Soyuz-U2

11A511U2

Mission Profile

Soyuz-U2 (11A511U2) was a specialized Soviet and Russian launch vehicle variant of the Soyuz-U, optimized for higher performance through the use of a synthetic kerosene propellant (Sintin) with superior specific impulse over standard RP-1. Standing 51.1 meters tall with a liftoff mass of 313,000 kg and generating 4,070 kN of thrust, it could deliver approximately 7,000 kg to low Earth orbit. First launched in December 1982, the Soyuz-U2 was used exclusively for crewed Soyuz spacecraft and Progress cargo missions to Soviet space stations, offering the marginal performance advantage needed for some heavier payload configurations. Production of the Sintin fuel eventually ceased for economic reasons, and the Soyuz-U2 was retired in 1995.