Briz M - Credit: Khrunichev. 11,437 bytes. 291 x 196 pixels.

Improved Proton. Minor improvements in lower stages to fully utilize propellants, reducing release of toxic chemicals in stage impact areas. Briz M storable propellant upper stage replaces Block D cyrogenic stage.

LEO Payload: 21,000 kg. to: 185 km Orbit. at: 51.6 degrees. Payload: 2,920 kg. to a: geosynchronous orbital trajectory. Liftoff Thrust: 965,580 kgf. Total Mass: 712,800 kg. Core Diameter: 7.4 m. Total Length: 53.0 m.

• Stage Number: 1. 1 x Proton KM-1 Gross Mass: 450,400 kg. Empty Mass: 31,000 kg. Thrust (vac): 1,074,000 kgf. Isp: 317 sec. Burn time: 108 sec. Isp(sl): 285 sec. Diameter: 7.4 m. Span: 7.4 m. Length: 21.0 m. Propellants: N2O4/UDMH No Engines: 6. RD-253-14D14

• Stage Number: 2. 1 x Proton K-2 Gross Mass: 167,828 kg. Empty Mass: 11,715 kg. Thrust (vac): 244,652 kgf. Isp: 327 sec. Burn time: 206 sec. Isp(sl): 230 sec. Diameter: 4.2 m. Span: 4.2 m. Length: 14.0 m. Propellants: N2O4/UDMH No Engines: 4. RD-0210

• Stage Number: 3. 1 x Proton K-3 Gross Mass: 50,747 kg. Empty Mass: 4,185 kg. Thrust (vac): 64,260 kgf. Isp: 325 sec. Burn time: 238 sec. Isp(sl): 230 sec. Diameter: 4.2 m. Span: 4.2 m. Length: 6.5 m. Propellants: N2O4/UDMH No Engines: 1. RD-0212

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  Proton K LV Credit: © Mark Wade. 1,749 bytes. 63 x 414 pixels.

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• Stage Number: 4. 1 x Proton KM-4 Briz M Gross Mass: 22,170 kg. Empty Mass: 2,370 kg. Thrust (vac): 2,000 kgf. Isp: 326 sec. Burn time: 3,000 sec. Diameter: 2.5 m. Span: 4.1 m. Length: 2.6 m. Propellants: N2O4/UDMH No Engines: 1. S5.98M

• Raduga Spacecraft: Raduga. Payload: Raduga s/n 45L.

  Carried a Russian Defence Ministry communications satellite. First attempted flight of the Khrunichev Briz-M upper stage in place of the usual Block DM. After the second stage explosion the remainder of the vehicle survived for 45 seconds before breaking up. Debris landed near Karaganda. As a result of this accident the Kazakh government suspended launches from Baikonur pending Russian agreement to pay back part of rent owed.

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  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.

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• Gorizont Spacecraft: Gorizont.

  First successful Proton/Briz-M launch. The Proton placed the Briz-M/Gorizont payload stack into a suborbital trajectory. The stage then performed four maneuvers to put the satellite into geosynchronous orbit:
  

  • Burn 1 placed the stack into a 200 km, 51.6 deg parking orbit probably inclined at around 51.6
  • Burn 2 raised apogee to 6000 km and changed inclination slightly
  • Burn 3, at second perigee, four hours after launch put the stack in a 369 x 34,988 km x 48.8 deg transfer orbit. The Briz-M then jettisoned its empty toroidal supplementary fuel tank.
  • Burn 4, ten hours after launch, placed Gorizont No. 45L in near-geostationary orbit.
  
  Gorizont No. 45L was expected to be the final launch of that model of television broadcasting satellite. It carried 6 C-band transponders, one L-band, and one Ku-band transponder. The newer Ekspress satellites are replacing the system. Stationed at 145 deg E.

• 42 - Isakowitz, Steven J,, International Reference to Space Launch Systems Second Edition, AIAA, Washington DC, 1991.