The R-16 Missile that caused the catastrophe. Nedelin was in the truck right next to the rocket [1]

The Nedelin catastrophe or Nedelin disaster was a launch pad accident that occurred on 24 October 1960, at Baikonur Cosmodrome during the development of the Soviet R-16 ICBM. As a prototype of the missile was being prepared for a test flight, it exploded on the launch pad when its second stage motors ignited prematurely, killing a number of military personnel, engineers, and technicians working on the project. (The official death toll was 90 but estimates are as high as 200, with 120 being the generally accepted figure.) Despite the magnitude of the disaster, news of it was covered up for many years by the Soviet government and did not emerge until the 1990s. Strategic Rocket Forces Marshal Mitrofan Nedelin, the commander of the R-16 development program, was among those killed in the explosion and fire. Picture of a Soviet R-16 ICBM. Uploaded by me for use in R-16 and Nedelin Catastrophe. ... Picture of a Soviet R-16 ICBM. Uploaded by me for use in R-16 and Nedelin Catastrophe. ... October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... Map showing the location of Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan The Baikonur Cosmodrome (Kazakh: Байқоңыр ғарыш айлағы, Bayqoñır ÄŸarış aylağı; Russian: Космодром Байконур, Kosmodrom Baykonur), also called Tyuratam, is the worlds oldest and largest operational space launch facility. ... Motto: Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) Translation: Workers of the world, unite!) Anthem: The Internationale (1922-1944) Hymn of the Soviet Union (1944-1991) Capital Moscow Language(s) Russian (the de facto official language), 14 other official languages Government Socialist republic Leaders  - 1922-1924 Vladimir Lenin  - 1924-1953 Joseph Stalin... An R-16 Missile The R-16 was the first successful ICBM deployed by the Soviet Union. ... A Minuteman III ICBM test launch from Vandenberg AFB, California, United States. ...

Prelude to disaster

Designed by experienced rocket scientist Mikhail Yangel, the R-16 development program was commanded by Strategic Rocket Forces Marshal Mitrofan Nedelin. In October 1960 the rocket was nearing completion, and Yangel and Nedelin hoped to produce a successful launch before the 7 November anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution. A prototype of the rocket was ready on the launchpad at Site-41 at Baikonur Cosmodrome, and the numerous tests that had to be undertaken before launch were commenced without delay. Mikhail Yangel (1911-1971) was a leading missile designer in the Soviet Union. ... November 7 is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 54 days remaining. ... Red October redirects here. ...

23 October

On 23 October the prototype R-16 was ready on the launch pad and was only awaiting a few final tests before launch. The rocket had already been fuelled with its hypergolic UDMH-nitric acid fuels, also known as Devil's Venom. These chemicals are extremely corrosive and toxic, and, when burned, produce toxic gas; but they were used for their reliable characteristics in rocketry. All of these risks were accounted for in the safety procedures for preparing the rocket, but late that day the pyrotechnic membranes on the first stage fuel lines were accidentally activated (ruptured), allowing fuel to move to the combustion chamber. While this did not cause immediate danger, the nitric acid fuel component was so corrosive that it could not remain in the fuel lines for more than two days without irreparably damaging the rocket. Thus, the rocket team had to either launch the R-16 the next day, or completely drain the rocket and rebuild the engine, delaying the program by several weeks. The decision was made to launch the next day, and preparations for launch were ramped up to a breakneck pace. Nedelin also notified military dignitaries of the launch so that they could come and observe it. Several other components of the rocket were tested that day and replaced or adjusted as per the usual launch procedures. October 23 is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Hypergolic rocket fuels spontaneously ignite when their two components come into contact with each other. ... Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) (1,1-Dimethylhydrazine) is a hypergolic rocket fuel ingredient, often used in combination with the oxidiser nitrogen tetroxide. ... The chemical compound nitric acid (HNO3), also known as aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen nitrate (anhydrous nitric acid). ... A nickname coined by soviet rocket scientists for a liquid rocket fuel composed of a dangerous mixture of nitric acid and hydrazine. ...

The catastrophe at site 41 following the explosion.

A picture of the nedelin disaster. ... A picture of the nedelin disaster. ...

24 October

On 24 October preparations continued. So many procedures were left to carry out that many had to be performed simultaneously. As the day wore on, Nedelin grew impatient with the delays and left the viewing area where the military dignitaries were seated a safe distance away. Nedelin returned to the launch pad to personally oversee the preparations, setting up a chair right beside the rocket. October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ...

