Polyus

Polus, Skif-DM, 17F19DM

Mission Profile

Polyus (also known as Polus, Skif-DM, or 17F19DM) was a Soviet classified military spacecraft launched on 15 May 1987 as the primary payload on the Energia super-heavy rocket's maiden flight, intended as a technology demonstrator for the Skif space-based laser weapons program. The 80-tonne payload was the largest ever attempted to reach orbit at the time, but failed to achieve orbit when its attitude control system commanded the wrong orientation during the post-separation maneuver, causing it to retrofire into the atmosphere. Despite the failure, the Energia rocket itself performed flawlessly on its first flight, demonstrating the new super-heavy vehicle was ready for operational use. The Polyus payload's failure effectively ended Soviet interest in space-based laser weapons during the final years of the USSR.