Soyuz-U2

{{short description|Carrier rocket}}

{{about|the Soyuz-U2 rocket|other Soyuz variants|Soyuz (rocket family)}}

{{Infobox rocket

|name = Soyuz-U2

|image =

|caption =

|function =Orbital carrier rocket

|manufacturer =Samara Progress

|country-origin =Soviet Union

|height = {{convert|34.54|m}}

|diameter = {{convert|2.95|m}}

|mass = {{convert|297800|kg}}

|stages = 2

|family = R-7 (Soyuz)

|status = Retired

|sites = LC-1/5 & 31/6, Baikonur

|first = 23 December 1982

|last = 3 September 1995

|launches = 72

|success = 72

|fail = 0

|capacities =

{{Infobox Rocket/Payload

|location = LEO

|kilos = {{convert|7050|kg}}

}}

|payloads = Soyuz crew
Progress cargo
Zenit, Orlets spy satellites
Gamma telescope

}}

The Soyuz-U2 (GRAU index 11A511U2) was a Soviet, later Russian, carrier rocket. It was derived from the Soyuz-U, and a member of the R-7 family of rockets. It featured increased performance compared with the baseline Soyuz-U, due to the use of syntin propellant, as opposed to RP-1 paraffin, used on the Soyuz-U.{{cite web|url=http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/soy511u2.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020829021335/http://astronautix.com/lvs/soy511u2.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 29, 2002|title=Soyuz 11A511U2|last=Wade|first=Mark|publisher=Encyclopedia Astronautica|access-date=2008-12-24}}

The increased payload of the Soyuz-U2 allowed heavier spacecraft to be launched, while lighter spacecraft could be placed in higher orbits, compared to those launched by Soyuz-U rockets. In 1996, it was announced that the Soyuz-U2 had been retired, as the performance advantage gained through the use of syntin did not justify the additional cost of its production. The final flight, Soyuz TM-22, occurred on 3 September 1995 from Gagarin's Start in Baikonur.

The Soyuz-U2 was first used to launch four Zenit reconnaissance satellites, then it delivered crewed Soyuz spacecraft to space stations Salyut 7 and Mir: missions Soyuz T-12 to T-15 and Soyuz TM-1 to TM-22. It also supplied the stations with Progress cargo spacecraft: Progress 20 to Salyut 7, Progress 25 to 42 to Mir, followed by the new generation Progress M-1 to M-18 and finally M-23. Other missions included the Gamma telescope and three Orlets reconnaissance satellites. In total, Soyuz-U2 was launched 72 times and experienced no failures over its operational lifetime.{{cite web|url=http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_det/soyuz-u2.htm|title=Soyuz-U2 (11A511U2)|last=Krebs|first=Gunter|publisher=Gunter's Space Page|access-date=2008-12-24}}{{cite web|url=http://planet4589.org/space/lvdb/launch/R-7|title=R-7 family|last=McDowell|first=Jonathan|work=Launch Lists|publisher=Jonathan's Space Page|access-date=2008-12-24|archive-date=2008-06-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622173042/http://www.planet4589.org/space/lvdb/launch/R-7|url-status=dead}}