R-36 Yangel OKB Boosters Yangel OKB launch vehicles Credit - © Mark Wade Yangel was the third prominent Chief Designer of liquid propellant rockets. He was put in charge of the OKB-586 in the Ukraine in order to mass-produce and further develop ballistic missiles that originated with Korolev's OKB-1. Very quickly he proved to be a major competitor. The R-12 and R-14 intermediate range ballistic missiles went into mass production and were deployed for 25 years until demobilized under treaty at the end of the Cold War. The R-16, built in competition with Korolev's R-9, was the first ICBM deployed in large numbers in Russia, and was the backbone of the Soviet Union's 'Missile Shield' in the mid-1960's. While the R-26 lost the light ICBM competition to Chelomei's UR-100, Yangel was triumphant when the R-36 was selected over the Korolev GR-1 and Chelomei UR-200 for the heavy ICBM role. The R-36 evolved into a series of powerful ICBM's and the Tsyklon space launcher series, still in use at the end of the century. The R-46 was beaten by Chelomei's UR-500 for the monster ICBM/heavy space launcher competition, and the R-56 was in third place to the Korolev N1 and Chelomei UR-700 moon launchers. But the R-46 eventually evolved into the Zenit launch vehicle and Energia booster strap-ons, and was eventually commercialized by Boeing in the Sea Launch venture. R-56 Polyblock One design approach considered for Yangel's R-56 superbooster of the 1960's was a polyblock design limited to rail transport restrictions (4 x 3.8 m diameter stages...more. R-16 The Soviet Union's first practical ICBM, a two stage vehicle using storable propellants. Development began in 1956 and the missile was in service from 1962 to...more. R-56 The R-56 was Yangel's ultimate superbooster design. Trade studies begun in 1962 resulted in a conventional tandem stage design capable of being transported on the...more. SK-100 In 1962 Yangel produced his first design for a large clustered rocket. The SK-100 would have clustered seven R-16 ICBM first stages in order to put 100 metric tons...more. R-46 Super-heavy ICBM designed by Yangel in 1963-1966. The original R-56 super-booster concept consisted of clustered R-46's....more. R-36 The R-36 ICBM was the largest ever built and the bogeyman of the Pentagon throughout the Cold War. Dubbed the 'city buster', the 308 silos built were constantly...more. Tsyklon Minimal modification of the R-36 ICBM used in replacement of Chelomei's cancelled UR-200 booster for initial launches of the IS ASAT and US naval radarsat. Development...more. R-36-O The R-36-O was the only orbiting military nuclear weapon ever deployed, although in order to remain legal under international treaties it was a 'fractional orbital'...more. Tsyklon 2 A government decree of 24 August 1965 ordered development by Yangel of a version of his R-36 rocket to orbit Chelomei's IS (Istrebitel Sputnik) ASAT and US (Upravlenniye...more. R-36M The R-36M replaced the R-36 in 288 existing silos and was additionally installed in 20 new super-hardened silos....more. Tsyklon 3 The Tsyklon 3 was developed in 1970-1977 as a part of a program to reduce the number of Soviet booster types. The first two stages were derived from the 8K68 version...more. R-36M2 The R-36M2 was the Soviet Union's answer to the American 'Star Wars' anti-ballistic missile system. It was unusually named 'Voevoda' (an old Russian word for the...more.   Ikar Ikar was Yuzhnoye's design for a heavy ICBM, a next-generation replacement for the R-36M2. Design was begun at the beginning of the 1990's under Stanislav Us. It...more. Tsyklon 4 Updated version of Tsyklon 3, announced by the Ukraine in 2005 as being in design. Improved lower stages, new upper stage and a new 4.0-m diameter payload fairing. No production plans....more.                   Contact us with any corrections, additions, or comments. Conditions for use of drawings, pictures, or other materials from this site.. To contact astronauts or cosmonauts. © Mark Wade, 1997 - 2007 except where otherwise noted.

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