Sheldon names
Encyclopedia
Sheldon names were used to identify launch vehicles of the Soviet Union
when their Soviet names were unknown. The system was published by Dr. Charles Sheldon of the United States Library of Congress
in 1968. The system emphasizes the basic families of launch vehicles with special indicators for variants within a family.
A typical Sheldon name is the F-1-m, a forerunner to the Tsyklon
launch vehicle, or the F-2. The "F" indicates the launch vehicle family, the "1" indicates the upper stage, and the "m" indicates that the upper stage is maneuverable.
Examples of Sheldon names and Soviet names (now known):
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
when their Soviet names were unknown. The system was published by Dr. Charles Sheldon of the United States Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
in 1968. The system emphasizes the basic families of launch vehicles with special indicators for variants within a family.
A typical Sheldon name is the F-1-m, a forerunner to the Tsyklon
Tsyklon
The Tsyklon , GRAU index 11K67, was a Soviet/Ukrainian-designed expendable launch system, primarily used to put Cosmos satellites into low Earth orbit. It is based on the R-36 intercontinental ballistic missile designed by Mikhail Yangel and made eight launches, with seven successes, and one failure...
launch vehicle, or the F-2. The "F" indicates the launch vehicle family, the "1" indicates the upper stage, and the "m" indicates that the upper stage is maneuverable.
Examples of Sheldon names and Soviet names (now known):
- A-1: Vostok rocketVostok rocketVostok was a family of rockets derived from the Soviet R-7 Semyorka ICBM designed for the human spaceflight programme. This family of rockets launched the first artificial satellite and the first manned spacecraft in human history...
1959 - A-2-e: MolniyaMolniyaMolniya may refer to:* The Molniya , the Soviet military communications satellite.* Molniya orbit, distinctive orbit associated with the satellite....
1961 - A-2: Soyuz rocket 1963
- C-1: Kosmos rocket 1964
- D: Proton rocketProton rocketProton is an expendable launch system used for both commercial and Russian government space launches. The first Proton rocket was launched in 1965 and the launch system is still in use as of 2011, which makes it one of the most successful heavy boosters in the history of spaceflight...
1965 - D-1-e: Proton rocketProton rocketProton is an expendable launch system used for both commercial and Russian government space launches. The first Proton rocket was launched in 1965 and the launch system is still in use as of 2011, which makes it one of the most successful heavy boosters in the history of spaceflight...
1967 - D-1: Proton rocketProton rocketProton is an expendable launch system used for both commercial and Russian government space launches. The first Proton rocket was launched in 1965 and the launch system is still in use as of 2011, which makes it one of the most successful heavy boosters in the history of spaceflight...
1968 - G-1-e: N-1 rocket 1969
- F-2: TsyklonTsyklonThe Tsyklon , GRAU index 11K67, was a Soviet/Ukrainian-designed expendable launch system, primarily used to put Cosmos satellites into low Earth orbit. It is based on the R-36 intercontinental ballistic missile designed by Mikhail Yangel and made eight launches, with seven successes, and one failure...
1977 - J-1: Zenit rocketZenit rocketZenit is a family of space launch vehicles designed by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau of Ukraine. Zenit was built in the 1980s for two purposes: as a liquid rocket booster for the Energia rocket and, equipped with a second stage, as a stand-alone rocket...
1985 - K-1: EnergiaEnergiaEnergia was a Soviet rocket that was designed by NPO Energia to serve as a heavy-lift expendable launch system as well as a booster for the Buran spacecraft. Control system main developer enterprise was the NPO "Electropribor"...
1987