Barents Sea Launch Area

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Type: Sea Launch Area. Latitude: 69.50000 deg. Longitude: 34.20000 deg.

Submarine-launched ballistic missile launch area known to have been used for 119 launches from 1965 to 2007, reaching up to 1270 kilometers altitude.

General / Launch Complex Unknown Chronology

1965 May 19 - 13:00 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-13. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi).

1965 May 24 - 10:00 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-13. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi).

1965 May 25 - 13:00 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-13. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi).

1965 May 26 - 13:36 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-13. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi).

1965 May 31 - 13:30 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-13. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi).

1977 March 18 - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Test mission Agency: VMF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

1977 March 20 - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Test mission Agency: VMF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

1986 September 1 - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Test mission Agency: VMF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

1990 January 2 - 19:57 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 84 km (52 mi).

1990 January 2 - 20:27 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi).

1990 January 9 - 20:10 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 79 km (49 mi).

1990 January 9 - 20:30 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 76 km (47 mi).

1990 January 16 - 20:12 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi).

1990 January 18 - 21:00 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 82 km (50 mi).

1990 January 23 - 20:54 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi).

1990 January 25 - 20:20 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 82 km (50 mi).

1990 February 6 - 20:00 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi).

1990 February 13 - 20:00 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi).

1990 February 20 - 20:16 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi).

1990 February 27 - 20:04 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 81 km (50 mi).

1990 March 6 - 19:20 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 77 km (47 mi).

1990 March 13 - 20:00 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 77 km (47 mi).

1990 March 20 - 19:40 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi).

1990 March 27 - 19:55 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi).

1990 November 2 - 17:53 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 84 km (52 mi).

1990 November 9 - 17:00 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 82 km (50 mi).

1990 November 14 - 16:10 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 81 km (50 mi).

1990 November 21 - 20:00 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 79 km (49 mi).

1990 November 28 - 18:46 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 84 km (52 mi).

1990 November 28 - 21:30 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi).

1990 December 4 - 19:55 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 83 km (51 mi).

1990 December 4 - 21:15 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 72 km (44 mi).

1990 December 4 - 22:20 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 72 km (44 mi).

1990 December 11 - 19:55 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 83 km (51 mi).

1990 December 18 - 19:55 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 82 km (50 mi).

1990 December 25 - 20:40 GMT - Launch Vehicle: M-100. Apogee: 82 km (50 mi).

1995 June 6 - 22:10 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Volna VMF RF Volan? Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,270 km (780 mi).

1996 July 15 - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Operational test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

1996 October 3 - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Operational test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

1996 October 23 - Launch Vehicle: R-39. Arms control Agency: VMF. Apogee: 3.00 km (1.80 mi).

1997 January 15 - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Operational test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

1997 March 27 - Launch Vehicle: R-39. Arms control Agency: VMF. Apogee: 3.00 km (1.80 mi).

1997 March 28 - Launch Vehicle: R-39. Arms control Agency: VMF. Apogee: 3.00 km (1.80 mi).

1997 December 3 - Launch Vehicle: R-39. Arms control Agency: VMF. Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

1997 December 4 - Launch Vehicle: R-39. Arms control Agency: VMF. Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

1998 February 19 - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Operational test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

1998 July 7 - 03:15 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Tubsat-N Mass: 8.00 kg (17.60 lb). Spacecraft: Tubsat. Agency: TUB. Perigee: 400 km (240 mi). Apogee: 776 km (482 mi). Inclination: 78.90 deg. Period: 96.40 min. The first satellite launch from a submarine. The Shtil-1 launch vehicle was a converted Makeyev R-29RM SLBM. The satellite payload was placed in the standard re-entry vehicle. The launch platform was the K-407 Novomoskovsk, a 667BDRM Delfin class submarine of the Russian Northern Fleet 3rd Flotilla. The launch was made from a firing range in the Barents Sea off the coast of the Kolskiy Peninsula, at 35.3 deg E 69.3 deg N. The payloads were the Tubsat-N and Tubsat-N1 `nanosatellites'. Tubsat-N entered a 400 x 776 km x 78.9 deg orbit. Both carried small store-forward communications payloads used to keep track of transmitters placed on vehicles, migrating animals, and marine buoys. They are owned, operated and built by the Technische Universitat Berlin (TUB). Tubsat-N was the larger of the pair, with dimensions of 32x32x10.4 cm and a mass of 8.5 kg.

