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Air University Aerospace Commentary SECRET jNo~_ . · ~· -- ·· -·--- ~:~ .. DECLASSIFIED UNDER AUTHORITY OF THE ' INTERAGENCY SECURITY CLASSfFICATION APPEALS PANEL, E.O. 13526, SECTION 5.3(b)(3) ISCAP APPEAL NO. 2009-068, document no. 17 DECLASSIFICATION DATE: November 13,2014 AIR UNIVERSITY ' ,i j l I j COPY N0.3!? O f r··--····· .. -·_.. ~ ........_. --·- .... ........·.. ~;- .,.,.._ ......h ....... ~ I • : • -:-_~ ' ; ....i ...··') SECRET .0. (;; ot~ ~' ~ ;' ~· ... ·< · {This Page is Unclas sifi ed) I ·· !"·":. .. ~ c: ; ;.,. !·i, '· .;.,. ~ - ; · ;~ •.. ;:,· .. ·. ·. ; ~: ;:. ~ ' l ~ i i ) t: r.~: c l"'.l88 ' ______ _.....!'.. _.....-.....:..,. .....:.. A E R 0 s p A afJ 0 M M E N L R ..Y -.- I .i ' I • , {' Volume I Number 2 Sp:ring 1969 publi9hed by Ae:rospace Studies Inst1tute AIR UNIVERSITY Maxwell Air Force Base, Al abama l 9 6 9 SPECIAL HAJ-.IDL!r·~G REQUIRE.[) NOT R£LEASAClLE 70 FOi-:EJGN NATIONALS The inform:Jtion co,·.toined In this document will net be disdosed to foreign nationals or thw IElfl/ll" santarives. GROU P I ·· .-i \ ..... ,' ? •• ,.... I. .) -~ I SECRET ·' (This Page is Unclassified) :~ \ . ... ~ ~ ., ' . ~ I· • ~· ... I ·.c f SECRET . (This Page is Unclassified) CQNTENTS FOREWORD .. ...·.•........•...••.. • •. •..• • ••• .• o. .. .. iii USSR UNMANNED SPACE.PROGRAM (U) (SECRET /NOF ORN) (GP 1) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1 Maj or Edwin s. Warreil, J r., USAF THOUGHTS ON AEROSPACE DEFENSE, ~ 970•1985 (U) (SEGR:E'f') (GF l} ................•. • • • • • ZS Colonel Richard L. ·Hellwege, USAF A PROGRAM FOR AEROSPACE DEFENSE, 1970-1980 (U) (SECRE'I') (GP 1) ...................... ; . 32: Major General Michael J. Ingelido, USAF 47 .5:9 . Portion identified as non-responsive to the appeal 79 86 (This Page is Unclassified) SECREf v SECRET USSR UNMANNED SPACE PROGRAM Edwin S. W arrell, Jr. Major, USAF This article is adapt ed from a lecture presented by the author at the Air University Institute for P r ofessional Development's Space Systems Course, INTRODUCTION · On 4 October 1957, the Soviet Union opened the space age with the launching of Sputnik 1. Sputnik l was a small satellite: less than 23 inches in diamet er, weighing less tha n 200 pounds, and it stayed in o1·bit only 92 days. Nevertheless, Sputnik 1 was an artificiai earth satellite; it was the first one launched, and it was launched by the Soviet Union, From this rather modest beginning , Russia has devel­ oped a large and comprehensive space pr ogr am. It is a space program that presents a potential threat to the security of the United States .a nd the rest of the free wor ld. LAUNCH VEHICLES Although the first Russian satellite was small, the la\lnch vehiCle used to place it in orbit was large i n size. as well as capability- pa·r­ ticularly for 1957. The specific configur ati on of the Sputnik 1 launch vehicle has never been released. However, it was appar ently b a sed on the first Soviet operational ICBM, the SS- 6, with two strap -on booster s. Wi th this configuration, known as the SL-1 launch vehide·, the Russians demonstrated a capabili ty to place more than 1000 pound·s 1 SECRET SECREf Z AEROSPACE COMMENTARY into orbit. They added two more strap-on boosters in 1958 and came up with what is called the SL-2 launch vehicle system, This system was capable of placing a 3000- pound payload into earth o:rbit. The SL-Z was used only once by the Russians, but it became the heart of an entire family of launch vehicles that are still active today and have been the mainstay of their space program. (Figure 1) This family of vehicles began to appear in 1960 when the Russians launched Sputnik 4, using the SL ~ 2 ph~s an upper stage called Lunik. This modification, known as the SL- 3, has been used more than any other launch vehicle in their program. Also during 1960, the Russians altered the SL- 3 configuration by replacing the Lunik stage \vith a higher- thrust upper stage called Venik; plus a fourth stage to provide t hem an interplanet ary capability. This system, the SL-6, has since been used in the lunar and int erplanetary programs as well as fo r some unique earth orbit applications. During 1963 , the Russians requi red a launch vehicle for a 12,000­ 14, 000- pound payload, so they modified the SL- 6 by removing the f.ourth stage and came up with what is ·called the SL- 4. The SL- 4 is now the workhorse launch vehicle of their manned and military programs. · The Russians made two more modifications t o their standard launch vehicle family in 1963 and 1965, but these launch vehicle systems, known as the SL- 5 and SL-10, have been used only sparingly. The