Molniya 8K78
(Molniya 8K78-E6, Molniya 8K78-M)

Russia

Technical Data:

Pas de tir n°5, cosmodrome de Baïkonour, 10 octobre 1960

Block A (11S59A) has a height of 26.5m and a maximum diameter of 3.30m. Its empty mass is 7.1t, and its launch mass is 101.9t.
It consists primarily of the equipment bay, the liquid oxygen tank, the kerosene tank, the liquid nitrogen toroid, the hydrogen peroxide toroid, and the rear compartment, which houses the RD-108 engine (or one of its derivatives).
Block A is made up of two segments, which are delivered separately to the launch site and assembled together in the Assembly and Testing Building (MIK).
On the launch pad, Block A rests on the four side blocks, supported by their cone-shaped support points.
At liftoff, Block A and the side blocks ignite simultaneously, and the side blocks propel Block A. After 118 seconds of flight, the side blocks are jettisoned, and Block A continues its mission.

Launch List:

Type Nr	Launch Vehicle	Serial Nr	Launch Date	L.Time	L. Site	ID Year	Payload	Comment
1	Molniya 8K78	L1-4M	10/10/1960	14:27:49	B, LC1	1960-F12	Marsnik 1 [1M #1]	Failure
2	Molniya 8K78	L1-5M	14/10/1960	13:51:03	B, LC1	1960-F14	Marsnik 2 [1M #2]	Failure
3	Molniya 8K78	L1-7V	4/02/1961	01:18:03	B, LC1	1961-002	Venera? (Sputnik 7)
4	Molniya 8K78	L1-6V	12/02/1961	00:34:36	B, LC1	1961-003	Venera 1 [1VA #2]
5	Molniya 8K78	T103-12	25/08/1962	02:18:45	B, LC1	1962-040	Venera [2a] (Sputnik 19)
6	Molniya 8K78	T103-13	1/09/1962	02:12:30	B, LC1	1962-043	Venera [2b] (Sputnik 20)
7	Molniya 8K78	T103-14	12/09/1962	00:59:13	B, LC1	1962-045	Venera [2c] (Sputnik 21)
8	Molniya 8K78	T103-15	24/10/1962	17:55:04	B, LC1	1962-057	Mars [1c] (Sputnik 22)
9	Molniya 8K78	T103-16	1/11/1962	16:14:16	B, LC1	1962-061	Mars 1 (Sputnik 23)
10	Molniya 8K78	T103-17	4/11/1962	15:35:15	B, LC1	1962-062	Mars - (Sputnik 24)
1	Molniya 8K78 (E6)	T103-09	4/01/1963	08:49	B, LC1	1963-001	Luna (4c)
2	Molniya 8K78 (E6)	G103-10	3/02/1963	09:29:14	B, LC1	1963-F01	Luna (4d) [E-6 #2]	Failure
3	Molniya 8K78 (E6)	G103-11	2/04/1963	08:06:37	B, LC1	1963-008	Luna 4 [E-6 #3]
11	Molniya 8K78	G15000-17	11/11/1963	06:23:35	B, LC1	1963-044	Cosmos 21 [Zond Test]
1	Molniya 8K78 (M)	T15000-19	19/02/1964	05:47:40	B, LC1	1964-F01	Zond (3MV-1 #2)	Failure
4	Molniya 8K78 (E6)	T15000-20	21/03/1964	08:15:35	B, LC1	1964-F03	Luna [5a]	Failure
2	Molniya 8K78 (M)	T15000-22	27/03/1964	03:24:42	B, LC1	1964-014	Cosmos 27 [Venera [2d]]
3	Molniya 8K78 (M)	G15000-28	2/04/1964	02:42:40	B, LC1	1964-016	Zond 1
5	Molniya 8K78 (E6)	T15000-21	20/04/1964	08:08:28	B, LC1	1964-F05	Luna [5b]	Failure
12	Molniya 8K78	G15000-18	4/06/1964	04:00	B, LC1	1964-F07	Molniya-1 (1a)	Failure
13	Molniya 8K78	G15000-19	22/08/1964	07:21	B, LC1	1964-049	Cosmos 41
14	Molniya 8K78	G15000-29	30/11/1964	13:25	B, LC1	1964-078	Zond 2
6	Molniya 8K78 (E6)	G15000-24	12/03/1965	09:25:31	B, LC1	1965-018	Cosmos 60	Partial Failure
15	Molniya 8K78	U15000-22	10/04/1965	08:39:01	B, LC1	1965-F05	Luna [E-6 #7]	Failure
16	Molniya 8K78	U15000-35	23/04/1965	01:55	B, LC1	1965-030	Molniya-1 1
4	Molniya 8K78 (M)	U15000-24	9/05/1965	07:49:37	B, LC1	1965-036	Luna 5
5	Molniya 8K78 (M)	U15000-33	8/06/1965	07:40:23	B, LC1	1965-044	Luna 6
17	Molniya 8K78	U15000-32	18/07/1965	14:32:05	B, LC1	1965-056	Zond 3
18	Molniya 8K78	U15000-34	14/10/1965	06:00	B, LC1	1965-080	Molniya 1-2
6	Molniya 8K78 (M)	U15000-42	12/11/1965	04:46:48	B, LC31	1965-091	Venera 2
7	Molniya 8K78 (M)	U15000-31	16/11/1965	04:13:35	B, LC31	1965-092	Venera 3
8	Molniya 8K78 (M)	U15000-30	23/11/1965	03:14:10	B, LC31	1965-094	Cosmos 96
19	Molniya 8K78	U15000-48	3/12/1965	10:46:14	B, LC31	1965-099	Luna 8
9	Molniya 8K78 (ML)	U15000-40	27/03/1966	07:20	B, LC31	1966-F05	Molniya-1	Failure
10	Molniya 8K78 (ML)	N15000-37	25/04/1966	07:10	B, LC31	1966-035	Molniya-1 3
11	Molniya 8K78 (ML)	N15000-40	20/10/1966	07:50	B, LC1	1966-092	Molniya-1 4
12	Molniya 8K78 (ML)	N15000-41	24/05/1967	22:50	B, LC1	1967-052	Molniya-1 5
13	Molniya 8K78 (ML)	N15000-81	31/08/1967	08:00:03	B, LC1	1967-082	Cosmos 174
14	Molniya 8K78 (ML)	Ya15000-83	3/10/1967	05:00:01	B, LC1	1967-095	Molniya-1 6
15	Molniya 8K78 (ML)	Ya15000-84	22/10/1967	08:40:01	B, LC1	1967-101	Molniya-1 7

Note:

- All launches from Baikonur LC1 and LC31
- All "Launch Date" and "L. Time" are in UTC time.

Ref.: #0, #7 - update: 04.04.2026

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Molniya 8K78(Molniya 8K78-E6, Molniya 8K78-M)

Russia

Technical Data:

Launch List:

Note:

Molniya 8K78
(Molniya 8K78-E6, Molniya 8K78-M)