The Proton rocket was originally developed in 1965 by the USSR (the former Soviet Union) as one of that country's first non-ballistic missile designs. The Proton was designed by Vladimir Nikolayevich Chelomei to compete with the larger N-1, designed by Sergey Korolev. Intended for use in the Soviet lunar program, the basic Proton rocket, the Proton-K, was the largest Russian launch vehicle to attain operational status.
The Proton is a liquid-fueled design that relies upon toxic, hypergolic fuels. It is a controversial and dangerous combination as several vehicles were lost to failure before the booster became the stable workhorse it now is.
Over the years, a variety of booster engine combinations were used, resulting in a number of rocket configurations. Three-stage versions of the Proton-K have been used to launch the Russian elements of the International Space Station (ISS), Zarya and Zvezda, in excess of 20 tons each. The latest version of the Proton lifted a DirecTV broadcast satellite in 2005 but a Proton-M launch in March of 2006 resulted in the failure of the payload to achieve geo-stationary orbit.
For more information:
- http://www.astronautix.com/lvfam/ur.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proton_rocket
- http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/SPACEFLIGHT/Soviet_launch_vehicles/SP14.htm
Author(s): Jamey Sismondi (unknown date prior to 2007 December 31)
