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Molniya (R-7 8K78)

Molniya-M carrier rocket
Function	Medium launch vehicle
Manufacturer	Energia
Country of origin	Soviet Union
Size
Height	43.44 m
Diameter	10.3 m
Mass	305,000 kg
Stages	4
Associated rockets
Family	R-7
Launch history
Status	Retired
Launch sites	Baikonur, Plesetsk
Total launches	40
Success(es)	20
Failure(s)	9
Partial failure(s)	11
[edit on Wikidata]

The Molniya (Russian: Молния, meaning "lightning"), GRAU Index 8K78, was a modification of the well-known R-7 Semyorka rocket and had four stages. The rocket was given the name Molniya due to the large number of Molniya communication satellites the rockets launched.

History

The 8K78 resulted from a crash program by the Korolev Bureau to develop a booster for launching planetary probes. A larger third stage was added along with a fourth stage (Blok L) that was designed to fire in-orbit to send the payload out of LEO (replacing the inaccurate direct ascent of the first generation Luna probes launched on the 8K72) and the core and strap-ons had the new uprated 8D74K first stage engines. The first couple of 8K78s flown used an 8K74 core however vehicles flown in 1962-63 used the older 8K71 core. The 8K74 core returned for vehicles flown in 1964 and later.

The initial 8K78s had a faulty Blok I design that was prone to vibration issues and pump cavitation. The Blok I was redesigned afterward and the improved version was first flown on 11 November 1963. The uprated 8K78M booster was introduced in 1965 but 8K78s continued to fly into 1967. The Molniya also carried early Venera probes to Venus.

Molniya (E6) was a minor revision adapted for Luna E-6 series space probes where the guidance system for the entire launch vehicle was moved to the probe itself.

Characteristics

• Length: 43.440 m
• Diameter: 10.300 m
• Launch mass: 305,000 kg
• Strap-On Boosters: Blok-B,V,G,D / 4 × RD-107
• Stage 1: Blok-A / RD-108K
• Stage 2: Blok-I / RD-0108
• Stage 3: Blok-L / S1.5400

Launches

Molniya rockets were launched 40 times:

See also

• R-7 (rocket family)
• Molniya-M
• Soyuz launch vehicle
• Voskhod rocket
• Venera 4V-2

References

1. Harvey, Brian (5 July 2007). Russian Planetary Exploration: History, Development, Legacy and Prospects. Springer. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-387-46343-8.
2. ^ "Molniya (8K78)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
3. Reichl, Eugen (2019). The Soviet Space Program - The Lunar Mission Years: 1959 to 1976. Schiffer Publishing Ltd. p. 32. ASIN 0764356755.
4. Encyclopedia Astronautica Molniya-1 Archived 16 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
5. Encyclopedia Astronautica Molniya 8K78M Archived 8 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine
6. Encyclopedia Astronautica Molniya-2 Archived 2 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine
7. Lardier, Christian; Barensky, Stefan (2013). The Soyuz Launch Vehicle: The Two Lives of an Engineering Triumph. New York: Springer. p. 156. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-5459-5. ISBN 978-1-4614-5458-8.

External links

• "Molniya-M Carrier Rocket". РКЦ Прогресс. Retrieved 7 October 2014.

v t e R-7 rockets
Missiles	R-7 Semyorka R-7A Semyorka
Launch systems	Sputnik Polyot Voskhod Vostok Luna Vostok-L Vostok-K Vostok-2 Vostok-2M Molniya Molniya Molniya-M Soyuz Soyuz/Vostok Soyuz Soyuz-L Soyuz-M Soyuz-U U2 Soyuz-FG Soyuz 2 Soyuz 2.1a / 2.1b ST-A / ST-B Soyuz 2.1v
Launch sites	Baikonur Site 1/5 Site 31/6 Plesetsk Site 41/1 Site 16/2 Site 43/3 Site 43/4 Vostochny Site 1S Guiana ELS
Launches	1957–1959 1960–1964 1965–1969 1970–1974 1975–1979 1980–1984 1985–1989 1990–1994 1995–1999 2000–2004 2005–2009 2010–2014 2015–2019 2020–2024
Engines	RD-107/108 RD-0110 RD-0124
See also	Korolyov Cross Soyuz at the Guiana Space Centre

• 1960 in spaceflight
• 1961 in spaceflight
• 1962 in spaceflight
• 1963 in spaceflight
• Space launch vehicles of the Soviet Union
• R-7 (rocket family)