3.4 Early Astronautical Societies and Historical Merits
125
In addition, the Gas Dynamics Laboratory (GDL) was the most influential organization on studying rocketry and space flight in the early Soviet Union. Its predecessor was N. I. Tikhomirov’s Laboratory which was created by the Soviet government in Moscow to develop the idea of Tikhomirov, a chemical engineer, for using
slow-burning solid explosive substances for self-propelled mines for air and water.
In 1925, Tikhomirov’s Laboratory was moved to Leningrad. In 1928, it was officially renamed Leningrad Gas Dynamics Laboratory, and a military engineer I.T.
Kleimenov served as the director of the Laboratory. In 1929, the second division
of the Laboratory was established to initiate a new research direction, i.e., electrothermal and solid-fuel, liquid-fuel rocket engines. Valentin Petrovich Glushko
(Balent´in Petp´ oviq Glyxk´ o, 1908−1989), who was then an only 21-year-old
engineer and just graduated from Leningrad University, served as the director of
the second division. The GDL was built with the strong support of Tukhachevsky,
with powder missile research, rocket-assisted takeoff, liquid-fuel rocket and ORM
engine series as the major directions. Consequently, it was directly managed by the
Technical Headquarters of the Soviet Red Army, and its research work was strictly
kept secret. This marked the beginning of the official liquid rocket research activities
in the Soviet Union. For the 5 years since establishing the second division, Glushko
had completed the design, development and test of 30 types of the engines, and
solved a series of technical problems, such as propellant materials, pump-feeding,
fuel-supply unit, combustion chamber cooling, nozzle’s shape and engine performance measuring. The ORM-34 engine designed by Glushko, which uses nitric acid
and kerosene as propellants, could produce a thrust of 300 kgf. Furthermore, he also
developed the world’s first electro-thermal rocket engine.
In September 1933, the Jet Propulsion Research Institute (RNII) was officially
created in Moscow by Decree Number 113 of the Revolutionary Military Soviet,
signed by Tukhachevsky as a result of a merger among the GDL, the Moscow
branch of GIRD and the Leningrad branch of GIRD. The GDL officially became
a Leningrad branch of RNII. Kleimenov was assigned to lead the RNII, and for a
short time, Korolev worked as deputy chief of the RNII. It was an important sign
of the normalization of Soviet rocket research. At the beginning of 1936, Korolev
developed a concept for a manned glider, which would be powered by both liquidfuel and solid-fuel rocket engines. The glider was expected to achieve a speed of
300 m/s at an altitude of 3 km and to climb up to a maximum altitude of 25 km
and would be piloted by two people wearing pressure suits. A heavy transport plane
would tow the rocket from takeoff and up to the altitude of 8−10 km. Considering
the implementation of the project, Korolev proposed to install Glushko’s ORM-65
engine on the SK-9 glider, which Korolev had completed the development a year
earlier. The resulting configuration was designated RP-318-1 glider. At the end of
1936, the jurisdiction over RNII was transferred from Narkomat of Heavy Industry
to a spin-off ministry named Narkomat of Defense Industry, and the Institute was
renamed Scientific-Research Institute 3 (NII-3). The same year on ballistic missiles,
which employ liquid-fuel propulsion, was consolidated in a single department led
by Korolev.
125
In addition, the Gas Dynamics Laboratory (GDL) was the most influential organization on studying rocketry and space flight in the early Soviet Union. Its predecessor was N. I. Tikhomirov’s Laboratory which was created by the Soviet government in Moscow to develop the idea of Tikhomirov, a chemical engineer, for using
slow-burning solid explosive substances for self-propelled mines for air and water.
In 1925, Tikhomirov’s Laboratory was moved to Leningrad. In 1928, it was officially renamed Leningrad Gas Dynamics Laboratory, and a military engineer I.T.
Kleimenov served as the director of the Laboratory. In 1929, the second division
of the Laboratory was established to initiate a new research direction, i.e., electrothermal and solid-fuel, liquid-fuel rocket engines. Valentin Petrovich Glushko
(Balent´in Petp´ oviq Glyxk´ o, 1908−1989), who was then an only 21-year-old
engineer and just graduated from Leningrad University, served as the director of
the second division. The GDL was built with the strong support of Tukhachevsky,
with powder missile research, rocket-assisted takeoff, liquid-fuel rocket and ORM
engine series as the major directions. Consequently, it was directly managed by the
Technical Headquarters of the Soviet Red Army, and its research work was strictly
kept secret. This marked the beginning of the official liquid rocket research activities
in the Soviet Union. For the 5 years since establishing the second division, Glushko
had completed the design, development and test of 30 types of the engines, and
solved a series of technical problems, such as propellant materials, pump-feeding,
fuel-supply unit, combustion chamber cooling, nozzle’s shape and engine performance measuring. The ORM-34 engine designed by Glushko, which uses nitric acid
and kerosene as propellants, could produce a thrust of 300 kgf. Furthermore, he also
developed the world’s first electro-thermal rocket engine.
In September 1933, the Jet Propulsion Research Institute (RNII) was officially
created in Moscow by Decree Number 113 of the Revolutionary Military Soviet,
signed by Tukhachevsky as a result of a merger among the GDL, the Moscow
branch of GIRD and the Leningrad branch of GIRD. The GDL officially became
a Leningrad branch of RNII. Kleimenov was assigned to lead the RNII, and for a
short time, Korolev worked as deputy chief of the RNII. It was an important sign
of the normalization of Soviet rocket research. At the beginning of 1936, Korolev
developed a concept for a manned glider, which would be powered by both liquidfuel and solid-fuel rocket engines. The glider was expected to achieve a speed of
300 m/s at an altitude of 3 km and to climb up to a maximum altitude of 25 km
and would be piloted by two people wearing pressure suits. A heavy transport plane
would tow the rocket from takeoff and up to the altitude of 8−10 km. Considering
the implementation of the project, Korolev proposed to install Glushko’s ORM-65
engine on the SK-9 glider, which Korolev had completed the development a year
earlier. The resulting configuration was designated RP-318-1 glider. At the end of
1936, the jurisdiction over RNII was transferred from Narkomat of Heavy Industry
to a spin-off ministry named Narkomat of Defense Industry, and the Institute was
renamed Scientific-Research Institute 3 (NII-3). The same year on ballistic missiles,
which employ liquid-fuel propulsion, was consolidated in a single department led
by Korolev.