# Tsyklon

> Soviet expendable launch vehicle

**Wikidata**: [Q245509](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q245509)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsyklon)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/tsyklon

## Summary  
Tsyklon was a Soviet‑era expendable launch vehicle, first flown on 27 October 1967 and retired on 25 January 1969. Designed by the Pivdenne Design Office and built by Pivdenmash, it lifted up to 3 tonnes of payload to low‑Earth orbit from Baikonur’s Site 90.

## Key Facts  
- **First flight:** 27 October 1967.  
- **Retirement:** 25 January 1969.  
- **Launch mass:** 182 000 kg (launch weight).  
- **Height:** 39.70 m; **Diameter:** 3.0 m.  
- **Payload capacity:** 3 000 kg to low‑Earth orbit (≈185 km altitude).  
- **Designer:** Pivdenne Design Office (Ukrainian design bureau).  
- **Manufacturer:** Pivdenmash (Ukrainian production plant).  
- **Launch site:** Baikonur Cosmodrome, Site 90.  
- **Classifications:** Expendable launch vehicle; two‑stage‑to‑orbit rocket model.  
- **Aliases:** Cyclone, Tsiklon, Tsyklon‑2A, Циклон‑2А, 11К67.

## FAQs  
### Q: What was the primary purpose of the Tsyklon rocket?  
A: Tsyklon was built to launch Soviet scientific and military satellites, especially the Cosmos series, into low‑Earth orbit as an expendable, two‑stage launch system.  

### Q: Who designed and built the Tsyklon vehicle?  
A: The rocket was designed by the Pivdenne Design Office and manufactured by the Pivdenmash plant in the Ukrainian SSR.  

### Q: How many payloads could Tsyklon carry and to what orbit?  
A: It could deliver up to 3 000 kg of payload to a low‑Earth orbit of roughly 185 km altitude.  

### Q: Where were Tsyklon launches conducted?  
A: All launches took place from Baikonur Cosmodrome’s Site 90 in Kazakhstan.  

### Q: What are the other names for Tsyklon?  
A: It is also known as Cyclone, Tsiklon, Tsyklon‑2A, Циклон‑2А, and the internal designation 11К67.  

## Why It Matters  
Tsyklon represents an early Soviet effort to develop a reliable, expendable launch system capable of delivering sizable payloads to low‑Earth orbit. Its design leveraged the R‑36‑O missile heritage, demonstrating the adaptability of ballistic‑missile technology for space launch purposes. Though its operational life was brief—just over a year—it successfully placed numerous Cosmos satellites, contributing to the Soviet Union’s scientific, communications, and reconnaissance capabilities during the Cold War. The vehicle’s engineering lineage informed later Ukrainian launchers such as Tsyklon‑2, Tsyklon‑4, and the proposed Cyclone‑1M, underscoring its lasting influence on post‑Soviet launch vehicle development. Understanding Tsyklon offers insight into the evolution of expendable rockets, the transition from military to civilian space applications, and the collaborative design–manufacture framework between Ukrainian design bureaus and Soviet launch infrastructure.  

## Notable For  
- **First Soviet expendable launch vehicle** derived from the R‑36‑O missile family.  
- **High payload capability** of 3 tonnes to low‑Earth orbit for its era.  
- **Compact two‑stage design** with a 39.7 m height and 3 m diameter, enabling launches from Baikonur Site 90.  
- **Served as a technological foundation** for later Ukrainian rockets (Tsyklon‑2, Tsyklon‑4, Cyclone‑1M).  
- **Supported a series of Cosmos satellites**, contributing to Soviet scientific and military space programs.  

## Body  

### Development and Design  
- Designed by the **Pivdenne Design Office**, a Ukrainian aerospace design bureau.  
- Manufactured by **Pivdenmash**, the primary Soviet rocket production plant in the Ukrainian SSR.  
- Based on the **R‑36‑O** (Soviet orbital missile) architecture, adapted for satellite launch.  
- Designated internally as **11К67** (GRAU index).  

### Technical Specifications  
- **Mass (launch):** 182 000 kg.  
- **Height:** 39.70 m.  
- **Diameter:** 3.0 m.  
- **Stages:** Two‑stage‑to‑orbit configuration.  
- **Payload:** 3 000 kg to low‑Earth orbit (≈185 km).  

### Launch History  
- **First flight:** 27 October 1967 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Site 90.  
- **Retirement:** 25 January 1969 after a short operational period.  
- **Missions:** Primarily launched **Cosmos** series satellites (e.g., Cosmos 371, 475, 586, 800).  

### Operational Context  
- Served the Soviet Union’s need for a **dedicated expendable launch system** during the late 1960s.  
- Complemented other Soviet launchers such as the **Soyuz** and **Vostok** families.  

### Legacy  
- The **Tsyklon‑2** and **Tsyklon‑4** rockets directly descended from the original Tsyklon design, extending its operational concepts into the post‑Soviet era.  
- The proposed **Cyclone‑1M** reflects ongoing interest in the vehicle’s modular architecture for modern Ukrainian launch ambitions.  

## Schema Markup  
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  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "Tsyklon",
  "description": "Soviet expendable launch vehicle first flown in 1967 and retired in 1969.",
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## References

1. [Source](http://www.astronautix.com/t/tsiklon-2a.html)
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. [Source](https://www.russianspaceweb.com/tsyklon.html)