Proton-K rocket
The original 2-stage Proton rocket first launched in 1965 and has become one of the most successful and reliable Russian rockets in the commercial space industry. The three-stage version of the rocket launched the Salyut, Mir core module, and the Zarya and Zvezda ISS modules into orbit. The normally-reliable launcher suffered two successive launch failures in 1999, which further delayed the launch of Zvezda until the cause of these was rectified. The Proton successfully returned to flight on 12 February 2000, clearing the way for the launch of the Russian Service Module.
The Proton K has 11 sub-variants; see the Encyclopedia Astronautica Orbital Launch Vehicle Index (under P) for links to these.
Technical data
| Model | Proton |
| Code | 8K82 |
| Class | heavy |
| Type | one-start |
| Developer | Salyut Design Bureau |
| Made by | Khrunichev State Research & Production Space Center |
| Fuel (all stages) | Nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4) |
| Oxidizer (all stages) | Unsymmetrical Dimethyl Hydrazine |
| Number of stages | 3 |
| Stage 1 length & diameter (mm) | 21 000; 7300 |
| Stage 2 length & diameter (mm) | 17 000; 4000 |
| Stage 3 length & diameter (mm) | 4000; 4110 × 3960 |
| Stage 1 engines | 6 × RD-253 (Khrunichev) |
| Thrust | 150 142 kg each |
| Stage 2 engines | 4 × RD-0212 (Khrunichev) |
| Thrust | 59 422 kg each |
| Stage 3 engine | RD-0213 (Khrunichev) (modified RD-0212) plus a set of RD-0214 vernier motors |
| Thrust | 62 143 kg |
| Total height (with payload in place) | 55 000 mm |
| Weight (fully fuelled) | 700 000 kg |
| Payload lift capacity | 20 000 kg |
Proton launch profile for Zvezda module:
| Time (min: s) | Event | Altitude | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| T −0 | Lift-off | – | – |
| T +2:06 | First-stage jettison | 43 km | 5920 km/h |
| T +3:03 | Zvezda fairing jettison | 77 km | 7520 km/h |
| T +5:30 | Second-stage jettison | 138 km | 15 840 km/h |
| T +9:47 | Third-stage jettison | 184 km | 27 040 km/h |
The orbit at third-stage jettison was 184 by 352 km. Orbit at ISS rendezvous was 384 km.
Diagrams
- ESA: Proton-K diagram (105 KB)
- TsENKI: Proton-K diagram (35 KB)
Links
- Encyclopedia Astronautica: Proton (the Proton 8K82K launched Zarya and Zvezda)
- International Launch Services: Proton section. There is a Proton Launch System Mission Planner’s Guide to download
- NASA: Zarya and Zvezda galleries show some Proton launch images
- Russian Space Web: Proton family
Photo gallery
Liftoff of the Proton rocket carrying the Zarya module to the ISS on 20 November 1998.