The Proton-M is a heavy lift launch vehicle, and the newest member of the Proton family of rockets. The Proton rocket was originally designed as a Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile, but never entered service as an ICMB. The Proton was eventually replaced by the Proton 8K82K, later renamed the Proton-K. The Proton K launched notable payloads such as all the components of the Mir space station, as well as the Zarya (Russia: Sunrise) and Zvesta (Russian: Star) modules of the International Space Station. In March 2012, the Proton-K was retired and replaced with the Proton-M.
The Proton family of rockets launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan.
The Proton has five major components: the First Stage, Second Stage, Third Stage, Payload Fairings, and an optional Fourth Stage.
The First Stage is powered by six liquid fueled RD-253-14D14 engines, producing a total liftoff thrust of 10532 kilo-Newtons. The First Stage ignites at liftoff and burns until first stage separation at 108 seconds into flight. The design of the first stage is unique. Most rocket stages consist of a both an oxidizer tank and a fuel tank, staked on top of each other, giving the stage as a whole a roughly cylindrical shape. The design first stage of the Proton consists of a central oxidizer tank that runs the length of the stage, surrounded by six fuel tanks. This design is what gives the first stage a unique look that distinguishes it from the rest of the rocket.
The Second Stage is powered by four liquid fueled RD-0210 engines, producing a total thrust of 2399 kilo-Newtons. The second stage uses a “Hot Staging” technique, igniting the second stage engines before the first stage has separated. After first stage separation, the second stage continue firing until second stage separation, about 206 seconds after first stage separation, or 314 seconds into flight.
The Third Stage is powered by a single liquid fueled RD-0212 engine, producing a total thrust of 613.8 kilo-Newtons. The third stage ignites after second stage separation, and usually burns until the payload has reached the desired orbit. However, some missions require the use of a forth stage. If that is the case, the third stage will place the payload and the fourth stage into a slightly suborbital trajectory. The third stage then separates, and coasts along a suborbital trajectory until it crashes back to earth, landing in the ocean.
Like any set of payload fairings, the Proton’s payload fairings protect the payload from aerodynamic forces during the initial ascent. The payload fairings separate once the vehicle has reached a sufficient altitude,
While some missions can be accomplished with only three stages, others require a forth stage. If that is the case, there are three options for the for an upper stage. In all cases, the fourth stage will separate from the third stage and coast for a period, and then perform a burn to place the payload in a temporary orbit, known as a parking orbit. The forth stage will often perform multiple maneuvers until the payload has reached the desired orbit.
The Briz-M is the most common forth stage on a Proton-M launch. The Briz-M is powered by a single liquid fueled S5.98M engine, producing a total thrust of 19.6 kilo-Newtons.
The Blok DM-2 is a less common forth stage. The Blok DM-2 is powered by a single liquid fueled RD-58M engine, producing a total thrust of 85 kilo-Newtons.
The Blok DM-03 is another uncommon forth stage. The Blok DM-03 is powered by a single liquid fueled RD-58MF, producing a total thrust of 49.3 kilo-Newtons. The Blok DM-03 has a serious case of bad luck. Of the three missions the Blok DM-03 has flown, only one has been successful. The first failure was due to the ground crews accidentally adding too much fuel to the stage; as a result, the sage was too heavy to reach orbit. The second failure was due a guidance failure in the first stage, causing the rocket to crash almost immediately after liftoff. Due to the failure occurring early in the flight, there are numerous videos of the failure: Real Speed | Slow Motion
theartofmadeline
ellievsbear
izzy806
kaledo-art
romaincrisis
2087
dailybridgerton
tangentwithtanner