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Proton 1 / N-4
Credit - © Mark Wade
Class: Astronomy. Type: Cosmic Ray. Destination: Maximum Payload Orbit. Nation: Russia. Agency: MOM. Manufacturer: Chelomei.

Physics experiments. Space station "Proton 1". Investigation of ultra-high-energy cosmic particles. Actual mass was 8,300 kg - but that announced at time of launch was 12,200 kg (designed payload capacity of three-stage version of original Proton launch vehicle that never flew).

Typical orbit: 185 km x 593 km at 63 degrees inclination. Span: 4.10 m (13.40 ft). Mass: 8,300 kg (18,200 lb). Payload: 3,500 kg (7,700 lb). Associated Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82.

N-4 Chronology
  • 1965 July 16 - Proton 1 - Program: Proton. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton. Mass: 8,300 kg (18,200 lb). Perigee: 181 km (112 mi). Apogee: 578 km (359 mi). Inclination: 63.40 deg. Period: 92.20 min.

    The first launch of the Proton launch vehicle was not without problems. A leak in the oxidiser pipeline resulted in nitrogen tetroxide spilling on electrical wires. The question was: proceed with the launch or abort? Chelomei decided to go ahead, and on 16 July 1965 the first UR-500 successfully launched the Proton 1 satellite. In the first hours after launch specialists from OKB-52 could only receive signals in the first hours that indicated the satellite was ‘alive’. However it later functioned normally and provided physics data on ultra-high-energy cosmic particles for 45 days.

    At the first launch the rocket was called ‘Gerkules’ (other sources say ‘Atlantis’), as indicated by the large symbol on the second stage skin. This name was however was not taken up.

  • 1965 November 2 - Proton 2 - Program: Proton. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton. Mass: 8,300 kg (18,200 lb). Perigee: 189 km (117 mi). Apogee: 608 km (377 mi). Inclination: 63.50 deg. Period: 92.50 min.
    N-4 Spacecraft
    Cutaway view of N-4 spacecraft. This heavy high-energy physics station was launched on the first four test launches of the Proton launch vehicle....
    Credit- Chelomei School, Leninsk

    High energy physics laboratory. Investigation of ultra-high-energy cosmic particles.

  • 1966 March 24 - N-4 s/n 3 - Program: Proton. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton. FAILURE: Second stage malfunction. Mass: 8,300 kg (18,200 lb).

  • 1966 July 6 - Proton 3 - Program: Proton. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton. Mass: 8,300 kg (18,200 lb). Perigee: 185 km (114 mi). Apogee: 594 km (369 mi). Inclination: 63.50 deg. Period: 92.30 min.

    Space station 'Proton 3'. Investigation of ultra high energy cosmic particles

Bibliography:

  • McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page (launch records), Harvard University, 1997-present. Web Address when accessed: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
  • JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. Web Address when accessed: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html.
  • Kaesmann, Ferdinand, et. al., Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, "Proton - Development of A Russian Launch Vehicle", 1998, Volume 51, page 3.
  • Afanasyev, Igor, Novosti kosmonavtiki, "35 let RN Proton", 1998, Issue 5, page 40.
  • Vladimirov, A, Novosti kosmonavtiki, "Tablitsa zapuskov RN 'Proton' i 'Proton K'", 1998, Issue 10, page 25.
  • NASA Report, Proton-3 Spatial Super-Lab, Web Address when accessed: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19670004243_1967004243.pdf.
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© Mark Wade, 1997 - 2008 except where otherwise noted.