From: Adam <""4thwormcastfromthemolehill\"{at}the field.near
the bridge">

John Beamish wrote:
> To geostationary?  Wow!!!  Even LEO brings a wow!
>

Apparently estimates vary...

150-175-200 tons

Adam

http://www.k26.com/buran/html/energia_variants.html

"Vulkan, sometimes called Hercules, is also the name sometime given to
the largest possible configuration of Energia - Eight Booster rockets and
an Upper Stage (Energia-M usually). The mega combination gives Energia up
to 175 tonnes of lifting power, which is a staggering amount compared to
current lifters. Itƒ ™s enough to build Mars bases or launch Mars missions
in a single shot, without any kind of sub-orbital assembly required.

from www.avia.ru:

The universal space rocket system with super-heavy class carrier
"Energia" created in the USSR between 1976-1987 became a huge
step for Soviet science and technology on the way of development of the new
means for space research.

The Soviet space program presumed development of the whole range of unified
heavy and super-heavy rocket-carriers on the basis of "Energia"
carrier, which depending upon the configuration of the side blocks and the
modification of the central block would have allowed to deliver to the
Earth's and geostationary orbits a wide array of objects of varied weight.

The most powerful of the range would have been the unique rocket-carrier
"Vulkan", which consisted of eight side blocks of the first stage
and a lengthened central block of "Energia" rocket. The
super-heavy carrier like this, with the starting weight around 4500 t.,
would be capable to deliver to orbit an artificial satellite of up to 200
t. This would have allowed humanity to resolve the issues of most efficient
and rational problems in the areas of communication, broadcasting and
environment on the basis of heavy space platforms as well as to assist in
research of the Moon, Mars and other areas of Solar System."



> On Sun, 28 Jan 2007 16:44:25 -0500, Adam field.near the bridge">
>  wrote:
>
>
>>>
>>
>> I think the energia vulkan was rated at about 150 tons
>>
>> Adam

--- BBBS/NT v4.01 Flag-5