Soyuz-2

Soyuz2 (2.1a / 2.1b)
A Soyuz2.1b rocket launches carrying a GLONASS-K2 satellite to orbit
FunctionMedium-lift launch vehicle
ManufacturerRKTs Progress
Country of originRussia
Cost per launchUS$35 million (2018, 2.1b without fourth stage)
Size
Height46.3 m (152 ft)
Diameter10.3 m (33 ft 10 in)
Mass312,000 kg (688,000 lb)
Stages3 or 4
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Altitude240 km (150 mi)
Orbital inclination
  • 51.6° from Baikonur and Vostochny
  • 72° from Plesetsk
Mass
  • From Baikonur:
  • A: 7,430 kg (16,380 lb)
  • B: 8,670 kg (19,110 lb)
  • From Plesetsk:
  • A: 6,800 kg (15,000 lb)
  • B: 7,730 kg (17,040 lb)
  • From Vostochny:
  • A: 7,460 kg (16,450 lb)
  • B: 8,600 kg (19,000 lb)
Payload to Polar orbit
Altitude240 km (150 mi)
Orbital inclination98°
Mass
  • From Baikonur:
  • A: 5,830 kg (12,850 lb)
  • B: 7,030 kg (15,500 lb)
  • From Plesetsk:
  • A: 6,130 kg (13,510 lb)
  • B: 7,270 kg (16,030 lb)
  • From Vostochny:
  • A: 6,070 kg (13,380 lb)
  • B: 7,260 kg (16,010 lb)
Payload to TLI
MassB: 2,350 kg (5,180 lb)
Associated rockets
FamilyR-7 (Soyuz)
Based onSoyuz-FG
Derivative workSoyuz-ST
Soyuz-2.1v
Launch history
StatusActive
Launch sites
Total launches151 (A: 74, B: 77)
Success(es)146 (A: 71, B: 75)
Failure(s)4 (A: 2, B: 2)
Partial failure(s)1 (A: 1, B: 0)
First flight
  • A: 8 November 2004
  • B: 27 December 2006
Last flight
  • A: Active
  • B: Active
Carries passengers or cargo
Boosters (First stage) – Block B, V, G & D
No. boosters4
Height19.6 m (64 ft 4 in)
Diameter2.68 m (8 ft 10 in)
Empty mass3,784 kg (8,342 lb)
Gross mass44,413 kg (97,914 lb)
Propellant mass
  • LOX: 27,900 kg (61,500 lb)
  • RP-1: 11,260 kg (24,820 lb)
Powered by1 × RD-107A
Maximum thrustSL: 838.5 kN (188,500 lbf)
vac: 1,021.3 kN (229,600 lbf)
Specific impulseSL: 262 s (2.57 km/s)
vac: 319 s (3.13 km/s)
Burn time118 seconds
PropellantLOX / RP-1
Second stage (core) – Block A
Height27.1 m (88 ft 11 in)
Diameter2.95 m (9 ft 8 in)
Empty mass6,545 kg (14,429 lb)
Gross mass99,765 kg (219,944 lb)
Propellant mass
  • LOX: 63,800 kg (140,700 lb)
  • RP-1: 26,300 kg (58,000 lb)
Powered by1 × RD-108A
Maximum thrustSL: 792.5 kN (178,200 lbf)
vac: 990.2 kN (222,600 lbf)
Specific impulseSL: 255 s (2.50 km/s)
vac: 319 s (3.13 km/s)
Burn time286 seconds
PropellantLOX / RP-1
Third stage – Block I
Height6.7 m (22 ft 0 in)
Diameter2.66 m (8 ft 9 in)
Empty mass2,355 kg (5,192 lb)
Gross mass27,755 kg (61,189 lb)
Propellant mass
  • LOX: 17,800 kg (39,200 lb)
  • RP-1: 7,600 kg (16,800 lb)
Powered byA: 1 × RD-0110
B: 1 × RD-0124
Maximum thrustA: 298.03 kN (67,000 lbf)
B: 294.3 kN (66,200 lbf)
Specific impulseA: 325 s (3.19 km/s)
B: 359 s (3.52 km/s)
Burn timeA: 250 seconds
B: 270 seconds
PropellantLOX / RP-1
Fourth stage (optional) – Fregat / Fregat-M
HeightFregat: 1.875 m (6 ft 1.8 in)
Fregat-M: 1.945 m (6 ft 4.6 in)
DiameterFregat: 3.44 m (11 ft 3 in)
Fregat-M: 3.8 m (12 ft 6 in)
Empty massFregat: 945 kg (2,083 lb)
Fregat-M: 1,035 kg (2,282 lb)
Gross massFregat: 6,235 kg (13,746 lb)
Fregat-M: 7,640 kg (16,840 lb)
Propellant massFregat: 5,307 kg (11,700 lb)
Fregat-M: 6,650 kg (14,660 lb)
Powered by1 × S5.92
Maximum thrust13.93–19.85 kN (3,130–4,460 lbf)
Specific impulse320–333.2 s (3.14–3.27 km/s)
Burn timeUp to 1,100 seconds (up to 7 starts)
PropellantN2O4 / UDMH
Fourth stage (optional) – Volga
Height1.025 m (3 ft 4.4 in)
Diameter3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Empty mass840 kg (1,850 lb)
Propellant mass300–900 kg (660–1,980 lb)
Powered by1 × 17D64
Maximum thrust2.94 kN (660 lbf)
Specific impulse307 s (3.01 km/s)
PropellantN2O4 / UDMH

Soyuz2 (Russian: Союз2, lit.'Union2'; GRAU index: 14A14) is a Russian expendable medium-lift launch vehicle and the seventh major iteration of the Soyuz rocket family. Compared to its predecessors, Soyuz-2 features significant upgrades, including improved engines and a digital flight control system that enables launches from fixed platforms and supports larger payload fairings.

Developed by the Progress Rocket Space Centre (RKTs Progress) in Samara, Soyuz-2 is used to place payloads into low Earth orbit in standard configuration but can also support missions to higher orbits using an additional upper stage, most commonly the Fregat, though the smaller Volga is available as a less expensive option. Since its introduction in 2004, Soyuz-2 has gradually replaced earlier Soyuz variants and is launched from the facilities of its R-7 derived predecessors: Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and Sites 43/3 and 43/4 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northwestern Russia, and, since 2016, Site 1S at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in eastern Russia.

The Soyuz2 family includes several variants. The base model, Soyuz2.1a, debuted on 8 November 2004, followed by the Soyuz2.1b, with a 15 percent more powerful third stage, on 27 December 2006. A derivative version, SoyuzST, was introduced in 2011 with modifications for operation at the Guiana Space Centre, the European Space Agency's launch site in French Guiana. Launches from this site were suspended in 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.