UR-500 First Design - Initial design of the UR-500 Global Rocket was a straightforward cluster of UR-200 ICBM's. This was soon abandoned in favor of a more efficient design. Credit: © Mark Wade. 7,676 bytes. 61 x 437 pixels.

While Chelomei's OKB was still preparing the UR-200 draft project, it was proposed to use this as the basis for the UR-500 heavy universal rocket, with five times the payload capacity. These initial 1961 UR-500 studies for the GR-2 requirement at first consisted simply of 4 two-stage UR-200 rockets lashed together, the first and second stages working in parallel in clusters. A third stage would be modified from the UR-200 second stage. (Yangel proposed a similar solution, his R-56 rockets being composed of R-46�s clustered together). However study of this configuration, which included manufacturing of a dynamic test article (now in the Tsniimash museum), indicated that the payload capacity could not meet the military�s requirements. The payload of this configuration is said to be five times that of the UR-200 (ie around 10,000 kg) as opposed to the 12,000 kg payload calculated for the selected UR-500 polyblock configuration. The echo of this configuration in the final Proton design was in the upper stage engines, which were direct descendants of those on the UR-200.

LEO Payload: 10,000 kg. to: 200 km Orbit. Liftoff Thrust: 815,230 kgf. Total Mass: 571,050 kg. Core Diameter: 3.0 m. Total Length: 48.0 m.

• Stage Number: 1. 4 x UR-200 Stage 1 Gross Mass: 107,500 kg. Empty Mass: 6,600 kg. Thrust (vac): 228,000 kgf. Isp: 311 sec. Burn time: 135 sec. Isp(sl): 278 sec. Diameter: 3.0 m. Span: 3.0 m. Length: 20.0 m. Propellants: N2O4/UDMH No Engines: 1. RD-0202

• Stage Number: 2. 4 x UR-200 Stage 2 Gross Mass: 25,810 kg. Empty Mass: 2,400 kg. Thrust (vac): 62,500 kgf. Isp: 322 sec. Burn time: 113 sec. Diameter: 2.2 m. Span: 2.2 m. Length: 10.0 m. Propellants: N2O4/UDMH No Engines: 1. RD-0205

• Stage Number: 3. 1 x UR-200 Stage 2 Gross Mass: 25,810 kg. Empty Mass: 2,400 kg. Thrust (vac): 62,500 kgf. Isp: 322 sec. Burn time: 113 sec. Diameter: 2.2 m. Span: 2.2 m. Length: 10.0 m. Propellants: N2O4/UDMH No Engines: 1. RD-0205

• Initial UR-500 studies for the GR-2 requirement

  The initial design consisted simply of 4 two-stage UR-200 rockets lashed together, the first and second stages working in parallel in clusters. A third stage would be modified from the UR-200 second stage.

• 273 - Afanasyev, Igor, Novosti kosmonavtiki, "35 let RN Proton", 1998, Issue 5, page 40.

---

UR-100 and UR-500 - UR-100 and UR-500 Dynamic test models Credit: © Mark Wade. 57,367 bytes. 389 x 576 pixels.

---

---

Universal Rockets - Chelomei's Universal Rocket Family. From left to right: UR-200. Original UR-500 configuration, composed of clustered UR-200's. Conventional UR-500 monoblock configuration. Selected UR-500 polyblock configuration. UR-500 two-stage configuration as flown. UR-500K configuration with Block D upper stage. Credit: © Mark Wade. 36,031 bytes. 630 x 351 pixels.

---