1998 August 21 - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Operational test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

1999 April 1 - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Operational test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

1999 October 1 - Launch Vehicle: R-29. FAILURE: Failure. Operational test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).

1999 November 17 - Launch Vehicle: R-39. Test mission Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2000 March 27 - 06:00 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi). Three launches in one day from two submarines.

2000 March 27 - 09:00 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Operational test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2000 April 6 - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Operational test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2000 September 12 - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Shtil VMF RF Operational test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2000 December 27 - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Operational test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2001 February 16 - 10:28 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Shtil VMF RF Operational test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2001 June 5 - 11:32 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Shtil VMF RF Operational test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2001 July 20 - 00:31 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Cosmos 1 Solar Sail Spacecraft test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 412 km (256 mi). Launch delayed from April 26 and July 19 failure. The Russian Navy launched a three-stage R-29R Volna from the submarine Borisoglebsk in the Barents Sea on a suborbital flight. The payload was a joint project between the Planetary Society and NPO Lavochkin's Babakin center, and consisted of a solar sail deployment test with an inflatable reentry shield. The payload failed to separate from the final stage.

2001 September 27 - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Shtil VMF RF Operational test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2002 July 12 - 00:58 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-29. IRDT-2 re-entry vehicle test flight Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). The Russian Navy launched the IRDT-2 spacecraft using a surplus R-29R Volna from the submarine K-44 Ryazan. The spacecraft was launched on a suborbital trajectory from the Barents Sea and landed in Kamchatka. After third stage separation the IRDT fired a boost motor to increase its speed and then inflated the first stage of its heat shield.

2002 October 12 - 09:55 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Shtil VMF RF Operational test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2004 February 18 - 09:30 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Sineva VMF RF FAILURE: Failure. Sineva operational test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 10 km (6 mi). Failure - destroyed 98 seconds after launch. Launched during a nationwide military exercise.

2004 March 17 - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Sineva VMF RF Operational test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2004 June 29 - 07:25 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Operational test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2004 September 8 - 04:38 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Operational test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2004 September 8 - 07:38 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi). SLBM Test - second launch in one day.

2004 September 23 - Launch Vehicle: Bulava. Bulava cold-launch test Agency: VMF. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi). Test of naval version of Topol M ICBM. A mass replica of a the new Bulava SLBM reached under 100 m altitude after being launched from the submerged SSBN Dmitry Donskoi.

2004 December 11 - Launch Vehicle: Bulava. Bulava cold-launch test Agency: VMF. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi). A mass replica of a the new Bulava SLBM was ejected from its launch tube from the surfaced SSBN Dmitry Donskoi.

2005 June 21 - 19:46 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-29. FAILURE: Failure. Cosmos 1 Mass: 103 kg (227 lb). Spacecraft: Parus. Agency: Planetary Society. Launched from SSBN Borisoglebsk. First orbital flight attempt of converted SLBM. Payload was solar sail demonstrator. Delayed from late 2001; March 20 and October 2002; late March, August 28 and October, 2003; February, March, April 6, May 20 and 31, 2005.

2005 August 17 - 07:06 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Sineva VMF RF RSM-54 test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2005 October 6 - 21:30 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-29. IRDT-2R re-entry vehicle test flight Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). Suborbital test of the Demonstrator inflatable reentry technology test vehicle. The reentry vehicle could not be located in the Kamchatka Peninsula impact zone and was not recovered. Test delayed from the fourth quarter of 2003, then May and October 2004, then July 5, July 8, September 15, September 27, 2005.

2005 October 7 - 21:30 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Sineva VMF RF RSM-54 Test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2006 May 26 - 18:50 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Kompass-2 Mass: 80 kg (176 lb). Spacecraft: Kompas. Agency: Izmiran. Perigee: 402 km (249 mi). Apogee: 492 km (305 mi). Inclination: 78.90 deg. Period: 93.50 min. Complex Orbital Magneto-Plasma Autonomous Small Satellite. Earthquake research satellite for the Moscow-based IZMIRAN science institute. The satellite carried detectors for electrons, UHF/VHF waves, UV emission and radiation, a radio frequency analyser for electric field waves, and a Mayak ionospheric beacon. Reports indicated that the satellite did not respond to ground commands and that its mission was abandoned.

2006 June 30 - 06:25 GMT - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Sineva VMF RF R-29RM test Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2007 December 17 - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Sineva VMF RF Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2007 December 25 - Launch Vehicle: R-29. Sineva VMF RF Agency: VMF RF. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

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© Mark Wade, 1997 - 2008 except where otherwise noted.