COMPARISION OF LARGE LIQUID PROPELLANT ROCKET ENGINE TEST FACILITIES IN THE USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP02T06408R000600010027-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 67
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 18, 2003
• Sequence Number: 27
• Publication Date: February 1, 1967
• Content Type: REPORT

TP~rov~I~~RALe~se 2003106124 :CIA-RDP02T06408R000600010027-5
PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION REPORT
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1.
COMPARISON OF
LARGE LIQUID PROPELLANT ROCKET
ENGINE TEST FACILITIES IN THE USSR
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PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION REPORT
COMPARISON OF
LARGE LIQUID PROPELLANT ROCKET
ENGINE TEST FACILITIES IN THE USSR
FEBRUARY 1967
NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
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PREFACE
This report was prepared in response to GMAIC
Requirement 31 and presents detailed comparisons and
construction chronologies of large vertical test stands
located at Soviet liquid propellant rocket engine test
facilities. Layouts of the facilities illustrate the relation-
ships between test stands and support structures, the
siting of the test stands, and the use made of natural
terrain features at the facilities. Dimensions of the test
stands and support structures and the topography of the
test facilities have been determined from photography using
programmed orbital data and stereocompilation techniques.
All line drawings of the facilities have been drawn to
the same scale to permit aneasy comparison of their relative
size and complexity. The perspective drawings of the test
stands are also presented at approximately the same scale
to aid in comparing their differences and similarities. A
cross index of almost identical structures that probably
have similar functions and tables showing the chronological
development of the test stands are presented as an aid to
the user.
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Summary ................................................... 1
Introduction ................................................. 1
General Description of Facilities ................................... 2
Moskva Khimki Plants 456 and 301 .................................. 3
Moskva Missile and Space Propulsion Development Center Khimki 456 ....... 3
Moskva Guided Missile Research and Development Plant Khimki 301 ........ 7
Zagorak Rocket Engine Test Facility Krasnozavodsk ...................... 9
Dnepropetrovsk Missile Development and Production Center ................. 17
Comparison of Facilities Probably Mainly Concerned with Research and
Development Testing ........................................ 24
Kurumoch Rocks[ Engine Test Facility ...............................LS
Krasnoyarsk Rocket Engine Test Facility ............................. 33
Perm Rocket Engine Teat Facility .................................. 41
Voronezh Rocket Engine Test Facility ................................ 47
Omsk Rocket Engine Teat Facility .................................. 55
Comparison of Similar Tesc Stands and Other Structures at Soviet Rocket Engine
Test Facilities Probably Mainly Concerned with Production-Type Tenting...... 61
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 SUMMARY
Racket engine test facilities in the USSR containing
vertical static test stands of massive construction suitable
for the test firing of large liquid propellant rocket engines
are divided into 3 basic groups and construction crironologies.
These stands are generally located at the following 2 types
of facilities: 1) complex facilities having developmental
capabilities, and 2) simpler facilities that are probably
mainly concerned with production-type testing.
The 3 groups of test stands are:
1) stands with various configurations constructed
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during the early 1950s; some of these stands were
remodeled later for new testing programs;
2) stands with partial width projections started in the
late 1950s;
3} stands with full width projections started in the
early 1960s.
INTRODUCTION
Facilities for the statictestingoflarge,liquidpropellant
rocket engines have been identified at 8locations in western
and central USSR (Figure 1 }. These facilities are character-
ized by large, massively constructed vertical test stands,
smaller test stands, testcells, and associatedsupportstruc-
tures. Although no clear-cut distinction can be drawn be-
tween facilities for developmental testing and those for series
production testing, it is possible that the relatively complex
facilities with several test stands of varied sizes and
configurations have developmental capabilities, whereas
the relatively simple or less complex facilities with simi-
lar test stands are probably mainly concerned with produc-
tion-type testing. However, this would not preclude develop-
ment testing at the simpler facilities ox, conversely,
production testing at the more complex facilities. The
OTHER VARIOUS COIVfIGURATIONS
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FIGURE I. LOCATION OF LIQUID PROPELLANT ROCKET ENGINE TEST FACILITIES.
