Tsyklon-4

Yuzhnoye (design)
Yuzhmash (manufacturing)
Khartron (control system)

Country of originUkraineSizeHeight39.95 m (131.1 ft)Diameter3.0 m (9.8 ft)Mass198,250 kg (437,070 lb)Stages3Capacity Payload to {{{to}}} Associated rocketsFamilyR-36 / TsyklonComparableZenitLaunch historyStatusCancelledLaunch sitesAlcântara ACS PadFirst stage – 11K69Powered by1 × RD-261 + RD-855 Vernier engineMaximum thrust2,970 kN (303 tf)Specific impulse300.4 s (2.946 km/s)Burn time119 secondsPropellantN₂O₄ / UDMHSecond stage – 11S692Powered by1 × RD-262 + RD-856 Vernier engineMaximum thrust995 kN (101.5 tf)Specific impulse314 s (3.08 km/s)Burn time162 secondsPropellantN₂O₄ / UDMHThird stagePowered by1 × RD-861KMaximum thrust76 kN (7.8 tf)Specific impulse325 s (3.19 km/s)Burn time450 secondsPropellantN₂O₄ / UDMH

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The Tsyklon-4, also known as Tsiklon-4 and Cyclone-4, was a Ukrainian carrier rocket which was being developed for commercial satellite launches. Derived from the Tsyklon-3, it had a new third stage, a larger payload fairing, and a modernised flight control system compared to its predecessor.^[1] The control system had been developed by JSC Khartron.^[2]^[3]

Specifications

Tsyklon-4 was a three-stage-to-orbit expendable launch system, built on the successful Tsyklon-3 rocket and using improved versions of that rocket's first two stages. The new features were mostly in the newly developed third stage:

The third stage has three times the propellant capacity of Tsyklon-3
The new rocket engine RD-861K with multiple ignition capability (3 to 5 times)
A modern western-like control system capable of precise orbit injections
A new fairing derived from Ariane 4 is under development. It has a diameter of 4 metres (13 ft), with controlled temperature and cleanness conditions inside

Tsyklon-4 would have improved the fuelling system, allowing safe capture of toxic vapours from the vehicle's hypergolic propellant system.

The launch system would have been able to deliver up to 5,250 kg (11,570 lb) to a 185 km (115 mi) orbit, 4,900 kg (10,800 lb) to a 400 km (250 mi) orbit, or 500 kg (1,100 lb) to a geosynchronous orbit.^[4]

Development history

Development began in 2002, with the maiden flight aimed for 2006. Following a series of production delays, this launch date slipped, and was estimated to occur some time after 2015.

Tsyklon-4 had been planned to launch from a proposed launch pad at the Alcântara Launch Center in Brazil, which would have given the rocket access to all orbital regimes. However, Brazil backed out of the partnership with Ukraine in 2015, citing concerns over the project budget, the ongoing financial situation in both countries, and the future of the commercial launch market.^[5] Yuzhnoye began developing a two-stage derivative of Tsyklon-4, the Cyclone-4M, for Maritime Launch Services, a Canadian launch service provider. The new rocket was originally scheduled to be in service by 2020,^[6]^[7] though this date has been repeatedly pushed due to construction delays at the Canso launch site. Construction is currently estimated to be complete by 2024 or 2025.^[8] According to a 2021 press release, the first flight of Cyclone-4M was planned to take place at Canso in 2023; however, it failed to eventuate.^[9]

References

^ "Cyclone-4 Launch Vehicle". NPO InterCoS.
^ "Control systems for intercontinental ballistic missiles and launch vehicles". Archived from the original on 2010-02-05. Retrieved 2010-06-14.
^ Krivonosov, Khartron: Computers for rocket guidance systems
^ "Tsiklon-4". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
^ de Selding, Peter B. (16 April 2015). "Brazil Pulling Out of Ukrainian Cyclone-4 Launcher Project". Space News. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
^ Ruskin, Brett; Williams, Cassie (14 March 2017). "T-minus 1 year until rocket launch site construction starts in Nova Scotia". CBC News. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
^ Boucher, Marc (14 March 2017). "Exclusive: Maritime Launch Services Selects Nova Scotia Site for Spaceport Over 13 Other Locations". SpaceQ. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
^ Golubeva, Alena (9 April 2021). "Максим Дегтярев: "Спрос на выведение грузов на орбиту будет расти"" [Maxim Degtyarev: "The demand for placing cargo into orbit will grow"]. GMK Center (in Russian). Retrieved 11 May 2021. Компания получила разрешение, оформляет документы на получение земельного участка и уже в текущем году рассчитывает начать строительные работы. Сколько времени уйдет на строительство космодрома? – Три-четыре года. [The company has received permission, and is preparing documents for obtaining a land plot and expects to start construction work this year. How long will it take to build the cosmodrome? – Three or four years.]
^ Willick, Frances (12 May 2021). "Canso spaceport secures $10.5M, aims for first launch next year". CBC News. Retrieved 14 May 2021.