SL- 5 uses the Lunik stage plus a fourth s t age payload combina­ tion. The fourth stage payload combination provides the final propul­ sion ca,pability for or bital injection as well as a capabilit y for orbital maneuvers. Similarly, the SL- 10 has an. in-space p r opulsion capa­ bility. Thi!? system employs the basic SS- 6 space booster I sustainer with ~ third stage payl0ad combination called Polyot. The Polyot stage enabled the Soviet Union to claim the world's first maneuv.erable satellite. The development of the ss ~ 6 ..space boost er/sustainer combina­ tion gave the Soviet Union an early lead in launch vehicle capability and enabled them to support a wide variety of space mis sicms, However, i I even in its earliest configuration, this system was not adaptable for the i I . economical launch of small scientific satellites. They solved this ! ~ilemm.a with the development of the SL- 7 in 1961. SECRET SECRET USSR SPACE PROGRAM 3 Relying again on a proven ballistic missile as a iower stage, the Russians modified a medium range ballistic missile {MRBM) by adding a relatively small second stage. This modification became the SL.-7 lal.Ulch vehicle with an economical payload capability of 800 pounds in low earth orbit. A larger two-stage tandem launch vehicle is the SL-8. This system, which appeared in 19'64, again uses a modified ballistic missile for the first stage. · For the SL-8 the Russians took an SS-5 lRBM and coupled it with a specially designed upper stage. This com­ bination is capable of placing 3000 pounds in a near earth orbit and has been used primarily as a launch vehicle for multiple payloads. In 1965, the USSR demonstrated what can be called their first "quantum jump 11 in launch vehicle development. Ori. 16 July 1965, they launched Proton 1, which weighed 27, 000 pounds. The Proton launch vehicle has never beeri. displayed by the Russians, but it appar­ ently is a two-stage tandem vehicle With both stage.s between 40 and 50 feet long. The lower stage has a greater diameter than the upper stage; 25-30 feet diameter as compared to a 14-15 foot diameter upper stage. Most estimates place the total earth orbit payload capability of this system, now called the SL-9, at 30, 000 pounds. The SL-9 has been used only in launches of Proton vehicles and may not be designed specifically as a new operational launch vehicle. Ra:ther, itis likely that the SL-9 is a building block in the development of an entirely new family of launch vehicles. Following the SL-9, this development cycle produced the SL-12.. The SL-12 provides the Russians with their greatest operafional launch vehicle capability. This system was first used in March 1967 with the launch of Cosmos 146. Estimates on the weight of Cosmos 146 have varied from 40, 000 to 60, 000 pounds, but its generally accepted capability is approximately 50, 000 pounds in near earth orbit; The SL-12 appears to be the SL-9 with two additional upper stages, bringing the total height of the vehicle to between 137 and 167 feet. This vehicle has been used lZ times by the Russians with eight successes, and it is the vehicle tqat enabl.ed them to complete the first circumlunar flights. It appears capable of launching a 15,000­ pound manned vehicle on a circumlunar flight, but it is not capable of handling a manned lunar landing and return mission. Although the SL-12 has a definite operational role in the Soviet space program.; it SECRH SECRET Fig. 1 SOVIET SPACE LAUNCH VEHICLE FAMILY Source: DIA ST- CS- l6- 13-68JNT Space Launch Systems ('I'r·ends)- USSR Lunik Third Stage Venik ThirdStage 4 SS - 6 Boosters and Sustainer Modified SS­ 4 MRBM 88 1 SL- 1/SL· Z . SL-3 SL...6 SL~7 * 2500- 5000 12, 000 15 , 000 7000 16,000 80Q Early Manned R&D Lunar Scientific Early *'* Sputnicks Manned Cosmos Plc,neta1·y Lunar ComSat Cosmos ·* Approx. Payload Wt. 100 NM Orbi1. ** Typical Missions 4 .SECREt SECREr Modified SS- 5 IRBM . SS- 9 ICBM · 'i'00 1 I \ I . \ . 0 SL- 8 SL- 9 SL- 10 SL- 11 SL- 12 3000 30,000 5.000+ 7000 50;000 Multiple Proton Polyot Military Circuml"unar Payloads Future 5 SECRET SECRET 6 AEROSPACE COMMENTARY is probably another step in the evolution of the family of large launch vehicles- one of which will no doubt provide a manned lunar-landing capability. · There is one other operational launch vehicle in the Soviet in­ ventory. It has been designated the SL-11 and plays an important role in military space operations. Once again it is a modification of a ballistic missile- the two-stage SS-9 ICBM. By adding a 23-fobt third stage the SL-11 gains the capability to place a 7000-pound satel­ lite in near earth orbit.
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