Soyuz LV Credit - © Mark Wade

Development of the Soyuz-M began in 1967 to launch the 6.6 metric ton Soyuz 7K-VI manned military spacecraft into a 65-degree inclination earth orbit. The spacecraft was cancelled, but development continued, and eight were Soyuz-M's were built and used to launch Zenit-4MT reconnaissance satellites in 1971-1976. The differences compared to the Soyuz-U are not known, and what (if anything) differentiated these Zenit-4MT missions from others is also a mystery.

The Kozlov filial of Korolev's OKB-1 was tasked with designing the Soyuz 7K-VI manned military spacecraft. In the first quarter of 1967 a substantially revised design was issued. The new spacecraft, with a crew of two, would have a total mass of 6.6 metric tons and could operate for a month in orbit. However the 11A511 launch vehicle could only put 6.3 metric tons into the 65 degree inclination design orbit. This would limit the crew to one. However the military objected to this. A second cosmonaut, without a spacesuit, but with life support systems and consumables would take another 400 kg of payload.

In order to meet the military requirements, Kozlov designed a new variant of the Soyuz launch vehicle, the 11A511M Soyuz-M. The project as reformulated was approved by the central committee on 21 July 1967 by the Central Committee of the Communist Party, with first flight to be in 1968 and operations to begin in 1969. However by the end of the year Kozlov's version of the spacecraft and the project had been taken over by Mishin's main office of OKB-1.

Development of the 11A511M continued for a time, perhaps to support planned solo flights of the Soyuz 7K-S military variant (cancelled in 1974). Eight of the 11A511M were built and eventually used to launch a few Zenit-4MT reconnaissance satellite missions from Plesetsk in the early 1970's (all other Zenit-4MT used the standard 11A511U). The differences compared to the 11A511U are not known, and what (if anything) differentiated these Zenit-4MT missions from others is also a mystery.

Manufacturer: Korolev. Launches: 8. Success Rate: 100.00%. First Launch Date: 1971-12-27. Last Launch Date: 1976-03-31. Launch data is: complete. LEO Payload: 6,600 kg (14,500 lb). to: 300 km Orbit. at: 65.00 degrees. Apogee: 400 km (240 mi). Associated Spacecraft: Zenit-4MT. Liftoff Thrust: 4,054.000 kN (911,375 lbf). Total Mass: 300,000 kg (660,000 lb). Core Diameter: 2.95 m (9.67 ft). Total Length: 50.00 m (164.00 ft).

1967 July 21 - Launch Vehicle: R-36-O, Tsyklon 2, Soyuz 11A511M.

• US Project reassigned; R-36-O booster development approved; Yantar-2K and Zvevda 7K-VI approved. Nation: USSR. Spacecraft: US-A, US-P, Yantar-2K, Yantar-4K1, Soyuz VI. Decree 715-240 'On the Creation of Space Systems for Naval Reconnaissance Comprising the US sat and the R-36-based booster -further work on the US naval reconnaissance satellite, approval of work on the Yantar-2K, and course of work on 7K-VI Zvezda'.

  An entire family of Yantar spacecraft was proposed by Kozlov’s design bureau during the initial development; information on two film return models has been declassified. Yantar was initially derived from the Soyuz spacecraft, including systems developed for the Soyuz VI military model. During design and development this changed until it had very little in common with Soyuz.

  Following numerous problems in the first flight tests of the Soyuz 7K-OK, Kozlov ordered a complete redesign of the 7K-VI manned military spacecraft. The new spacecraft, with a crew of two, would have a total mass of 6.6 tonnes and could operate for a month in orbit. The new design switched the positions of the Soyuz descent module and the orbital modules and was 300 kg too heavy for the standard 11A511 launch vehicle. Therefore Kozlov designed a new variant of the Soyuz launch vehicle, the 11A511M. The project was approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Party, with first flight to be in 1968 and operations to begin in 1969. The booster design, with unknown changes to the basic Soyuz, did not go into full production.References: 474.

