Sputnik (rocket)

	Sputnik rocket
Function	Early (first) carrier rocket
Manufacturer	OKB-1
Country of origin	USSR
Size
Height	8K71PS: 30.0 m (98.4 ft); 8A91: 31.1 m (102 ft)
Diameter	2.99 m (9.8 ft)
Mass	8K71PS: 267,000 kg (589,000 lb); 8A91: 269,300 kg (593,700 lb)
Stages	2
Capacity
Payload to LEO (8K71PS)
Mass	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 (No Longer In Use)
Launch sites	LC-1/5, Baikonur
Total launches	4 (2 8K71PS, 2 8A91)
Success(es)	3
Failure(s)	1 (8A91)
First flight	8K71PS: 4 October 1957; 8A91: 27 April 1958
Last flight	8K71PS: 3 November 1957; 8A91: 15 May 1958
Type of passengers/cargo	Sputnik 1; Sputnik 2; Sputnik 3
Boosters (Block B, V, G, D)
No. boosters	4
Powered by	1 RD-107
Maximum thrust	970 kN (220,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	306 s
Burn time	120 s
Propellant	LOX/Kerosene
First stage (Block A)
Powered by	1 RD-108
Maximum thrust	912 kN (205,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	308 s
Burn time	330 s
Propellant	LOX/Kerosene
	[edit on Wikidata]

The Sputnik rocket was an uncrewed orbital carrier rocket designed by Sergei Korolev in the Soviet Union, 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 Sputnik 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

First Stage: Block B, V, G, D (four strap-on boosters)
- 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: 2.68 metres (8.8 ft)
- Span: 2.68 metres (8.8 ft)
- Length: 19.2 metres (63 ft) (without nozzles)
- Propellants: LOX/Kerosene
- Engines: 1 x RD-107-8D74PS per booster = 4
Second Stage: Block A (core stage)
- 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: 2.95 metres (9.7 ft)
- Span: 2.95 metres (9.7 ft)
- Length: 28 metres (92 ft)
- Propellants: LOX/Kerosene
- Engine: 1 x RD-108-8D75PS
Total mass: 267 tons (589,000 lb)
Total span: 10.303 metres (33.80 ft)
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: 2.68 metres (8.8 ft)
- Span: 2.68 metres (8.8 ft)
- Length: 19.2 metres (63 ft) (without nozzles)
- Propellants: LOX/Kerosene
- Engines: 1 x RD-107-8D76 per booster (4 total)
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: 2.95 metres (9.7 ft)
- Length:28 metres (92 ft)
- Propellants: LOX/Kerosene
- Engine: 1 x RD-108-8D77
Total mass: 269.3 tons (593,700 lb)^[6]
Total span: 10.303 metres (33.80 ft)
LEO payload: 1,327 kg (2,925 lb)
Total liftoff thrust: 385,950 kgf (3.784 MN, 850,870 lbf)

References

^ (in Russian) Sputnik Rocket Archived 2005-01-03 at the Wayback Machine
^ "РД-107 и РД-108 | RD-107 and RD-108". lpre.de. Retrieved 2015-12-24.
^ "Jonathan McDowell's launch log". planet4589.org. Retrieved 2015-12-24.
^ (in Russian) Soviet Solar Cells on Orbit
^ "Sputnik 3". astronautix.com. Archived from the original on 2013-11-08. Retrieved 2015-12-24.
^ "Sputnik 8A91". astronautix.com. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
^ "SL-1 R/B". n2yo.com.

[1] (in Russian) Sputnik Rocket Archived 2005-01-03 at the Wayback Machine

[lpre-2] "РД-107 и РД-108 | RD-107 and RD-108". lpre.de. Retrieved 2015-12-24.

[planet4589-3] "Jonathan McDowell's launch log". planet4589.org. Retrieved 2015-12-24.

[4] (in Russian) Soviet Solar Cells on Orbit

[astronautix-5] "Sputnik 3". astronautix.com. Archived from the original on 2013-11-08. Retrieved 2015-12-24.

[6] "Sputnik 8A91". astronautix.com. Retrieved 13 May 2023.

[7] "SL-1 R/B". n2yo.com.

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[2]

[3]

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[5]

[6]

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v t e Orbital launch systems
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In development	Antares 330 Bloostar Cyclone-4M Deca Epsilon S Eris Gravity-2 Hyperbola-2 Irtysh Kuaizhou 21 31 Long March 9 10 12 Miura 5 MLV Neutron New Glenn New Line 1 NGLV Nova OS-M 2 4 Orbex Prime Pallas-1 Red Dwarf SLS Block 1B Block 2 Soyuz-7 Terran R Tianlong-3 VLM Vega E Zero Zhuque 3 Zuljanah
Retired	Antares 110 120 130^† 230 230+ Ariane 1 2 3 4 5 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 II III IV IV Heavy Diamant Dnepr Energia Epsilon Europa I^† II^† Falcon 1 Falcon 9 v1.0 v1.1 v1.2 "Full Thrust" Feng Bao 1 GSLV Mk I H-I H-II H-IIB Juno I Juno II Kaituozhe-1 Kosmos original 1 2/2I 3 3M Lambda 4S LauncherOne Long March 1 1D^† 2A 2E 3 3B 4A Mu 4S 3C 3H 3S 3SII V N1^† N-I N-II Naro-1 Paektusan^† Pilot-2^† R-7 Luna Molniya M L Polyot Soyuz original FG L M U U2 Soyuz/Vostok Sputnik Voskhod Vostok L K 2 2M R-29 Shtil' Volna^† Rocket 3 Safir 1 1A 1B Saturn I IB V Scout X-1 Blue Scout II^† X-2^† X-2M X-3 X-3M X-4 X-2B^† B A B-1 D-1 A-1 E-1 F-1 G-1 Shavit original 1 SLV Space Shuttle SPARK^† Sparta SS-520 Start-1 Terran 1^† Thor Able Ablestar 1 2 Agena A B D Burner 1 2 Delta DSV-2U Thorad-Agena SLV-2G SLV-2H Titan II GLV IIIA IIIB IIIC IIID IIIE 34D 23G CT-3 IV Tsyklon R-36-O original 2 3 Universal Rocket UR-500 Proton Proton-K Rokot Strela Vanguard Vega original VLS-1^† Zenit 2 2M 2FG 3SL 3SLB 3F Zhuque 1^†
Classes	Sounding rocket Small-lift launch vehicle Medium-lift launch vehicle Heavy-lift launch vehicle Super heavy-lift launch vehicle
This Template lists historical, current, and future space rockets that at least once attempted (but not necessarily succeeded in) an orbital launch or that are planned to attempt such a launch in the future Symbol ^† indicates past or current rockets that attempted orbital launches but never succeeded (never did or has yet to perform a successful orbital launch)

v t e Soviet and Russian launch vehicles
Active	Angara 1.2 A5 Soyuz-2 2.1a 2.1b 2-1v UR Proton-M
In development	Amur Irtysh Yenisei
Retired	Dnepr Energia Kosmos 1 2I 3 3M N1 R-7 Luna Molniya M L Polyot Soyuz original L M U U2 FG Soyuz/Vostok Sputnik Voskhod Vostok L K 2 2M R-29 Shtil' Volna Start-1 Tsyklon original 2 3 UR UR-500 Proton-K Rokot Strela Zenit 2 2M 3SL 3SLB 3F
Cancelled (no launch attempts)	Tsyklon-4 Proton Light Medium

Sputnik (rocket)

Specifications

Sputnik 8A91

Sputnik specifications

See also

References