Soyuz A-B-V Complex

Mission Profile

Soyuz A-B-V Complex was an early Soviet concept for a three-spacecraft crewed lunar landing system, studied around 1962 as one of the first serious Soviet architectures for reaching the Moon with cosmonauts. The system involved separate Soyuz A orbital craft, Soyuz B rocket tanker for propellant transfer, and Soyuz V lunar lander components, requiring multiple launches and orbital assembly before the lunar expedition could depart Earth orbit. The concept was developed under Korolev's bureau as a technically conservative alternative that could use existing or near-term rocket technology rather than waiting for a super-heavy launcher. The A-B-V complex was ultimately superseded by the more ambitious but less technically mature N1-L3 direct approach as Soviet lunar program ambitions escalated.