Overview
Manufacturer: Progress Rocket Space Centre
Cost: $80 million
Stages: 2 or 3
Boosters: 4 (only 2.1a and 2.1b variants)
Height: 46.3 m (152 ft)
Diameter: 2.95 m (9 ft 8 in)
Mass: 312,000 kgs (688,000 lbs)
Payload capacity (to low earth orbit): 7,020 to 8,020 kgs (15,480 to 18,100 lbs)
Maiden flight: November 8, 2004
Variants
Soyuz-2.1a: active
Soyuz-2.1b: active
Soyuz-2.1v: active
Stage 1
Length: 27.10 m
Diameter: 2.95 m
Engine: RD-108A
Fuel: LOX/RG-1
Thrust: 792.41 kN (178,140 lbf)
Burn Time: 286 seconds
Stage 2
Length: 6.7 m
Diameter: 2.66 m
Engine: RD-0110
Fuel: LOX/RG-1
Thrust: 298 kN (67,000 lbf)
Burn Time: 270 seconds
Fregat Upper Stage (optional)
Length: 1.5 m
Diameter: 3.35 m
Engine: S5.92
Fuel: N2O4 / UDMH
Thrust: 19.85 kN (4,460 lbf)
Burn Time: 1,100 seconds
Volga Upper Stage (optional)
Length: 1.025 m
Diameter: 3.2 m
Engine: 17D64
Fuel: N2O4 / UDMH
Thrust: 2.94 kN (660 lbf)
Burn Time: 307 seconds
Boosters
Length: 19.6 m
Diameter: 2.68 m
Engine: RD-107A
Fuel: LOX/RG-1
Thrust: 839.48 kN (188,720 lbf)
Burn Time: 118 seconds
The Soyuz-2 rocket (military designation: 14A14) is a three-stage to orbit launch vehicle and one of two Soyuz variants currently being utilised by Russian space agency, Roscosmos.
The Soyuz-2 launch vehicle is operated in three variations. The Soyuz-2.1a features four boosters powered by RD-107a engines, a core stage (that includes both the rocket’s first and second stage) powered by one RD-108a engine with four combustion chambers, and an upper stage based on the architecture of the Soyuz-U upper stage and powered by an RD-0110 engine. The Soyuz-2.1b is near identical to the 1a apart from an upgraded upper stage powered by an RD-0124 engine. The upgraded Soyuz-2.1b upper stage produces a higher specific impulse than the 2.1a allowing it to deploy payloads into higher orbits. Both the 2.1a and 2.1b can, however, utilise the Fregat upper stage.
The differences between the Soyuz-2.1a and 2.1b were largely due to financial limitations within the Russian space programme. As a result of the lack of funding for the Soyuz-2 project, engineers were forced to implement upgrades to the Soyuz architecture in phases. The 2.1a was the base phase and used a previous generation Soyuz upper-stage engine as development of the RD-0124 constituted a large percentage of the required funding. Once more funding became available and the RD-0124 development was completed, the upgraded Soyuz-2.1b was introduced.
The last Soyuz 2 variation is the Soyuz-2.1v. This “light” version of the Soyuz-2 is the only variant that does not feature strapon boosters. The 2.1v utilises a single NK-33 engine. The NK-33 was originally developed for the massive Soviet N1 Moon Rocket. Abandoned in a storage facility in the 1970s, the engines were later rediscovered and adapted for the Soyuz-2.1v. The 2.1v is also unique in that it is the only Soyuz-2 variation to make use of the Volga upper stage.
