History
While the first launches for Sputnik 1 satellites could be done with the two stage booster Sputnik, to achieve escape velocity required by the Luna programme, a third stage was needed. The task of developing the specified engine was entrusted to OKB-154 (KBKhA), which did the job in 9 months. The engine received intra name RO-5.
The first flight of a Luna 8K72, which included the new Block-E stage propelled by the RD-0105 was on September 23, 1958. It was supposed to launch the Luna E-1 No.1 probe, but ended 92 seconds after launch when the rocket broke up from longitudinal vibration, causing the strap-ons to separate from the vehicle, which then crashed downrange. Neither was successful the second flight of a Luna 8K72 (October 11, 1958), which was to launch the Luna E-1 No.2 probe and ended 104 seconds after launch when the rocket again disintegrated from vibration. The third flight of a Luna 8K72 (December 4, 1958), which was to launch the Luna E-1 No.3 probe, also ended 245 seconds after launch when the Block-I core stage shut down from loss of engine lubricant.
On January 2, 1959, as part of the Luna 8K72's Block-E stage, the engine RD-0105 finally performed its first successful mission, the launch of Luna 1. It was also the first deep space engine ignition, the first spacecraft to reach escape velocity and, while the spacecraft missed the Moon with which it was supposed to crash, it became the first human made object to enter a heliocentric orbit.
On September 14, 1959, the RD-0105 propelled Luna 2 towards the Moon. It was the first spacecraft to reach the surface of the Moon, and the first man-made object to land on another celestial body. It took with it a pennant with the State Emblem of the USSR.
On August 19, 1960, the RD-0105 propelled Korabl-Sputnik 2 mission. It was the third Vostok spacecraft and the first spaceflight to send animals into orbit and return them safely back to Earth.
On December 22, 1960, the RD-0109 had its first flight on a Vostok-K Block-E. Regrettably, the gas generator of the rocket third stage suffered a failure and the RD-0109 could not prove itself in flight. That chance came with the second Vostok-K launch, where the RD-0109 successfully launched the Korabl-Sputnik 4 mission to orbit.
On April 12, 1961, the RD-0109, as part of the Block-E stage of the Vostok-K 8K72K rocket, propelled the historic Vostok 1 to orbit making Yuri Gagarin the first human to go to outer space and the first to orbit the Earth.
On June 16, 1963, the RD-0109 propelled the Vostok 6 making Valentina V. Tereshkova the first woman to orbit Earth.
