Vostok 8K72K rocket on display in Moscow at theExhibition of Achievements of National Economy | |
| Function | Carrier rocket |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | RKK Energia |
| Country of origin | Soviet Union |
| Size | |
| Mass | 280,000–290,000 kg (620,000–640,000 lb) |
| Stages | 3 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload toLEO | |
| Mass | 4,725 kilograms (10,417 lb) |
| Associated rockets | |
| Family | R-7 |
| Comparable | Atlas Titan |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Retired |
| Launch sites | Baikonur:LC-1/5,31/6 Plesetsk:LC-41/1,43/3, 43/4 |
| Total launches | Vostok-L: 4 Vostok-K: 13 Vostok-2: 45 Vostok-2M: 94 Soyuz/Vostok: 2 |
| Success(es) | Vostok-L: 3 Vostok-K: 11 Vostok-2: 40 Vostok-2M: 92 Soyuz/Vostok: 2 |
| Failure(s) | Vostok-L: 1 Vostok-K: 2 Vostok-2: 5 Vostok-2M: 2 |
| First flight | 15 May 1960 (Vostok-L) |
| Last flight | 29 August 1991 (Vostok-2M) |
| Carries passengers or cargo | Vostok Zenit Meteor |
| First stage (Block B, V, G, D) | |
| Powered by | 1RD-107-8D74-1959 |
| Maximum thrust | 970.86 kN |
| Burn time | 118 seconds |
| Propellant | Kerosene/LOX |
| Second stage (Block A) | |
| Powered by | 1RD-108-8D75-1959 |
| Maximum thrust | 912 kN |
| Burn time | 301 seconds |
| Propellant | RP-1/LOX |
| Third stage (Block E) | |
| Powered by | 1RD-0109 |
| Maximum thrust | 54.5 kN |
| Burn time | 365 seconds |
| Propellant | Kerosene/LOX |
Vostok (Russian: Восток, translated as "East") was a family of rockets derived from theSovietR-7 SemyorkaICBM and was designed for thehuman spaceflightprogramme. This family of rockets launched the first artificial satellite (Sputnik 1) and the first crewed spacecraft (Vostok) in human history. It was a subset of theR-7 family of rockets.
On March 18, 1980, a Vostok-2M rocketexploded on its launch pad atPlesetsk during a fueling operation, killing 48 people. An investigation into a similar – but avoided – accident revealed that the substitution of lead-based for tin-based solder inhydrogen peroxide filters allowed the breakdown of the H2O2, thus causing the resultant explosion.
The major versions of the rocket were: