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Proton-K

Proton-K was the three-stage production variant of Proton, often flown with a Block D or later upper stage. It launched Soviet and Russian planetary spacecraft, Salyut and Mir elements, and the first Russian-built International Space Station modules before retirement after its 310th launch.

Proton-K
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Identity

Aliases
Proton K8K82K
Family Name
Proton
Full Name
Proton-K
Status
retired
Type
rocket
Variant Name
K

Details

Description
Proton-K was the three-stage production variant of Proton, often flown with a Block D or later upper stage. It launched Soviet and Russian planetary spacecraft, Salyut and Mir elements, and the first Russian-built International Space Station modules before retirement after its 310th launch.
First Flight Year
1,967
Last Flight Year
2,012
Parent Vehicle Family
Propulsion Configurations
  • Entries
    • Count
      6
      Placement
      core
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Stage
      first-stage
      Variant Notes
      Six RD-253 engines identify the original Proton first-stage production configuration.
    • Count
      3
      Placement
      upper
      Propulsion System
      Role
      upper-stage
      Stage
      second-stage
      Variant Notes
      Three RD-0210 engines form the Proton-K second-stage engine block.
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      upper
      Propulsion System
      Role
      upper-stage
      Stage
      second-stage
      Variant Notes
      One RD-0211 companion engine completes the Proton-K second-stage block.
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      upper
      Propulsion System
      Role
      upper-stage
      Stage
      third-stage
      Variant Notes
      One integrated RD-0212 block powers the Proton-K third stage.
    Name
    Proton-K RD-253-era configuration
    Notes
    Proton-PM identifies RD-253 as the original serial Proton first-stage engine; the exact RD-0210/RD-0211 and RD-0212 upper-stage identities are preserved.
  • Entries
    • Count
      6
      Placement
      core
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Stage
      first-stage
      Variant Notes
      Six RD-275 engines identify the uprated Proton first-stage configuration introduced after RD-253.
    • Count
      3
      Placement
      upper
      Propulsion System
      Role
      upper-stage
      Stage
      second-stage
      Variant Notes
      Three RD-0210 engines form the Proton-K second-stage engine block.
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      upper
      Propulsion System
      Role
      upper-stage
      Stage
      second-stage
      Variant Notes
      One RD-0211 companion engine completes the Proton-K second-stage block.
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      upper
      Propulsion System
      Role
      upper-stage
      Stage
      third-stage
      Variant Notes
      One integrated RD-0212 block powers the Proton-K third stage.
    Name
    Proton-K RD-275-era configuration
    Notes
    Proton-PM identifies RD-275 as the uprated RD-253 modification used on later Proton launches; exact era and mission assignments remain separate precision work.
Rocket Specs
Liftoff Mass
…
Reusability
expendable
Stages Count
3

Links

Official Url
https://sma.nasa.gov/LaunchVehicle/proton.html
Wikipedia Url
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proton-K

Assets & Meta

Creation Time
July 13, 2026 at 07:40:14 UTC
Updated Time
August 14, 2026 at 08:28:48 UTC
Image
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