R-3 BRINGS KSP BACK INTO THE GAME

KSP - Day 8

Three days after the disastrous events of R-2, the folks at the KSC needed a good run on this next one. And they got it. This time, two TT18-A supports were fitted to the rocket, which offered perfect stability at lift-off. It was also successful in holding the vehicle on the launchpad until the engine was fully throttled up and all systems were checked.

R-3 ready on the launch pad with two TT18-A supports

The KSC Tracking Station also clocked R-3 at a speed of over 900m/s, faster than the previous versions. The vehicle peaked at an altitude of 20.2km after T+1:11 and finally splashed down at T+3:09.

R-3 making a perfect ascent

In a press conference later that day, Gene Kerman said:

'Despite the last mishap, the RT-10 booster is proving itself to be a reliable machine. I think we have enough data to move onto the next phase.'