Soyuz 2 rocket

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(Redirected from Soyuz 2.1b)

Fact sheet
Soyuz 2 (Soyuz 2.1a/2.1b/STK)
A Metop spacecraft ready for the launch atop a Soyuz-2.1a rocket.
Function	Orbital carrier rocket
Manufacturer	TsSKB-Progress
Country of origin	Russia
Size
Height	46.1 m (151.2 ft)
Diameter	2.95 m (9.67 ft)
Mass	305,000 kg (672,000 lb)
Stages	2 or 3
Capacity
Payload to LEO	7,800 kg (17,100 lb)
Payload to 800km SSO (With Fregat)	4,500 kg (9,900 lb)
Launch History
Status	Active
Launch sites	LC-1 & LC-31, Baikonur LC-43 Plesetsk ELS, Centre Spatial Guyanais* * = Under construction
Total launches	3 (2.1a: 2, 2.1b: 1)
Successes	3
Maiden flight	2.1a: 8 November 2004 2.1b: 27 December 2006
Boosters (Stage 0)
N^o boosters	4
Engines	1 RD-117
Thrust	1,021.097 kN
Specific impulse	310 sec
Burn time	120 seconds
Fuel	LOX/RP-1
First Stage
Engines	1 RD-118
Thrust	999.601 kN (224,719 LB_f)
Specific impulse	311 sec
Burn time	286 seconds
Fuel	LOX/RP-1
Second Stage
Engines	1 RD-0124
Thrust	294 kN (66,093 LB_f)
Specific impulse	359 sec
Burn time	300 seconds
Fuel	LOX/RP-1
Third Stage (Optional) - Fregat
Engines	1 S5.92
Thrust	19.6 kN (4,406 LB_f)
Specific impulse	327 sec
Burn time	877 seconds
Fuel	N2O4/UDMH

Soyuz 2 is the collective designation for the new generation versions of the Russian Soyuz rocket. In its basic form, it is a carrier rocket for placing payloads into low Earth orbit, however it is often flown with an upper stage, which allows it to lift payloads into higher orbits, such as Molniya and Geosynchronous orbits.

The boosters and two core stages feature uprated engines with improved injection systems, compared to the Soyuz-U. The NPO Lavochkin manufactured Fregat is the most commonly used upper stage.

Soyuz 2 rockets are currently launched from LC-1 and LC-31 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and LC-43 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, launch facilities shared with earlier R-7 derived rockets, including the Soyuz-U and Molniya. A new launch site is currently being built at the Guiana Space Centre on the northern coast of South America.

Commercial Soyuz 2 flights are contracted by Starsem, and are currently launched from LC-31 at Baikonur. These will move to Kourou when the launch site is completed in 2008.

The Soyuz 2.1 is a advanced version with upgraded digital flight control and telemetry systems. These improvements allow it to be launched from a fixed launch platform, and adjust its heading in flight, whereas the launch platforms for earlier R-7 derived rockets had to be rotated as the rocket could not perform a roll to change its heading in flight. The Soyuz 2 has a higher performance rating, and higher payload capacity than the previous versions of the Soyuz. It is expected to eventually replace the Soyuz-U and Molniya-M rockets which are currently in service alongside it.

Date and Time (GMT)	Configu- ration	Launch Site	Result	Payload	Remarks
8 November 2004 18:30	Soyuz 2.1a	LC-43, Plesetsk	Success	Zenit-8 (boilerplate)	Suborbital test
19 October 2006 17:28	Soyuz 2.1a/Fregat	LC-31, Baikonur	Success	MetOp	Weather satellite
24 December 2006 08:34	Soyuz 2.1a/Fregat	LC-43, Plesetsk	Success	Meridian	Communi- cations satellite
27 December 2006 14:28	Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat	LC-31, Baikonur	Success	COROT	Astronomy satellite
Scheduled launches
TBD	Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat	Baikonur		Meteor-M
TBD	Soyuz 2.1a/Fregat			RADARSAT-2	^{[dubious – discuss]}

Encyclopedia Astronautica article on Soyuz 2.1 (Note - Rocket is mistakenly called Soyuz ST)
Encyclopedia Astronautica article on Soyuz 2.1/Fregat (Note - Rocket is mistakenly called Soyuz ST)
European Space Agency about Soyuz-ST (Russian name Soyuz-STK)

v • d • e Soviet and Russian expendable launch vehicles
Active:	Cosmos-3M · Dnepr · Proton · Rockot · Shtil' · Soyuz (U, FG 2) · Start-1 · Strela · Tsyklon · Volna · Zenit
In development:	Angara · Onega
Past:	Energia · Molniya (M) · N1 · Polyot · R-7 Semyorka · Voskhod · Vostok