• Cosmos 470 Nation: USSR. Payload: Zenit-4MT no. 1. Mass: 6,300 kg (13,800 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: Zenit-4MT. Agency: MOM. Perigee: 192 km (119 mi). Apogee: 259 km (160 mi). Inclination: 65.00 deg. Period: 89.00 min. COSPAR: 1971-118A. USAF Sat Cat: 5727. Duration: 10.00 days. Decay Date: 1972-01-06. Military topography satellite; returned film capsule; deployed science capsule. References: 1, 2, 6.

• Cosmos 502 Nation: USSR. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: Zenit-4MT. Agency: MOM. Perigee: 203 km (126 mi). Apogee: 262 km (162 mi). Inclination: 65.00 deg. Period: 89.10 min. COSPAR: 1972-055A. USAF Sat Cat: 6105. Duration: 12.00 days. Decay Date: 1972-07-25. Military topography satellite; returned film capsule; carried science package. References: 1, 2, 6.

• Cosmos 541 Nation: USSR. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: Zenit-4MT. Agency: MOM. Perigee: 218 km (135 mi). Apogee: 348 km (216 mi). Inclination: 81.00 deg. Period: 90.20 min. COSPAR: 1972-105A. USAF Sat Cat: 6326. Duration: 12.00 days. Decay Date: 1973-01-08. Military topography satellite; returned film capsule; separated science capsule. References: 1, 2, 6.

• Cosmos 576 Nation: USSR. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: Zenit-4MT. Agency: MOM. Perigee: 204 km (126 mi). Apogee: 332 km (206 mi). Inclination: 72.90 deg. Period: 89.80 min. COSPAR: 1973-044A. USAF Sat Cat: 6713. Duration: 12.00 days. Decay Date: 1973-07-09. Military topography satellite; returned film capsule; separated science capsule. References: 1, 2, 6.

• Cosmos 616 Nation: USSR. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: Zenit-4MT. Agency: MOM. Perigee: 206 km (128 mi). Apogee: 332 km (206 mi). Inclination: 72.90 deg. Period: 89.90 min. COSPAR: 1973-102A. USAF Sat Cat: 6979. Duration: 11.00 days. Decay Date: 1973-12-28. Military topography satellite; returned film capsule; separated science capsule. References: 1, 2, 6.

• Cosmos 664 Nation: USSR. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: Zenit-4MT. Agency: MOM. Perigee: 205 km (127 mi). Apogee: 341 km (211 mi). Inclination: 72.90 deg. Period: 90.00 min. COSPAR: 1974-049A. USAF Sat Cat: 7351. Duration: 12.00 days. Decay Date: 1974-07-11. Military topography satellite; returned film capsule; separated science capsule. References: 1, 2, 6.

• Cosmos 693 Nation: USSR. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: Zenit-4MT. Agency: MOM. Perigee: 219 km (136 mi). Apogee: 243 km (150 mi). Inclination: 81.30 deg. Period: 89.10 min. COSPAR: 1974-088A. USAF Sat Cat: 7509. Duration: 12.00 days. Decay Date: 1974-11-16. Military topography satellite; returned film capsule; separated science capsule. References: 1, 2, 6.

• Cosmos 811 Nation: USSR. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: Zenit-4MT. Agency: MOM. Perigee: 206 km (128 mi). Apogee: 338 km (210 mi). Inclination: 72.90 deg. Period: 90.00 min. COSPAR: 1976-030A. USAF Sat Cat: 8781. Duration: 12.00 days. Decay Date: 1976-04-12. Military topography satellite; returned film capsule; also performed mapping, geodesy, earth resources; deployed capsule. References: 1, 2, 6.

• McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.

• Lantratov, K., Novosti Kosmonavtiki, "'Zvezda' Dmitriya Kozlova", 1997, Issues 3 to 6 (four part article).