Proton-M
 Launch of Proton-M rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome carrying Blagovest satellite | |
| Function | Heavy-lift launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Khrunichev |
| Country of origin | Russia |
| Cost per launch | US$65 million |
| Size | |
| Height | 58.2 m (191 ft) |
| Diameter | 7.4 m (24 ft) |
| Mass | 705,000 kg (1,554,000 lb) |
| Stages | 3 or 4 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | |
| Mass | 23,000 kg (51,000 lb) |
| Payload to GTO (1800 m/s) | |
| Mass | 6,920 kg (15,260 lb) |
| Payload to GTO (1500 m/s) | |
| Mass | 6,300 kg (13,900 lb) |
| Payload to GSO | |
| Mass | 3,250 kg (7,170 lb) |
| Associated rockets | |
| Family | Universal Rocket (Proton) |
| Based on | Proton-K |
| Comparable | |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Active |
| Launch sites | Baikonur, Sites 81/24 & 200/39 |
| Total launches | 116 |
| Success(es) | 105 |
| Failure | 9 |
| Partial failure | 2 |
| First flight | 7 April 2001 |
| Last flight | 12 February 2026 |
| Carries passengers or cargo | GLONASS, ExoMars, Nauka |
| First stage – 8S810K | |
| Height | 21.18 m (69.5 ft) |
| Diameter | 7.4 m (24 ft) |
| Empty mass | 30,600 kg (67,500 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 428,300 kg (944,200 lb) |
| Powered by | 6 × RD-275M |
| Maximum thrust | 10,532 kN (2,368,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 285 s (2.79 km/s) |
| Burn time | 108 seconds |
| Propellant | N2O4 / UDMH |
| Second stage – 8S811K | |
| Height | 17.05 m (55.9 ft) |
| Diameter | 4.1 m (13 ft) |
| Empty mass | 11,000 kg (24,000 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 157,300 kg (346,800 lb) |
| Powered by | 3 × RD-0210 1 × RD-0211 |
| Maximum thrust | 2,399 kN (539,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 327 s (3.21 km/s) |
| Burn time | 206 seconds |
| Propellant | N2O4 / UDMH |
| Third stage – 8S812 | |
| Height | 4.11 m (13.5 ft) |
| Diameter | 4.1 m (13 ft) |
| Empty mass | 3,500 kg (7,700 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 46,562 kg (102,652 lb) |
| Powered by | 1 × RD-0212 |
| Maximum thrust | 613.8 kN (138,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 325 s (3.19 km/s) |
| Burn time | 238 seconds |
| Propellant | N2O4 / UDMH |
| Fourth stage (optional) – Briz-M | |
| Height | 2.61 m (8 ft 7 in) |
| Diameter | 4.0 m (13.1 ft) |
| Empty mass | 2,370 kg (5,220 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 19,800 kg (43,700 lb) |
| Powered by | 1 × S5.98M |
| Maximum thrust | 19.62 kN (4,410 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 326 s (3.20 km/s) |
| Burn time | 3,000 seconds |
| Propellant | N2O4 / UDMH |
| Fourth stage (optional) – Blok DM-2 | |
| Powered by | 1 × RD-58M |
| Maximum thrust | 85 kN (19,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 352 s (3.45 km/s) |
| Propellant | RP-1 / LOX |
| Fourth stage (optional) – Blok DM-03 | |
| Powered by | 1 RD-58M/RD-58MF |
| Propellant | RP-1 / LOX |
Proton-M (Протон-М, GRAU index 8K82M or 8K82KM) is an expendable Russian heavy-lift launch vehicle derived from the Soviet-developed Proton. It is built by Khrunichev, and launched from sites 81/24 and 200/39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
First launched in 2001, the rocket has flown 116 launches with 105 successes. Primarily commercial launches of communications satellites to geosynchronous transfer, marketed by International Launch Services (ILS), it has also flown Russian state satellites such as GLONASS, Ekspress, and Blagovest.
In 2013, the rocket was intended to be retired before 2030. Since 2018, Proton has been approaching retirement; Russia's Angara A5, a replacement in the heavy-lift role, conducted four test flights and one operational flight between 2014 and 2025. No new launch service contracts for Proton are likely to be signed; its latest scheduled launches are the Science Power Module 1 to the ISS and an Ekspress satellite, both in 2029. Proton flew its most recent mission on 12 February 2026.