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UR-500 / [PROTON]

On 09 August 1961, Premier Nikita Khrushchev openly threatened the West with a new and terrifying weapon, the orbital H-bomb. "You do not have 50- or 100-megaton bombs, we have bombs more powerful than 100 megatons. We placed Gagarin and Titov in space, and we can replace them with other loads that can be directed to any place on Earth." Although the US had hypothesized orbital bombs, this was the first public indication that the Soviets were actively pursuing this course of action. Within a few months, however, American analysis of the threat diminished its proportions.

Specifications

 

 

Mod-1 = 2 Stages

 

Mod-2 = 3 Stages

 

DIA

 

SS-LX-? " City Buster" ICBM

 

SS-LX-? FOBS

 

NATO

 

N/A

 

N/A

 

Bilateral

 

N/A

 

N/A

 

Service

 

UR-500

 

UR-500, UR-500K

 

OKB/Industry

 

(8K82)

 

(8K82)/(8K82K)

 

Design Bureau

 

OKB-52 Acad. V.N. Chelomey

 

OKB-52 Acad. V.N. Chelomey

 

Approved

 

4/24-29/1962

 

4/24- 29/1962

 

Cancellation

 

ICBM 5/15/1964

 

ICBM 5/15/1964

 

Years of R&D

 

1961-1965

 

1961-1967

 

Engineering and Testing

 

1962-1965

 

1962-1970

 

First Flight Test

 

7/16/1965

 

11/22/67

 

IOC

 

N/A

 

N/A

 

Deployment Date

 

N/A

 

N/A

 

Type of Warhead

 

1

 

1

 

Warheads

 

Single

 

Single

 

Yield (Mt)

 

50 – 100 – 150

(35-45)

 

30 – 50 (45 –55)

 

Payload (t)

 

12.2 - 14

 

14.0 –17.0

 

Total length (m)

 

37 – 46.28

 

 

 

Total length

w/o warhead (m)

 

30.68

 

44.3

 

Missile Diameter (m)

 

7.4 with 1.6 strap-on tanks, 4.1 core tank

 

7.4 with 1.6 strap-on tanks, 4.1 core tank

 

Launch Weight (t)

 

600

 

620 - 621.9

 

Fuel Weight (t)

 

 

 

 

 

Range (km)

 

10,000

 

12,000

 

CEP (m) (Russian Sources)

 

N/A

 

N/A

 

CEP (m) (Western Sources)

 

N/A

 

N/A

 

Basing Mode

 

Hardened launch complex

 

Hardened launch complex

 

Number of Stages

 

2

3

Canister length w/o front meters (m)

 

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Canister diameter (m)

 

N.A

N/A

 

 

 

 

Booster guidance system

 

Inertial autonomous

Inertial autonomous

 

 

1st stage

 

2nd stage

3rd. Stage

Length (m)

 

21.07 – 21.18 Strap-on Tanks 19.9

 

14.56

6.857

Body diameter (m)

 

7.4 With 1.6 Strap-on Tanks, 4.1 Core Tank

 

4.1

4.1

Fueled weight (t)

 

449.8

 

172.1

46.562

Dry weight (t)

 

32.5 – 34.5

 

12.1

4.185

Main Engine Designation

 

RD-253 (11D48)(11D43)

 

RD-0208/RD-0209 or (three)RD-0210/(one)RD-0211

RD-0210/RD-0211 or RD-0213/RD-0214

Vernier Engine Designation

 

N/A

 

N/A

RD-0214 Four Chamber Vernier Engine

Configuration

 

Cluster of Six Engines

 

Four Engine

One Engine

Design Bureau

 

OKB-456, Acad. V. P. Glushko

 

OKB- 154 Acad. S. A. Kosberg

OKB-154, Acad. S. A. Kosberg

Years of R&D

 

1961-1965

 

1961-1964

1961 – 1967

Propellants

 

Liquid

 

Liquid

Liquid

Fuel

 

UDMH

 

UDMH

UDMH

Oxidizer

 

N204 = Nitrogen Tetroxide

 

N204 = Nitrogen Tetroxide

N204 = Nitrogen Tetroxide

Burning time (sec.)

 

127 - 130

 

210-230

240

Verniers Thrust Sea Level/Vacuum (Tonnes)

 

N/A

 

?

3.21 x 4 = 12.8493 Vacuum

Main engines Thrust Sea Level/Vacuum (Tonnes)

 

147 – 148.8884 – 150.25 / 166.7347

 

233.6 Vacuum

58.4 Vacuum

Total Thrust Sea Level/Vacuum (Tonnes)

 

6 x 147 - 150.25 = 901.5

 

4 x 58.4 – 59.4 = 233.6 Vacuum

58.4 – 59.4 + 12.8493 = 71.2493 Vacuum

Main Engines Specific Impulse Sea Level/Vacuum (sec.)

 

284.9/310.0

 

326.5

326.5

Vernier Engine Specific Impulse Sea Level/Vacuum (sec.)

 

N/A

 

N/A

?

Hardness

 

N/A

Launching Technique

 

Hot launch

Deployed boosters

 

N/A

Test Boosters

 

N/A

Warheads Deployed

 

N/A

Training Launchers

 

N/A

Space Booster Variant

 

SL-LX-?,

SL-9/Proton/D, Proton 1-3B

SL-12/Proton K, Zond, (UR-500L1),

Lunar, Venera, Mars,

SL-13/Proton K, Proton-4, Salyut, Mir, Proton-K

START

 

Locale US-Designation

N/A

 

N/A

Sources and Resources



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