R-1 (missile)
The R-1 rocket (NATO reporting name SS-1 Scunner, Soviet code name SA11, GRAU index 8A11) was a tactical ballistic missile, the first manufactured in the Soviet Union, and closely based on the German V-2 rocket.[2] The R-1 missile system entered into service in the Soviet Army on 28 November 1950. Deployed largely against NATO, it was never an effective strategic weapon. Nevertheless, production and launching of the R-1 gave the Soviets valuable experience which later enabled the USSR to construct its own much more capable rockets.
This article is about the Soviet missile. For other uses, see R1.R-1
28 November 1950
May 10, 1951 [1]
13,430 kg (29,610 lb)[2]
14,650 mm (48 ft 1 in)
1,650 mm (5 ft 5 in)
3,560 mm (11 ft 8 in)
Liquid rocket engine
27,200 kgf (267,000 N; 60,000 lbf)[2]
- 3,810 kg (8,400 lb) 75% ethanol
- 25% water
- 4,910 kg (10,820 lb) liquid oxygen
270 km (170 mi)[2]
5 km
Military service[edit]
Just three R-1 brigades, each equipped with six launchers with mobile platforms, were fielded. The first, the 23rd brigade (BON RVGK), was activated in December 1950 and deployed to Kamishin in Volgograd oblast the following month. This unit was later deployed to Belokovorovich in Ukraine; Šiauliai in Lithuania; Dzhambul, Kazakhstan, Ordzhonikidze, Armenia, the Far East, and the Primorsk area. Two other brigades, the 77th and 90th, were formed at Lviv, Khmelnytskyi, and Zhytomyr, Ukraine. They were transferred to the Land Forces in August 1958.[9][3]: 78 Though the R-1 was essentially useless as a weapon against NATO, against which it was almost exclusively deployed, it was, nevertheless, invaluable in laying the foundation of the Soviet rocket industry.[4]: 153
R-1 sounding rockets[edit]
High-altitude scientific experiments were conducted with the last two of the R-1As in 1949, and afterward a series of specialized scientific R-1 variants was developed: The R-1B, R-1V, R-1D, and R-1E. Some carried experiments to analyze the upper atmosphere, measure cosmic rays and take far-UV spectra of the Sun. Others carried biological payloads.[9]
Between 22 July 1951 and 14 June 1956, the Soviets launched fifteen of these variant R-1s carrying a pair of dogs as payload. Three of the missions were failures resulting in the death of the animals. The 22 July 1951 launch of an R-1V marked the first time dogs were ever launched into space and recovered, preceding the first American success by two weeks.[10]: 21–23