Soyuz-L

11A511L LK Lunar Lander Test Vehicle

Mission Profile

The Soyuz-L (11A511L, LK Lunar Lander Test Vehicle) was a three-stage Soviet launch vehicle in the R-7 family, a modified Soyuz variant used to test the LK lunar lander in Earth orbit under the Soviet Lunar Program. Standing 44.2 m tall with a 3 m core diameter and a liftoff mass of 305 tonnes, it generated 4,070 kN of liftoff thrust and could deliver 5,500 kg to low Earth orbit. First flying in November 1970, the Soyuz-L conducted three unmanned test flights of the LK lunar lander that was intended to land a Soviet cosmonaut on the Moon, though the programme was ultimately cancelled after the N1 rocket failures.