Energia (rocket)

Energia was a very big rocket made in the 1980s by the Soviet Union. It was created as part of the Buran program to carry different things into space, like the Buran spacecraft. The rocket used four smaller rockets attached to its sides and a big main part in the center to give it power.

Energia could carry a lot of weight into space. It could lift about 100 tonnes into a low orbit around Earth, up to 20 tonnes into a special high orbit, and up to 32 tonnes on a path to the Moon.

The Energia rocket only flew two times. The first time was in 1987, and the second time was in 1988. Even though it flew only twice, the engines used on Energia were very important. Some of these engines were later used in other rockets from different countries.

Development history

Work on the Energia/Buran system started in 1976 after deciding to stop work on the N1 rocket. The buildings and tools made for the N1 were used for Energia, similar to how NASA used tools from the Saturn V for the Space Shuttle program. Energia was made to launch the Soviet "Buran" reusable shuttle, carrying its payload on the side instead of on top.

The Energia was also planned to work without the Buran orbiter as a heavy-lift cargo launch vehicle, called "Buran-T". The first launch carried the large Polyus military satellite, but it did not reach the right orbit. Because the Buran program was stopped, Energia was only launched twice. The project helped create the RD-170 family of rocket engines and influenced the Zenit launcher.

Stages/Components

Block A first stage

The first part of the rocket, called Block A, had four big boosters. Each booster weighed 340 tons with fuel and burned for 156 seconds after takeoff. They used one RD-170 engine each, with four engines total. Each booster was 40 meters tall and almost 4 meters wide. These boosters used kerosene for fuel.

The boosters could push with a force of 7,906.100 kN when high up in the sky.

Block Ts second stage

The second part, Block Ts, was the center of the rocket and weighed about 50 tons with fuel. It burned for 470 seconds and used four RD-O120 engines. This part was 59 meters tall and almost 8 meters wide. Unlike the boosters, it used liquid hydrogen for fuel.

The center part could push with a force of 7,848.124 kN when high up in the sky.

Launch history

First launch (Energia–Polyus)

The Energia rocket had its first test launch on May 15, 1987, carrying the Polyus spacecraft. This launch was planned to put Polyus into orbit around Earth. Although the rocket worked well, a problem with the computer's settings caused Polyus to not reach its intended orbit and it fell back through the atmosphere.

Second launch (Energia–Buran)

The second launch happened on November 15, 1988, and it successfully sent the uncrewed Soviet Shuttle vehicle Buran into orbit. This was the first time this rocket sent its payload into space as planned.

Discontinuation and potential revival

The Energia rocket stopped being made when the Soviet Union ended in 1991. Since then, people have talked about making it again, but it doesn’t look like it will happen.

Even though the Energia rocket is no longer made, some of its parts were used in other rockets. In 2016, plans were shared to possibly create a new big rocket using some of these parts. This new rocket could help send missions to the Moon. Tests on an updated engine were finished in 2021 and might be used in future rockets.

Proposed variants

Three different versions of the Energia rocket were imagined after the original design, each able to carry different kinds of cargo.

Energia-M

The Energia-M was a smaller version created in the early 1990s. It used fewer boosters and a shorter main part with just one engine. It was meant to replace another rocket called the Proton, but lost a competition to a new rocket called the Angara in 1993.

Energia-2 (GK-175)

Energia-2 was a version studied in the 1980s. Unlike the Energia-Buran, which could only partly be used again, the GK-175 idea would have let every part of the rocket be recovered and reused, much like the early plans for the U.S. Space Shuttle. The Energia-2 core could have flown back to Earth and landed like an airplane.

Vulkan

The Vulkan was the biggest version ever planned. It would have used eight extra rockets and an Energia-M core to launch up to 200 metric tonnes into space. Work on Vulkan and preparing its launch site happened between 1990 and 1993 but stopped because there was not enough money after the Soviet Union ended.

Comparison with the Space Shuttle

The Energia rocket was built by the Soviet Union as a response to the American Space Shuttle. It was designed to carry much heavier loads into space. While the Space Shuttle could carry up to 30 tonnes, the Energia could carry up to 100 tonnes.

The Space Shuttle program ran from 1981 to 2011, lasting 30 years. The Energia program started in 1976 and ended in 1993 after only two launches, operating for 17 years.