R-7 aft end - Credit: © Mark Wade. 47,694 bytes. 421 x 583 pixels.

Improved version of the R-7 first ICBM, and the one actually deployed to pads in Baikonur and Plesetsk. 15 launches in the flight test series, with 14 successes, from December 1959 to July 1960. These rockets were completed at Aviation Factory Number 1, 'Progress', in Kuibyshev (Samara).

Payload: 3,330 kg. to a: 12,000 km range trajectory. Liftoff Thrust: 407,565 kgf. Total Mass: 272,900 kg. Core Diameter: 3.0 m. Total Length: 28.0 m.

• Stage Number: 0. 4 x R-7A 8K74-0 Gross Mass: 42,800 kg. Empty Mass: 3,200 kg. Thrust (vac): 101,500 kgf. Isp: 313 sec. Burn time: 120 sec. Isp(sl): 256 sec. Diameter: 2.7 m. Span: 2.7 m. Length: 19.0 m. Propellants: Lox/Kerosene No Engines: 1. RD-107-8D74K

• Stage Number: 1. 1 x R-7A 8K74-1 Gross Mass: 101,700 kg. Empty Mass: 7,300 kg. Thrust (vac): 95,900 kgf. Isp: 315 sec. Burn time: 325 sec. Isp(sl): 248 sec. Diameter: 3.0 m. Span: 3.0 m. Length: 28.0 m. Propellants: Lox/Kerosene No Engines: 1. RD-108-8D75K

• First Soviet ICBM base at Plesetsk is authorised.

  Decree 61-39ss 'On creation of launch complex Angara at NIIP-53' was issued.

• R-14 IRBM, R-7A ICBM, and Raketoplan development authorised. Spacecraft: Raketoplan.

  Central Committee of the Communist Party and Council of Soviet Ministers Decree 726-346 'On start of work on the R-14 missile, on creation of the R-7A ICBM, and on creation of the winged-ballistic rocket at OKB-52' was issued.

• R-7A flight test plan approved.

  Central Committee of the Communist Party and Council of Soviet Ministers Decree 'On Work on the R-7 Product and Flight-Design Testing of the R-7A Product-- testing of the R-7 and R-7A ICBMs' was issued.

• R-7A ICBM production approved.

  Central Committee of the Communist Party and Council of Soviet Ministers Decree 'On production of the R-7A missile at Plant No. 1001 at Krasnoyarsk-26 and establishment of a branch' was issued.

• Samara Filial 1 takes over design responsibility for R-7 and its derivatives.

  Decree 'On formation of the Design Department of OKB-1 at the Progress Plant in Kuibyshev' was issued.

• Flight test series of production R-7A ICBM begins

  These tests proved the design of the missile actually deployed to pads in Baikonur and Plesetsk.

• Twelfth General Directorate of the Ministry of Defence charged only with ballistic missile warhead safekeeping

  This directorate's activities were limited specifically to safekeeping of the warheads of the RSVN rocket forces.

• R-7A development test flight.

• R-7A development test flight. Failure.

• R-7A development test flight.

• R-7A development test flight.

• R-7A development test flight.

• Flight test series of production R-7A ICBM completed

  15 launches were in the flight test series, with 14 successes. These rockets were completed at Aviation Factory Number 1, 'Progress', in Kuibyshev (Samara).

• R-7A development test flight.

• R-7A accepted for military service.

  Decree 'On adoption of the R-7A into armaments' was issued.

• R-7A readiness verification test.

• R-7A readiness verification test.

• R-7A readiness verification test.

  Failure occurred only two days after Yuri Gagarin's flight.

• R-7A readiness verification test.

• R-7A dual launch readiness verification test.

  Two launches from one launch complex in the same day.

• R-7A dual launch readiness verification test.

  Two launches from one launch complex in the same day.

• R-7A readiness verification test.

• Subdirectorate for Nuclear Operations was formed within the Twelfth Directorate

  As the number of ballistic missiles deployed increased, a specialised Subdirectorate for Nuclear Operations was formed within the Twelfth Directorate.

• Twelfth Directorate nuclear weapons units an integrated part operational rocket field units

  Up to 1965 the warheads were still stored separately form Soviet ballistic missiles. This was changed so that the individual nuclear weapons units were made an integrated part of the operational rocket field units.

• 173 - Varfolomyev, Timothy, Spaceflight, "Soviet Rocketry that Conquered Space - Part 1", 1995, Volume 37, page 260.
• 283 - Vetrov, G S, S. P. Korolev i evo delo, Nauka, Moscow, 1998.