R-5A

It was created on the basis of the R-5M medium-range ballistic missile developed under the guidance of S.P. Korolev in OKB-1 .

The R-5A missile is designed to continue scientific research and study the upper atmosphere associated with flights at high speeds and altitudes of the order of 500 km:

• air pressure measurement at altitudes of 400-500 km:
• micrometeorite research;
• study of ionic composition;
• study of the height of the luminous layers;
• investigation of the ultraviolet part of the spectrum of the sun;
• study of the possibility of survival and vital activity of animals when lifting them on a rocket to a height of up to 500 km;
• investigation of the ionosphere in the conditions of vertical rocket flight to altitudes of the order of 500 km;
• test of the rescue system of the warhead;
• development and creation of experimental rockets stabilized on the ascending branch of the trajectory.

Specialists in control systems were interested in the distribution of electron concentration in the ionosphere, the magnitude of the electrostatic field at the surface of the rocket. The experiments were continued using a special model in aerodynamics at high supersonic flight speeds at high altitudes.

After working out at the training ground and adopting the R-5M rocket on its basis, OKB-1 began developing high-altitude geophysical rockets R-5A, R-5B , R-5BA , R-5V , R-5VAO , which began a new stage of scientific research of the upper layers atmosphere at altitudes up to 500 km. The missiles were equipped with a damping system to stabilize the passive section of the trajectory. About 20 scientific and design organizations of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR and the ministry (IPG, State Committee of the USSR Council of Ministers for the Use of Atomic Energy (GKIAE), Physical Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences , RAA KGIAE, IFA AS USSR , IKF, YAFSO AS , LII GKAT took part in the studies , Research Institute of Nuclear Physics, Moscow State University , GAISH , NIE and PDS GKAT, etc.). In various versions, the missiles were equipped with descending vehicles (model M-2), VGAS (high-altitude geoastronomy station) and GKZH (geometric cabin of animals) and other equipment.

In the head part there was a special pressurized compartment for biomedical experiments with two Plexiglass cells, which made it possible to monitor the behavior of animals during flight using a film. In addition to dogs, white rats and mice were used, which were placed in pairs in the compartments - male and female. In the sealed compartment housed cinema equipment with a cassette for 300 m of film, a system of mirrors and lighting equipment. For air regeneration in the compartment, two cartridges with granules of potassium superexide compounds were used. Studies have shown that flight does not cause severe disturbances in the physiological functions of animals, noticeable changes in their behavior and state of health, and the chosen design of the sealed cabin and its equipment provide the necessary conditions for animals to live when flying to altitudes of 212-450 km. During the period of weightlessness at the site of the drop in the payload to the Earth, the recorded physiological parameters were kept within acceptable limits and returned to the initial level at 5-6 minutes. The chosen parachute rescue system for the warhead ensured the survival of animals upon landing.

On the R-5A rocket, experiments were also planned to ensure promising developments of OKB-1, for example:

• In the interests of ensuring the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite in the first half of 1957 on R-5A and R-2A, it was supposed to carry out an experimental verification of corner reflectors designed to provide direction finding of the satellite by a radar station ^[1] ;
• In the interests of developing an apparatus for ballistic descent of a person and practicing planning a descent of a person in suborbital space flights under the project VR-190 ^[2] .

• On February 21, 1958 at 08:42 during the first launch of the R-5A geophysical rocket, a world record was set for a single-stage rocket - for the first time, an altitude of 473 km was reached with a payload of 1520 kg and an object weighing 1350 kg was saved. The initial mass of the rocket was 29314 kg, and the maximum speed was 2636 m / s. Due to the depressurization of the cabin, animals (dogs Palm and Fluff) died.
• On August 27, 1958 at 08:06 a new world record was also set - an altitude of 453 km was reached and an object weighing 1,581 kg was saved. Dogs Belyanka and Pestra saved. During the launch of the rocket, experiments were carried out with an infrared vertical. There were no data in the literature on such studies, so the result obtained during the experiments could be considered unique. Data processing allowed us to conclude that the infrared vertical is suitable for use in a satellite orientation system.
• On September 19, 1958 , the vertical experiment was repeated. It ended in failure - the head part could not be saved and the equipment was destroyed. One of the experiments on this rocket was directly related to the launch program of the spacecraft to the moon. Means were needed to fix the location of the device at the time of approaching the moon. A so-called "sodium comet" has been proposed for this purpose. The idea was to form a plasma cloud of ionized sodium vapor at an appropriate height and observe using astronomical means. Such an experiment was carried out on September 19, 1958. Its results led to the conclusion that it was advisable to use a “sodium comet” when launching a spacecraft to the moon. There were no animals in the cockpit.
• On October 31, 1958 , at 12:54 p.m. another launch took place. An infrared vertical with an improved bolometer was installed on the R-5A rocket. The head of the rocket was also not saved, the dogs (Zhulba and Knopka2) were killed. However, as the analysis showed, the vertical worked fine and all the necessary manipulations with the bolometer were performed. In addition, the receiving cassettes were slightly damaged.

A total of ten launches of R-5A missiles were carried out from the Kapustin Yar firing range from February 21, 1958 to October 21, 1961 .

• Geophysical rocket
• Meteorological rocket
• Anti-hail rocket

• The first manned flight. Russian cosmonautics in archival documents. In 2 books / Ed. V.A. Davydova. - Book 1. - M .: "Homeland of MEDIA", 2011. - 560 p. - 2000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-905350-01-6 .

• R-5A missile. Excretion media. RKKE website
• Geophysical single-stage rocket R-5A (right). DEVELOPMENT OF ROCKET CONSTRUCTION AND COSMONAUTICS IN THE USSR. (inaccessible link)
• R-5A in flight. Website of Norbert Brugge (Germany). (inaccessible link)
• Martin Troll Collection
• R-5A missile in flight (left). E.K. Fedorov. Using rockets and satellites. "Science and Life" 1958, No. 5, pp. 11-16
• GEOPHYSICAL ROCKET B-5A (5BA). The creative heritage of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev
• HEAD PART OF THE GEOPHYSICAL ROCKET B-5A (5VA). The creative heritage of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev
• The head of the R-5A missile. I. B. Afanasyev. P12: Sandalwood
• The head of the R-5A missile. 04/06/1959. RIA News
• Detachable warhead of the R-5A missile in complex tests. DEVELOPMENT OF ROCKET CONSTRUCTION AND COSMONAUTICS IN THE USSR. (inaccessible link)
• Photo of a dog (Belyanka or Pestra) at a flight altitude of 60 km at a speed of 3150 km / h. RGANTD (inaccessible link)
• The experimental dogs Belyanka and Pestraya after landing from a height of 450 km at the head of the R-5A rocket. DEVELOPMENT OF ROCKET CONSTRUCTION AND COSMONAUTICS IN THE USSR. (inaccessible link)

• R-5M rocket. Excretion media. RKKE website
• The creative heritage of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev
• G.S. VETROV. S. P. KOROLEV AND HIS BUSINESS
• http://www.astronaut.ru/animals/animals.htm
• I. Marinin, A. Vladimir, I. Lisov. Kapustin Yar Cosmodrome is reborn. COSMONAUTICS NEWS No. 6 1999
• RD-103M (8D71). Liquid Propellant Rocket Engines
• E.K. Fedorov. Using rockets and satellites. "Science and Life" 1958, No. 5, pp. 11-16
• Yazdovsky V. I. On the paths of the Universe.