Blok D

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"Block D" redirects here. For other uses, see D block (disambiguation).

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"DM-2" redirects here. For other uses, see DM-2 (disambiguation).
Blok DM[1]
Block-D.jpg
Blok DM
Country of origin Soviet Union
Used on N-1, Proton and Zenit-3
General characteristics
Height 6.28 m (20.6 ft)
Diameter 3.70 m (12.1 ft)
Gross mass 17,360 kg (38,270 lb)
Propellant mass 15,220 kg (33,550 lb)
Empty mass 2,140 kg (4,720 lb)
Associated stages
Family Blok D
Derived from Blok D
Derivatives Blok DM-03
Comparable Briz-M
Launch history
Status Retired
Total launches 66
First flight 1974-03-26
Last flight 1988-05-06
Engine details
Engines RD-58M
Thrust 83.61 kN (18,800 lbf)
Specific impulse 363.5 s (3.565 km/s)
Burn time 630 seconds
Fuel RG-1/LOX

Blok D (Russian: Блок Д meaning Block D) is an upper stage used on Soviet and later Russian expendable launch systems, including the N1, Proton-K and Zenit.[2]

The stage (and its derivatives) has been included in more than 320 launched rockets as of 2015.[3] By 2002 its modification Blok DM had a 97% success rate in 218 flights since 1974, and 43 successful missions in 1997-2002.[4][5]

The stage was developed in 1960s as the fifth stage ('Д' is the fifth letter in the Cyrillic alphabet) for the Soviet Moonshot N1 rocket. The stage first flew in March 1967 while testing Zond of the moonshot program system. During manned lunar flight Blok D would be used for mid-course corrections on the flight to the Moon, then to place the lunar orbiter and lander into a lunar orbit, and decelerate moon-lander out onto its landing trajectory.[6]

Blok D was also included as fourth stage of Proton rocket and as such flew on unmanned Soviet missions to Moon, Mars and Venus. It was used in the Proton-K configuration of the rocket and is still in use in the newer Proton-M variant (along with the Briz-M).

Blok DM also flies as the third stage for Zenit-3SL rocket, which is used by the Sea Launch project to launch geostationary satellites. In 2002 the failure of a Blok DM3—used in the attempted launch of Astra 1K—caused considerable concern.

The stage uses liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene as propellants, and has one single-chamber RD-58 main engine. The LOX tank has a spherical shape; the kerosene tank is toroidal, inclined to 15 degrees for better fuel extraction, with the engine mounted in the center of torus. Tanks include the first pump stage for the engine; the main pump is mounted on the engine.

Blok D weighs 3.5 tons during liftoff, but some parts are jettisoned and the dry mass in space is 2.5 tons. It has 5.70 meters length and generates 83.300 kN thrust for 600 seconds burn time. Blok D was modified as Blok DM in 1974, with 11D-58S engine. The unit cost is $4 million.[7]

Since 1990, all variations of this stage have been built in the Krasnoyarsk Machine-Building Plant.[8]

Modifications

RKK Energia, the company that created Blok D, used it as a platform for many modifications over many years for different purposes; for example, the main propulsion unit on Buran started as a modification of the Blok D.[9]

Variants

Variant First flight Last flight Launches Rockets Remarks
Blok D 1967 1976 44 Proton-K
N1
Blok D-1 1978 1989 10 Proton-K Mostly used for launches to Venus
Blok D-2 1988 1996 3 Proton-K Launched Fobos 1, Fobos 2 and Mars 96
Blok DM 1974 1990 66 Proton-K
Energia (unflown)		 Blok D modification for Earth-based orbits
Blok DM-2 1982 2012 115 Proton-K
Proton-M		 Used with Proton-M for GLONASS launches [1]
Blok DM-2M 1994 2005 15 Proton-K Enhanced payload thanks to the use of higher performance Syntin fuel instead of RG-1. Powered by the RD-58S engine.
Blok DM-03 2010 active 3 Proton-M Intended as a replacement for Blok DM-2 and DM-SL/SLB, first flew in 2010, only used on Proton
Blok DM-5 1997 2002 2 Proton-K Used for low Earth orbit launches with Arkas satellites
Blok DM1 1996 1996 1 Proton-K Commercial Blok DM-2, only used for one launch, with Inmarsat-3 F2
Blok DM2 1997 2002 4 Proton-K Commercial Blok DM-5, used for Iridium and INTEGRAL launches
Blok DM3 1996 2006 25 Proton-K Commercial Blok DM-2M
Blok DM4 1997 1997 1 Proton-K Commercial Blok DM-2M, only used to launch Telstar 5
Blok DM-SL 1999 active 36 Zenit-3SL Used in Sea Launch missions, some flights use a version with stretched fuel tanks
Blok DM-SLB 2008 active 5 Zenit-3SLB Used in Land Launch missions and other commercial Zenit-3SLB flights from Baikonur
References [3][10][11]

See Also

  • Blok DM-03 – Advanced version of this stage.
  • N-1 – original launch vehicle for which this stage was developed.
  • Proton – launch vehicle that has flown the most with this stage.
  • Zenit-3 – launch vehicle that uses this stage.
  • Angara A5 – launch vehicle that will use this stage when launched from Vostochny Cosmodrome[12]

External links

References

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