Soyuz 7K

Sergei Korolev initially promoted the Soyuz A-B-V circumlunar complex (''7K-9K-11K'') concept (also known as L1) in which a two-man craft Soyuz 7K would rendezvous with other components (9K and 11K) in Earth orbit to assemble a lunar excursion vehicle, the components being delivered by the proven R-7 (rocket family), R-7 rocket.

Besides the Soyuz 7K spacecraft, the complex would feature a Soyuz-B, Soyuz 9K booster and a Soyuz-V, Soyuz 11K tanker with twin whip antennas.

The 7K would have been equipped with cameras and sensors to study the lunar surface during the flyby, at a distance of 1,000 to 20,000 km from the Moon's surface. Total flight time would have been 7 to 8 days.

Relation with other Soyuz versions

Soyuz A is the base concept for the entire Soyuz spacecraft family. The 7K series is a direct descendant of this original proposal.
The list below shows proposed, flown (in bold) and ''military'' (in italic) Soyuz versions.

*Soyuz-A (1963)
**''Soyuz P'' (1962)
***''Military Soyuz#Soyuz PPK, Soyuz PPK'' (1964)
**''Military Soyuz#Soyuz R, Soyuz R'' (1962)
***''Soyuz 7K-TK'' (1966)
**''Soyuz 7K-VI Zvezda'' (1964)
**''Military Soyuz#Soyuz OIS, Soyuz OIS'' (1967)
***''Military Soyuz#Soyuz OB-VI, Soyuz OB-VI'' (1967)
***''Soyuz 7K-S'' (1974)
***''Soyuz 7K-ST'' (1974)
****Soyuz T (1976-86)
*****Soyuz TM (1986-02)
*****Soyuz TMA (2002-12)
*****Soyuz TMA-M (2010-16)
*****Soyuz MS (2016-...)
****Progress M (1989-09)
****Progress M1 (2000-14)
****Progress MS (2015)
**Soyuz 7K-LOK (1967)
***Soyuz 7K-L1 (1967-70)
****Soyuz 7K-L1E (1970-71)
**Soyuz 7K-OK (1967-71)
***Soyuz 7K-OKS (1971)
****Soyuz 7K-T (1973-81)
*****Progress 7K-TG (1978-90)
****Soyuz 7K-TM (1975)

See also

*Soyuz 9K
*Soyuz 11K
*Soyuz programme
*Soyuz (spacecraft)
*Parom
*Progress (spacecraft)

References

{{Crewed lunar spacecraft

Crewed spacecraft
Soyuz program
Soviet lunar program