s/kg)
- Burn time: 120 s (2 min)
- Isp(sl): 250 s (2,450 N·s/kg)
- Diameter: 2.7 metres (8.9 ft)
- Span: 2.7 metres (8.9 ft)
- Length: 19 metres (62 ft)
- Propellants: LOX/RP-1
- Engines: 1 x RD-107-8D74PS per booster = 4

Stage number: 1 - Core stage; 1 x 8K71PS-1
- Gross mass: 94.0 tons
- Empty mass: 7.495 tons
- Thrust (vac): 99,000 kgf (970 kN)
- Isp: 308 s (3,020 N·s/kg)
- Burn time: 310 s (5 min 10 s)
- Isp(sl): 241 s (2,360 N·s/kg)
- Diameter: 3 metres (9.8 ft)
- Span: 3 metres (9.8 ft)
- Length: 28 metres (92 ft)
- Propellants: Lox/RP-1
- Engine: 1 x RD-108-8D75PS

Total mass: 267 tons (534,000 lb)
LEO payload: 500 kg
Total liftoff thrust: 3.89 MN

Sputnik 8A91

The Sputnik 8A91 had more powerful 8D76 and 8D77 engines installed,^[2] increasing its payload capacity, and allowing it to launch much heavier satellites than Sputnik 1 and Sputnik 2. It was launched two times, in 1958.^[3] The first launch, on 27 April, failed due to vibrations that unexpectedly occurred during the flight along the longitudinal axis of the rocket. On 15 May, it successfully launched Sputnik 3.^[4]^[5]

Sputnik specifications

Stage number: 0 - Strap-on boosters; 4 x Sputnik 8A91-0
- Gross mass: 43.0 tons
- Empty mass: 3.400 tons
- Thrust (vac): 4 × 99,000 kgf = 396 Mgf (3.89 MN)
- Isp: 310 s (3,040 N·s/kg)
- Burn time: 130 s (2 min 10 s)
- Isp(sl): 252 s (2,470 N·s/kg)
- Diameter: 2.7 metres (8.9 ft)
- Span: 2.7 metres (8.9 ft)
- Length: 19 metres (62 ft)
- Propellants: Lox/RP-1
- Engines: 1 x RD-107-8D76 per booster = 4

Stage number: 1 - Core stage; 1 x Sputnik 8A91-1
- Gross mass: 95.0 tons
- Empty mass: 7.100 tons
- Thrust (vac): 82,000 kgf (804 kN)
- Isp: 315 s (3,090 N·s/kg)
- Burn time: 360 s (6 min)
- Isp(sl): 246 s (2,410 N·s/kg)
- Diameter: 2.99 metres (9.8 ft)
- Length:28 metres (92 ft)
- Propellants: LOX/RP-1
- Engine: 1 x RD-108-8D77

Total mass: 269.3 tons
LEO payload: 1,327 kg (2,925 lb)
Total liftoff thrust: 385,950 kgf (3.784 MN, 850,870 lbf)

References

Orbital launch systems

Current	Angara Antares Ariane 5 Atlas V Delta II IV Dnepr-1 Epsilon Falcon 9 v1.1 GSLV H-IIA H-IIB Kuaizhou Long March 2C 2D 2F 3A 3B 3C 4B 4C Minotaur I IV V C Pegasus Proton-M PSLV Rokot Safir Shavit Strela Soyuz U FG 2 2-1v Unha Vega VLS-1 Zenit 2M 3SL 3SLB 3F

Planned	Ariane 6 Athena Ic IIc III Ausroc IV Falcon Heavy Falcon 9-R GSLV Mk III H-III Haas Long March 5 6 7 8 9 11 LauncherOne Naro-2 RPS (420, 550) Simorgh SLS Southern Cross SPARK Tsyklon-4 VLM Vulcan

Retired	Ariane 1 2 3 4 ASLV Athena I II Atlas B D E/F G H I II III LV-3B SLV-3 Able Agena Centaur Black Arrow Conestoga Delta A B C D E G J L M N 0100 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 III Diamant Energia Europa Falcon 1 Falcon 9 v1.0 Feng Bao 1 H-I H-II Juno I Juno II Kaituozhe-1 Kosmos 1 2I 3 3M Lambda 4S Long March 1 2A 2E 3 4A Mu 4S 3C 3H 3S 3SII V N1 N-I N-II Naro-1 Paektusan Pilot Proton UR-500 K R-7 Luna Molniya M L Polyot Soyuz L M U2 Soyuz/Vostok Sputnik Voskhod Vostok L K 2 2M Saturn I IB V INT-21 Scout Shtil' SLV Space Shuttle Sparta Start-1 Thor Able Ablestar Agena Burner Delta DSV-2U Thorad-Agena Titan II GLV IIIA IIIB IIIC IIID IIIE 34D 23G CT-3 IV Tsyklon 2 3 Vanguard Volna Zenit-2

Soviet, Russian, and Ukrainian expendable launch vehicles

Active	Dnepr R-7 Soyuz U FG 2 2-1v UR Proton-M Rokot Strela Zenit 2 2M Zenit-3SL Zenit-3SLB

In development	Angara 1.1 1.2 A3 A5 A7 Tsyklon-4

Former	Energia Kosmos 1 2I 3 3M R-29 Shtil' Volna N1 Proton UR-500 Proton-K R-7 Luna Molniya M L Polyot Soyuz L M U2 Soyuz/Vostok Sputnik Voskhod Vostok L K 2 2M Rus-M Start-1 Tsyklon 2 3 3 Zenit-2

R-7 rockets

Main articles

Rockets

Missiles

Launch Systems

Sputnik Polyot Voskhod Soyuz/Vostok

Vostok	Luna Vostok-L Vostok-K Vostok-2 Vostok-2M

Molniya	Molniya Molniya-M Molniya-L

Soyuz	Soyuz Soyuz-L Soyuz-M Soyuz-U Soyuz-U2 Soyuz-FG Soyuz-2 2-1v

Launch sites

Baikonur	Site 1/5 Site 31/6

Plesetsk	Site 41/1 Site 16/2 Site 43/3 Site 43/4

Kourou	ELS

Launches