Soyuz 2.1v

Not to be confused with Soyuz-2.1a or Soyuz-2.1b.

The Soyuz‑2.1v (Russian: Союз‑2.1в, lit. 'Union‑2.1c',^[a] GRAU index: 14A15) was a Russian expendable small-lift launch vehicle, developed as a derivative of the Soyuz-2 series. It is notable for omitting the four strap-on boosters common to other R-7 family rockets, making it the first R-7 variant without them.

Soyuz‑2.1v

Soyuz‑2.1v prepared for the launch of the Kosmos 2511 and 2512 military satellites in December 2015
Function	Small-lift launch vehicle
Manufacturer	RKTs Progress
Country of origin	Russia
Size
Height	44 m (144 ft)
Diameter	3 m (9.8 ft)
Mass	158,000 kg (348,000 lb)
Stages	2
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Altitude	200 km (120 mi)
Orbital inclination	51.8°
Mass	2,850 kg (6,280 lb)
Payload to LEO
Altitude	200 km (120 mi)
Orbital inclination	62.8°
Mass	2,800 kg (6,200 lb)
Associated rockets
Family	R-7 (Soyuz)
Based on	Soyuz-2
Comparable	Long March 2C PSLV
Launch history
Status	Retired
Launch sites	Plesetsk, Site 43/4
Total launches	13
Success(es)	12
Partial failure(s)	1
First flight	28 December 2013
Last flight	5 February 2025
First stage
Height	27.77 m (91.1 ft)
Diameter	2.95 m (9 ft 8 in)
Empty mass	11,000 kg (24,000 lb)
Gross mass	129,000 kg (284,000 lb)
Powered by	1 × NK-33A 1 × RD-0110R
Maximum thrust	NK-33A SL: 1,515 kN (341,000 lbf) NK-33A vac: 1,687 kN (379,000 lbf) RD-0110R SL: 230.5 kN (51,800 lbf) RD-0110R vac: 265 kN (60,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	NK-33A SL: 297 s (2.91 km/s) NK-33A vac: 331 s (3.25 km/s) RD-0110R SL: 259.4 s (2.544 km/s) RD-0110R vac: 298.4 s (2.926 km/s)
Burn time	225 seconds
Propellant	LOX / RP-1
Second stage – Block I
Height	7.95 m (26.1 ft)
Diameter	3 m (9.8 ft)
Empty mass	2,380 kg (5,250 lb)
Gross mass	25,380 kg (55,950 lb)
Powered by	1 × RD-0124
Maximum thrust	294 kN (66,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	359 s (3.52 km/s)
Burn time	275 seconds
Propellant	LOX / RP-1
Third stage (optional) – Volga[1]
Height	1.025 m (3 ft 4.4 in)
Diameter	3.2 m (10 ft)
Empty mass	840 kg (1,850 lb)
Propellant mass	300–900 kg (660–1,980 lb)
Powered by	1 × 17D64[2]
Maximum thrust	2.94 kN (660 lbf)
Specific impulse	307 s (3.01 km/s)
Burn time	410 seconds
Propellant	N2O4 / UDMH

Developed by the Progress Rocket Space Centre (RKTs Progress) in Samara, the Soyuz‑2.1v was originally known as Soyuz‑1 during early development. Launches were conducted from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northwest Russia, and were expected to also be conducted from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in eastern Russia,^[3] and the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, but none ever took place.^[4]

Design and configuration

Base of first stage, showing NK-33 and RD-0110R engines

The Soyuz‑2.1v represents a significant departure from previous Soyuz configurations. Unlike its predecessors, it does not utilize four strap-on boosters. Instead, its single core stage is powered by the NK-33 engine, a high-performance engine originally built in the 1970s for the Soviet N1 Moon rocket. Due to its fixed configuration, the core stage also employs the RD-0110R vernier engine, which consists of four gimbaled chambers for steering and contributes approximately 230.5 kilonewtons (51,800 lb_f) of thrust.^[5]

A limited number of NK-33 engines were available, leading to plans for replacement by the RD-193, a newer engine derived from the Angara's RD-191, itself a derivative of the Zenit's RD-170. However, full transition to the RD-193 has not occurred.^[6]

The second stage is identical to the third stage of the Soyuz-2.1b, utilizing a single RD-0124 engine. Most missions also employ the Volga upper stage, adapted from the propulsion system of the Yantar reconnaissance satellite. Volga offers a lighter and more cost-effective alternative to the Fregat upper stage used on other Soyuz-2 missions.

The Soyuz‑2.1v is optimized for small payloads. From Baikonur, it can deliver up to 2,850 kilograms (6,280 lb) to a 200 km (120 mi) circular low Earth orbit (LEO) at 51.8° inclination, and up to 2,800 kilograms (6,200 lb) to the same altitude at 62.8° inclination from Plesetsk.^[4][7]

List of launches

Flight	Date (UTC)	Launch site	Upper stage	Payload	Orbit	Remarks	Outcome
1	28 December 2013 13:30	Plesetsk, Site 43/4	Volga	Aist 1, SKRL-756 #1/2	LEO	Maiden flight of Soyuz 2.1v	Success
2	5 December 2015 15:08	Plesetsk, Site 43/4	Volga	Kosmos 2511 & 2512	LEO	Earth observation Radar calibration	Partial failure
3	23 June 2017 18:04	Plesetsk, Site 43/4	Volga	Kosmos 2519	LEO	Military satellite, possibly geodesy project Nivelir [ru]	Success
4	29 March 2018 17:38	Plesetsk, Site 43/4	—	Kosmos 2525 (EMKA)	SSO	Earth observation	Success
5	10 July 2019 17:14	Plesetsk, Site 43/4	Volga	Kosmos 2535 to 2538	LEO	Geodesy	Success
6	25 November 2019 17:52	Plesetsk, Site 43/4	Volga	Kosmos 2542 & 2543	LEO	Satellite inspection	Success
7	9 September 2021 19:59	Plesetsk, Site 43/4	Volga	Kosmos 2551 (EO MKA No. 1)	SSO	Reconnaissance	Success
8	1 August 2022 20:25	Plesetsk, Site 43/4	Volga	Kosmos 2558 (Nivelir No. 3)	Polar	Surveillance	Success
9	21 October 2022 19:20	Plesetsk, Site 43/4	Volga	Kosmos 2561 & 2562[8]	SSO	Surveillance	Success
10	29 March 2023 19:57	Plesetsk, Site 43/4	—	Kosmos 2568 (EO MKA No. 4)	SSO	Reconnaissance	Success
11	27 December 2023 07:03	Plesetsk, Site 43/4	—	Kosmos 2574 (Razbeg No. 1)	SSO	Reconnaissance	Success
12	9 February 2024 07:03	Plesetsk, Site 43/4	—	Kosmos 2575 (Razbeg No. 2)	SSO	Reconnaissance	Success
13	5 February 2025 03:59	Plesetsk, Site 43/4	Volga	Kosmos 2581-2583 (MKA B1-3)	Polar	Final flight of Soyuz 2.1v	Success

See also

• Spaceflight portal

• List of R-7 launches

Notes

1. The third letter of the Cyrillic alphabet, 'в' (vee), is transliterated as 'v'. Given that this rocket is the third in the Soyuz-2 family, a more appropriate sense-for-sense translation would be the third letter of the Latin alphabet, 'c'.