During the course of the pre-launch operations, a Programmable Current Distributor, or PCD, was left switched to the post-launch position. It was supposed to be returned to the pre-launch position, from where it would issue a series of timed electrical commands to the rocket during launch to rupture the appropriate pyrotechnic membranes to coordinate the engines and stage separation. Later, an engineer noticed that the PCD had not been returned to zero and switched it back. However, the rocket’s onboard batteries had been powered up and connected since the PCD test. Thus, upon moving the PCD back along its path, the first setting the PCD encountered blew the pyrotechnic valves to fire the second stage of the rocket.

The second stage engines fired immediately, the flames cutting into the fuel tanks of the first stage immediately below them. A massive explosion and fires resulted. Film cameras around the launch pad that were set to automatically record the launch were triggered by the ignition of the second stage and captured the horrific scene. Those near the rocket were instantly incinerated, while those further away burned to death or were killed by the resulting toxic gases. Andrei Sakharov reported that he had viewed this film and describes many harrowing details — as soon as the engines had started most of those on the pad had run for the perimeter but were trapped by a security fence and then engulfed in a tidal wave of burning fuel. Nedelin and 125 others were killed, but Yangel survived. He had left the area for a smoking break, where he was discussing the possibility of abandoning the launch with the chief technicians. Andrei Sakharov, 1943 Dr. Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov (Russian: , May 21, 1921 – December 14, 1989), was an eminent Soviet nuclear physicist, dissident and human rights activist. ...

Eighty-four soldiers and officers were interred in a common grave in the Leninsk town park. Map showing Baikonurs location in Kazakhstan. ...

The remains of the R-16 prototype

A picture of the nedelin disaster. ... A picture of the nedelin disaster. ...

Aftermath

Complete secrecy was immediately imposed on the events of 24 October by Nikita Khrushchev. A news release stated that Nedelin had died in a plane crash, and the families of the other engineers were advised to say their loved ones had died of the same cause. Khrushchev also ordered Leonid Brezhnev to assemble a commission and head to the launch site to investigate. Among other things, the commission found that many more people were present on the launch pad than should have been — most were supposed to be safely offsite in bunkers. October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ... Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (Russian: ; IPA: , in English, , or , occasionally ); surname more accurately romanized as Khrushchyov; April 17 [O.S. April 5] 1894–September 11, 1971) was the leader of the Soviet Union after the death of Joseph Stalin. ... Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev Russian: ; January 1, 1907 [O.S. December 19, 1906] – November 10, 1982) was the effective ruler of the Soviet Union from 1964 to 1982, at first in partnership with others. ...

After the committee presented their report, the R-16 rocket program was resumed in January 1961 with its first successful flight that November. The delay to the R-16 spurred the USSR on toward the development of more effective ICBMs and sparked Khruschev's decision to install IRBMs in Cuba. Before the disaster Yangel had ambitions to challenge Korolev as leader of the Manned Space programme but he was directed to focus on the R-16. An intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) is a ballistic missile with a range of 3,000-5,500 km. ... Sergei Pavlovich Korolev (Серге́й Па́влович Королёв) (December 30, 1906– January 14, 1966) was the head Soviet rocket engineer and designer during the space race, known only as the chief designer during his lifetime. ...

A memorial to the dead was erected near Baikonur and is still visited by RKA officials before any manned launch. The Russian Federal Space Agency (Russian: Федеральное космическое агентство России) (commonly known as Roskosmos), formerly the Russian Aviation and Space Agency (RKA; in Russian: Российское авиационно-космическое агентство, commonly known as Rosaviakosmos) is the government agency responsible for Russias space science programme and general aerospace research. ...

It is now a tradition in Baikonur to never launch any spaceships on October 24th.

References

• Khrushchev, Sergei. Nikita Khrushchev and the Creation of a Superpower. Pennsylvania State University Press, Pennsylvania, 2000. Translated by Shirley Benson. pp 416-425.
• Harford, James. Korolev — How One Man Masterminded the Soviet Drive to Beat America to the Moon. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1997. pp 119-120.
• Chertok, Boris. Missiles and People: Fili-Podlipki-Tyuratam. Moscow, Mashinostroyeniye Publishing House, 1996. (In Russian)

The Pennsylvania State University (commonly known as Penn State) is a state-related, land-grant university. ... The Wiley Building in Hoboken, New Jersey, located on the waterfront between River Street and Frank Sinatra Drive. ...

External links

• Nedelin Disaster on RussianSpaceWeb.com
• Video Cosmos
• Nedelin Disaster on aerospaceweb.org
• The Nedelin Catastrophe — article from Air & Space Magazine
• YouTube.com Video