Questions tagged [soviet-union]
The Soviet Union was a world power and major player in the space race. It dissolved in 1991 into individual states, the largest of which is the Russian Federation.
104 questions
13 votes
3 answers
5k views
Is there wood on this Soviet Venus probe, shown in an archival photo?
The BBC's May 10, 2025 Soviet-era spacecraft 'likely' to have re-entered Earth's atmosphere there is a file photo of what is reportedly some Soviet probe bound for Venus but not Kosmos 482. The lower &...
user12102
7 votes
3 answers
1k views
Why hasn't Kosmos 482's orbit circularized? (currently 347 x 158 km) Will it, before reentry?
Currently (TLE epoch is 3 hours old), n2yo.com shows the 500 kg Kosmos 482 Venus Descent Craft (1972-023E, 6073) in a very low 347 x 158 km Earth orbit. How that came to be is covered in What are the ...
user12102
2 votes
0 answers
174 views
How did spacecraft work before computer [closed]
I am specifically asking about unmanned spacecraft here, during the 50s and early 60s before the earliest, relatively small, digital computers existed (like the D-17B from 1962, used by the minuteman ...
- 37
3 votes
1 answer
729 views
How could the Soviet Energia rocket go to orbit without an upper stage, and how could it have carried payload to the moon?
The Energia rocket could loft a massive 100 tons into orbit. It could also shoot about 32 tons to a trans-lunar injection. It did not have any upper stage. So, could it really go to orbit and even ...
20 votes
8 answers
11k views
What kept the Soviets from going to the Moon (before the US)?
I know that Saturn V's payload was 140 tons, about 20 times that of Soyuz. The Soviets did not have a functioning rocket with similar characteristics. But why? They had a head start in the space race ...
- 490
5 votes
1 answer
500 views
Why wasn't Buran mounted on top of Energia?
Since unlike the Shuttle, the Buran did not carry the main engines, why was it not mounted on top of the external tank equivalent - Energia's core stage? And even better, why wasn't Energia's second ...
- 3,712
38 votes
4 answers
9k views
Why did the Soviet Union decide to use 30 small engines instead of a few large ones on the N1?
The N1 was a big disappointment after exploding on every single launch attempt. From what I have read, it seems like most of the attempts went wrong because one of the 30 engines exploded causing a ...
- 7,095
5 votes
0 answers
131 views
Official source discussing the stress that Lunokhod operators were experiencing?
I came across this document mentioning the high stress that the Lunokhod operators experienced when teleoperating the rovers back in the 1970s. There is a mention that driving Lunakhod 2 was ...
- 1,007
2 votes
1 answer
133 views
Resources where one can find RD-171MV engine technical specifications? (e.g.TWR, Expansion Ratio, Isp, Thrust, Chamber pressure, O:F ratio)
I'm trying to get a hold of various technical specifications for the RD-171MV engine A modification of RD-171M being developed for the Irtysh rocket. Unlike RD-171M it's completely made from Russian ...
- 21
6 votes
1 answer
512 views
Would the Lunniy Korabl be able to dock with the Oryol spacecraft?
As a successor to the Soyuz program, Russia is currently planning the Oryol/Federatsiya, at first for LEO flights and eventually for lunar ones. Russia wants to build a lunar space station (similar to ...
user43968
3 votes
1 answer
860 views
Who designed the cool-looking Orbita Molniya tracking station at Khabarovsk? What does it look like inside?
Wikipedia's Orbita (TV system) says: Orbita (Russian: орбита) is a Soviet-Russian system of broadcasting and delivering TV signals via satellites. It is considered to be the first national network of ...
user12102
3 votes
1 answer
664 views
How exactly did ground stations track the early Molniya satellites?
Wikipedia's Orbita (TV system) says: Orbita (Russian: орбита) is a Soviet-Russian system of broadcasting and delivering TV signals via satellites. It is considered to be the first national network of ...
user12102
1 vote
1 answer
146 views
How were Soviet/Russian aircraft used to track and/or communicate with spacecraft?
Russian Space Web's Russian ground control and tracking network mentions A Soviet Iluyshin-18 aircraft configured to maintain communications with spacecraft. in the sidebar and includes the small ...
user12102
9 votes
2 answers
777 views
What was it actually like driving the Lunokhod lunar rovers live from the ground? What were some of the biggest challenges?
This answer to How (the heck) did Lunokhod 2 drive, navigate and survive a ~40 kilometer drive over four months on the Moon using 1970's technology? discusses some of the technologies that made this ...
user12102
44 votes
1 answer
9k views
How (the heck) did Lunokhod 2 drive, navigate and survive a ~40 kilometer drive over four months on the Moon using 1970's technology?
Mashable.com's Every rover, ranked by distance traveled on the moon and Mars; The 13 rovers, ranked. calls attention to this amazing feat, and a review of basic statistics and discussions on odometry ...
user12102