R-7 family

The R-7 family ( _ru. ракеты-носители семейства Р-7) is a series of rockets, derived from the Soviet R-7 Semyorka, the world's first ICBM. More R-7 rockets have been launched than any other family of large rockets.

The R-7 turned out to be impractical as a ballistic missile, but found a long application in the Soviet and then Russian space programmes. The R-7 family consists of both missiles, and orbital carrier rockets. Derivatives include the Vostok, Voskhod and Soyuz rockets, which have been used for all Soviet, and later Russian manned spaceflights

Later modifications were standardised around the Soyuz design. The Soyuz-U, Soyuz-FG and Soyuz-2 are currently in use. The Soyuz-U and FG are to be retired over the next few years, in favour of the Soyuz-2. R-7 rockets are launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. A third launch site, at the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana, will open in 2009. This will be used primarily for commercial launches to geosynchronous orbit, taking advantage of the launch site's proximity to the equator.

As of 2008, every manned Russian or Soviet spaceflight has been launched by an R-7 rocket.

ummary of variants

ee also

* 1957 in spaceflight
* List of R-7 launches
* Luna 8K72

References

External links

* [http://www.energia.ru/english/energia/launchers/rocket-r7.html Rocket R-7] from S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia, a Russian rocket and space contractor

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