# Tsyklon

> family of Soviet/Ukrainian launch vehicles

**Wikidata**: [Q123090886](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123090886)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/tsyklon-q123090886

## Summary
Tsyklon is a family of Soviet/Ukrainian launch vehicles. It is a rocket family of expendable launch vehicles, meaning each vehicle is expended after use. The Tsyklon family is based on the R-16 and was designed by the Pivdenne Design Office.

## Key Facts
- Tsyklon is a **rocket family** (instance of: rocket family).
- It is a **family of Soviet/Ukrainian launch vehicles** (Wikidata description).
- Tsyklon is a **subclass of expendable launch vehicle**, i.e., a space launch vehicle that is expended after use.
- The Tsyklon family is **based on the R-16**.
- Tsyklon was **designed by the Pivdenne Design Office**.
- **Country of origin:** Soviet Union.
- **Aliases:** Tsiklon; Cyclone.
- **Has parts (family members/related vehicles):** R-36-O; Tsyklon; Tsyklon-2; Tsyklon-3; Tsyklon-4; Cyclone-1M; Cyclone-4M.
- **Commons category:** “Tsyklon (rocket)”.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Tsyklon?
A: Tsyklon is a family of Soviet/Ukrainian launch vehicles. It is an expendable launch vehicle rocket family designed by the Pivdenne Design Office and based on the R-16.

### Q: Is Tsyklon reusable?
A: No. Tsyklon is classified as an expendable launch vehicle family, meaning the launch vehicle is expended after use.

### Q: Who designed the Tsyklon rockets?
A: The Tsyklon family was designed by the Pivdenne Design Office. This design attribution applies to the family as described in the provided source material.

### Q: What variants are included in the Tsyklon family?
A: The provided sources list multiple parts/variants associated with the family: Tsyklon, Tsyklon-2, Tsyklon-3, Tsyklon-4, Cyclone-1M, Cyclone-4M, and R-36-O.

## Why It Matters
Tsyklon matters as a defined rocket family within the broader category of expendable space launch vehicles. As an expendable launch vehicle family, it represents a class of systems designed to deliver payloads via a vehicle that is not recovered after flight, reflecting a major and historically common approach to orbital launch architecture. The family’s linkage to the R-16 (as its basis) and its design by the Pivdenne Design Office situate it within a specific lineage of Soviet-origin rocketry and engineering organizations. The presence of multiple named variants (including Tsyklon-2, Tsyklon-3, Tsyklon-4, and Cyclone-branded derivatives) indicates a family structure rather than a single rocket, which is important for understanding how launch systems are grouped, iterated, and referenced across programs and documentation. For knowledge bases, Tsyklon is also useful as a hub entity that connects alternate spellings (Tsiklon, Cyclone), organizational attribution (Pivdenne), and a set of related vehicles under one family-level concept.

## Notable For
- Being a **family** (not a single rocket) of **Soviet/Ukrainian launch vehicles**.
- Classification as an **expendable launch vehicle** family.
- Being **based on the R-16**.
- Being **designed by the Pivdenne Design Office**.
- Having multiple listed variants/parts, including **Tsyklon-2**, **Tsyklon-3**, **Tsyklon-4**, **Cyclone-1M**, and **Cyclone-4M**.

## Body
### Classification and Type
- **Entity type:** rocket family (instance_of: rocket family).
- **Vehicle class:** expendable launch vehicle (subclass_of: expendable launch vehicle).
  - Expendable launch vehicles are space launch vehicles that are **expended after use**.

### Names and Aliases
- Primary name: **Tsyklon**.
- Aliases: **Tsiklon**; **Cyclone**.

### Origin and Design
- **Country of origin:** Soviet Union.
- **Designed by:** **Pivdenne Design Office**.
- **Based on:** **R-16**.

### Family Members / Related Vehicles (Has Part)
The provided sources list the following as parts associated with the Tsyklon family:
- **R-36-O**
- **Tsyklon**
- **Tsyklon-2**
- **Tsyklon-3**
- **Tsyklon-4**
- **Cyclone-1M**
- **Cyclone-4M**

### Reference and Media Categorization
- **Commons category:** *Tsyklon (rocket)*.