External links

Tsyklon-4 at Yuzhnoye.com
RD-861K Archived 2015-05-29 at the Wayback Machine at Yuzhnoye.com
Tsyklon-4 at Encyclopedia Astronautica

Ukrainian launch vehicles

Cyclone (Tsyklon)

Tsyklon-1М
Tsyklon-2
Tsyklon-3
Tsyklon-4
Cyclone-4M

Zenit

Mayak

Mayak

Dnipro (Dnepr)

Dnipro

International projects

Antares
VEGA
Skyrora
Firefly Aerospace

Space agency

v t e Soviet and Russian launch vehicles
Active	Angara 1.2 A5 Soyuz-2 2.1a 2.1b 2-1v UR Proton-M
In development	Amur Irtysh Yenisei
Retired	Dnepr Energia Kosmos 1 2I 3 3M N1 R-7 Luna Molniya M L Polyot Soyuz original L M U U2 FG Soyuz/Vostok Sputnik Voskhod Vostok L K 2 2M R-29 Shtil' Volna Start-1 Tsyklon original 2 3 UR UR-500 Proton-K Rokot Strela Zenit 2 2M 3SL 3SLB 3F
Cancelled (no launch attempts)	Tsyklon-4 Proton Light Medium

v t e Orbital launch systems
List of orbital launch systems Comparison of orbital launch systems
Current	Angara 1.2 A5 Atlas V Ceres 1 1S Chollima-1 Electron Falcon 9 Block 5 Falcon Heavy Firefly Alpha Gravity-1 GSLV H-IIA H3 Hyperbola-1 Jielong 1 3 KAIROS^† Kaituozhe 2 Kinetica-1 Kuaizhou 1 1A 11 Long March 2C 2D 2F 3A 3B/E 3C 4B 4C 5 5B 6 6A 7 7A 8 11 11H LVM3 Minotaur I IV V C Nuri OS-M1^† Pegasus XL Proton-M PSLV Qaem 100 Qased RS1^† Shavit 2 Simorgh SLS Block 1 Soyuz-2 2.1a / STA 2.1b / STB 2-1v SSLV Starship Tianlong-2 Unha Vega original C Vulcan Centaur Zenit 3SL 3SLB 3F Zhuque 2
In development	Antares 330 Ariane 6 Bloostar Cyclone-4M Epsilon S Eris Gravity-2 Hyperbola-2 Irtysh Kuaizhou 21 31 Long March 9 10 12 Miura 5 MLV Neutron New Glenn New Line 1 NGLV OS-M 2 4 Orbex Prime Pallas-1 Red Dwarf SLS Block 1B Block 2 Soyuz-7 Terran R Tianlong-3 VLM Vega E Zero Zhuque 3 Zuljanah
Retired	Antares 110 120 130^† 230 230+ Ariane 1 2 3 4 5 ASLV Athena I II Atlas B D E/F G H I II III LV-3B SLV-3 Able^† Agena Centaur Black Arrow Conestoga^† Delta A B C D E G J L M N 0100 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 II III IV IV Heavy Diamant Dnepr Energia Epsilon Europa I^† II^† Falcon 1 Falcon 9 v1.0 v1.1 v1.2 "Full Thrust" Feng Bao 1 GSLV Mk I H-I H-II H-IIB Juno I Juno II Kaituozhe-1 Kosmos original 1 2/2I 3 3M Lambda 4S LauncherOne Long March 1 1D^† 2A 2E 3 3B 4A Mu 4S 3C 3H 3S 3SII V N1^† N-I N-II Naro-1 Paektusan^† Pilot-2^† R-7 Luna Molniya M L Polyot Soyuz original FG L M U U2 Soyuz/Vostok Sputnik Voskhod Vostok L K 2 2M R-29 Shtil' Volna^† Rocket 3 Safir 1 1A 1B Saturn I IB V Scout X-1 Blue Scout II^† X-2^† X-2M X-3 X-3M X-4 X-2B^† B A B-1 D-1 A-1 E-1 F-1 G-1 Shavit original 1 SLV Space Shuttle SPARK^† Sparta SS-520 Start-1 Terran 1^† Thor Able Ablestar 1 2 Agena A B D Burner 1 2 Delta DSV-2U Thorad-Agena SLV-2G SLV-2H Titan II GLV IIIA IIIB IIIC IIID IIIE 34D 23G CT-3 IV Tsyklon R-36-O original 2 3 Universal Rocket UR-500 Proton Proton-K Rokot Strela Vanguard VLS-1^† Zenit 2 2M 2FG Zhuque 1^†
Classes	Sounding rocket Small-lift launch vehicle Medium-lift launch vehicle Heavy-lift launch vehicle Super heavy-lift launch vehicle
This Template lists historical, current, and future space rockets that at least once attempted (but not necessarily succeeded in) an orbital launch or that are planned to attempt such a launch in the future Symbol ^† indicates past or current rockets that attempted orbital launches but never succeeded (never did or has yet to perform a successful orbital launch)