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relatively complex test facilities with test stands of varied
configurations have been identified at the following places:
{1)
Moskva Missile and Space Propulsion
Development Center Khimki 456
(55-54N 037-26E)
Moskva Guided Missile Research and Development
Plant Khimki 301
55-54N 37-25E)
Both located on the northwest outskirts of Moskva
(2} Zagorsk Rocket Engine Test Facility Krasnozavodsk
56-25N 038-10E)
Located 44 nautical miles (nm) northeast of Moskva
(3) Dnepropetrovsk Missile Development and Test
Center
48-26N 034-59E)
Located on the southern edge of Dnepropetrovsk
The relatively simple test facilities with test stands
of similar configuration have been identified at the following
places:
(4) Kurumoch Rocket Engine Test Facility
(5)
(53-32N 049-51E)
Located 24 nm northwest of Kuybyshev
Krasnoyarsk Rocket Engine Test Facility
k56-06N 093-26E)
.Located 17 nm northeast of Krasnoyarsk
(6) Perm Rocket Engine Test Facility
(58-O1N 056-34E)
Located 7.5 nm east of Perm
(7) Voronezh Rocket Engine Test Facility
51-35N 039-10E)
Located 5 nm south of Voronezh
($) Omsk Rocket Engine Test Facility
55-25N 073-17E)
Located 28 nm north of Omsk
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
OF FACILITIES
Soviet liquid propellant rocket engine test facilities
contain test stands and/or test cells which are used for
the static test firing of rocket engines, small components, and
possibly complete missile stages; buildings for servicing
the test articles and supporting the test programs; usually
an air liquefaction plant; basic utilities; administration; and
housing areas. Large water storage tanks, water treatment
facilities, or supply pipelines are usually evident because of
the volume of water needed to cool the blast deflector.* All
test facilities are secured, rail served, and situated along
a ravine or cliff to utilize the natural terrain features in
siting the large vertical test stands.
A detailed analysis and comparison of the larger
Soviet test stands reveal marked similarities among some
of them and, conversly, marked dissimilarities among
others, with construction times generally coinciding with
the dfferent test stand configurations. Test stands of
varying appearance were built at developmental-type test
*The terms blast deflector and flame deflector are used interchangeably in
this report.
facilities in the early and mid 1950s which was in the early
period of the Soviet missile program. In the late 1950x9
three test stands of a new configuration were started at 3
production-type test facilities. In the early 1960s, three
test stands of a still newer configuration were started at 2
new production-type test facilities and 1 of the previously
constructed facilities.
The large test stands near Khimki, Zagorsk, and
Dnepropetrovsk were present and operational when first
observed in late They were probably 251;
constructed in the early 1950s. Some, or possibly all of
these stands have been remodeled to some degree as new
developmental test programs were implemented,most nota-
bly those near Khimki.
Large vertical rocket engine test stands having a
projection partially across the face of the stand and an
access ramp into the center of the rear of the stand are
located at production-type test facilities near Kurumoch,
Krasnoyarsk, and Perm. The exact date when these stands
were started is unknown because they were under construc-
tion when first observed on photography. However, they
were probably started in the late 1950s and were all
apparently completed between
0
Large vertical rocket engine test stands having a
projection across the full width of the face of the stand
and an access ramp to the side of the stand are located
at production-type test facilities near Voronezh, Omsk,
and Kurumoch. The earliest of these stands was started
and the last was outwardly completed in
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 MOSKVA KHIMKI PLANTS
456 AND 301
The Moskva Missile and Space Propulsion Development
Center Khimki 456
037-26E on the northwest outskirts of Moskva (Figure 2).
It consists of a plant area andatest area; only the test area
will be discussed in this report. Test areas of other missile-
associated plants in the Khimki area are adjacent to the
Plant 456 Test Area. The Moskva Aircraft Experimental
Plant Khimki 293 located at 55-54N
037-27E, is adjacent to Plant 456 and is east-southeast of
it. 1/ Plant 293 also consists of a plant area andatest
area, but the test area does not contain large vertical rocket
engine test stands and therefore will not be discussed in
this report.
The Moskva Guided Missile Research and Development
Plant Khimki 301 is located at 55- 54N
037-25E and consists of a plant area andatest area that
are approximately 1 nautical mile (nm) apart. 2/ The Plant
301 test area, adjacent to the Plant 456 test area on the
northwest side, is discussed in this report. The Khimki
Probable Research and Development Electronics Facility
is located immediately to the southwest on the site of the
former Khimki North Airfield. Plant 456 and Plant 301
is located at 55-54N
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