Cyclone-4M

The Cyclone-4M is a Ukrainian carrier rocket which is being developed for commercial satellite launches.

Cyclone-4M

Function	Carrier rocket
Manufacturer	Pivdenne (design) Pivdenmash (manufacturing) Khartron (control system)
Country of origin	Ukraine
Project cost	$304M (projection, $148M spaceport included)[1]
Cost per launch	$45M[2]-$60M[1] (projections)
Size
Height	38.7 m (127.0 ft)[3]
Diameter	4.0 m (13 ft)[3]
Stages	2
Capacity
Payload to 200 km LEO (45.3°)
Mass	5,000 kg (11,000 lb)[4]
Payload to 500 km LEO
Mass	4,600 kg (10,100 lb)[3]
Payload to 1200 km LEO
Mass	3,900 kg (8,600 lb)[3]
Payload to 500 km polar LEO
Mass	3,600 kg (7,900 lb)[3]
Payload to 1200 km polar LEO
Mass	3,000 kg (6,600 lb)[3]
Payload to 500 km SSO
Mass	3,450 kg (7,610 lb)[3]
Payload to 1000 km SSO
Mass	3,000 kg (6,600 lb)[3]
Payload to 180×35,768 km) GTO (45.2°)
Mass	910 kg (2,010 lb)[4]
Associated rockets
Family	Zenit / Tsyklon
Comparable	Tsyklon-2, -3, -4, Dnepr, Soyuz-2, PSLV, Long March 4B/C
Launch history
Status	In development
Launch sites	Canso, Nova Scotia, Canada[1]
Total launches	0
First flight	2025 (planned)[5]
First stage
Diameter	3.9 m (13 ft)[3]
Gross mass	260,700 kg (575,000 lb)[3]
Propellant mass	224,800 kg (496,000 lb)[4]
Powered by	4 × RD-870 engines[4]
Maximum thrust	Sea level: 3,130 kN (319 tf) Vacuum: 3,498 kN (356.7 tf)[3]
Specific impulse	Sea level: 298 s (2.92 km/s) Vacuum: 332 s (3.26 km/s)[6]
Burn time	200 seconds[6]
Propellant	LOX / RP-1
Second stage
Diameter	3.98 m (13.1 ft)[3]
Gross mass	14,000 kg (31,000 lb)[3]
Propellant mass	10,700 kg (24,000 lb)[4]
Powered by	1 × RD-861K
Maximum thrust	77.63 kN (7.916 tf)[3]
Specific impulse	325 s (3.19 km/s)
Burn time	450 seconds
Propellant	N2O4 / UDMH

History

The Cyclone-4M is derived from the Tsyklon-4, which started its life as an all-hypergolic three-stage-to-orbit expendable launch vehicle planned for launch from a proposed site at the Alcântara Launch Center in Brazil. However, Brazil backed out of the partnership with Ukraine in 2015, citing concerns over the project budget, the ongoing financial situation in both countries, and the future of the commercial launch market.^[7] In March 2017, Canadian company Maritime Launch Services announced plans to begin launching a modified version, the Cyclone-4M, which features a Zenit-derived LOX / RP-1 first stage in place of the originally planned R-36 ICBM-based first- and second-stage.

In November 2021, Maritime Launch Services CEO Stephen Matier stated that Nanoracks was to be the first client to fly a payload on the Cyclone-4M.^[8]

Design

This new first-stage design would use four kerolox engines derived from the RD-120 used on the second stage of the Zenit. The standard RD-120, however, while manufactured in Ukraine, uses a number of Russian-made components which would have to be replaced with Ukrainian-made equivalents. It is also planned to fit each of these engines with a gimballing mechanism for steering (in the Zenit second stage the RD-120 is fixed to the frame while an RD-8 four-nozzle vernier engine takes care of the steering).^[4]

Cyclone-4M is planned for launch from a site in Canso, Nova Scotia. Construction was originally scheduled to begin in 2018,^[9][1][10] but repeated delays have pushed the start of construction to no earlier than late 2021.^[11] The second stage completed qualification tests in October 2019.^[12] Construction at Canso finishes in 2024 or 2025;^[11] as of December 2022, the maiden flight of Cyclone-4M will take place in 2025.^[5] It is planned to launch up to 8 times per year.^[13][1]

By 2024, due to Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine the launch site in Nova Scotia will not see a launch of the Cyclone.^[14]