HEAVY-LIFT VEHICLE COMPATIBILITY TESTING TYURATAM SPACE LAUNCH SITE W, USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84T00171R000202110001-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 30, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 22, 1983
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/30: CIA-RDP84TO0171 R000202110001-6
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NPIC/PEG (10/83)
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NPIC/PEG (10/83)
HEAVY-LIFT VEHICLE COMPATIBILITY TESTING
TYURATAM SPACE! T.ATTATru CT'PT: W, USSR
1. SIGNIFICANCE: COMPATIBILITY TESTING OF THE NEW SOVIET
HEAVY-LIFT VEHICLE (HLV) WITH THE LAUNCH PAD IS IN PROGRESS.
(SWN)
2. REMARKS: THE HLV IS ERECTED ON THE LAUNCH PAD WITH THREE AND
PROBABLY FOUR STRAP-ON BOOSTERS ATTACHED TO THE CORE VEHICLE.
THE STRAP-ON BOOSTERS APPEAR TO BE MOUNTED IN PAIRS AND ARE NOT
SYMMETRICAL ABOUT THE CORE VEHICLE. (SWN)
A BETTER VIEW OF THREE OF THE STRAP-ON BOOSTERS WAS OBTAINED
FROM A PREAMBLE STRIP-OUT OF FRAME 2629. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT
VISIBLE ON THE ORIGINAL IMAGERY. (TSR)
ADDITIONALLY, THE SERVICE GANTRY TOWER HAS BEEN MOVED AWAY FROM
THE LAUNCH PAD AREA. INITIAL COMPATIBILITY TESTING WAS FIRST
OBSERVED WHEN THE SERVICE GANTRY TOWER WAS ON THE
LAUNCH PAD FOR THE FIRST TIME. (SWN)
SPACE LAUNCH SITE W HAS BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION SINCE MAY 1978
AND IS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT LAUNCHES OF THE SOVIET SPACE SHUTTLE
AND POSSIBLY OTHER PAYLOADS WHICH WILL UTILIZE THE HLV.
ALTHOUGH THE CORE VEHICLE FOR HLV AND SOME OF ITS STRAP-ON
BOOSTERS HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN OBSERVED AT TYURATAM, THIS IS THE
FIRST TIME THAT ANY OF THE VEHICLE COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN SEEN AT
SPACE LAUNCH SITE W, AND THE FIRST TIME THAT ANY OF THE
STRAP-ON BOOSTERS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED ATTACHED TO THE CORE
VEHICLE. THE LAUNCH PEDESTAL AT THE LAUNCH PAD AND THE ACCESS
PLATFORMS OF THE SERVICE GANTRY TOWER ARE DESIGNED TO
ACCOMMODATE THE CORE VEHICLE AND FOUR STRAP-ON BOOSTERS. (SWN)
COORDINATES 46-00-21N 063-18-33E
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed ana-
lytical work. Their use should be restricted to the particular briefing board(s) they were prepared for
and must be considered valid only for the reporting period as indicated by the date of issue.
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.., Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/30: CIA-RDP84T00171 R000202110001-6