Sheldon names

Sheldon names were used to identify launch vehicles of the Soviet Union when their Soviet names were unknown. The system was published by Dr. Charles Sheldon of the United States Library of Congress in 1968. The system emphasizes the basic families of launch vehicles with special indicators for variants within a family.

A typical Sheldon name is the F-1-m, a forerunner to the Tsyklon launch vehicle, or the F-2. The "F" indicates the launch vehicle family, the "1" indicates the upper stage, and the "m" indicates that the upper stage is maneuverable.

Examples of Sheldon names and Soviet names (now known):

*A-1: Vostok rocket 1959
*A-2-e: Molniya 1961
*A-2: Soyuz launch vehicle 1963
*C-1: Kosmos rocket 1964
*D: Proton rocket 1965
*D-1-e: Proton rocket 1967
*D-1: Proton rocket 1968
*G-1-e: N-1 rocket 1969
*F-2: Tsyklon 1977
*J-1: Zenit rocket 1985
*K-1: Energia 1987