17th independent Engineering & Test Unit

17-я отдельная инженерно-испытательная часть

Military Unit: 63551

Activated 12.10.62 in Smorgon, Grodno Oblast, as the 348th independent Missile Battalion for Special Use, under the 32nd Missile Division.

The unit consisted of two batteries, equipped to launch the R-14 (SS-5) missile - training took part at the Kapustin Yar Test Center, Astrakhan Oblast.

Relocated to the Plesetsk Test Center (53rd NIIP), Arkhangelsk Oblast, during the autumn of 1963.

July 1964 renamed 00 independent Engineering & Test Unit, now under the 2nd Test Department [possibly the 8th independent Engineering & Test Unit].

The unit would conduct launches of the Kosmos-2 (R-12) and Kosmos-3M (R-14) space launchers, from launch sites 9 and 10 at the Plesetsk Test Center.

From 7.74 under the 1st Test Department.

1.9.88 half of the unit was used to form the 268th independent Engineering & Test Unit (Military Unit: 71509), and would now concentrate on assembly and service, while the new unit would conduct the actual launches.

6 R-14U (SS-5) missiles were launched from May 1967 - in order to test the Aldan ABM system - these probably took place from launch site 13.

Plesetsk Test Center - Launch Site G (later Launch Site 9) - two type IB pads (62 53 14N, 40 50 55E)

• construction began 1964 - the left launch tower (gantry) was completed 1966 - it is possibly that the right gantry was never contructed, and thus the pad never used

• Kosmos-2 (11K63) launcher - first launch 16.3.67 (Kosmos 148) - last launch 18.6.77 (Kosmos 919) - total 90 launches

• the left pad was modernised for the Rokot launcher from 1998-2000

• Rokot launcher - first launch 16.5.00 (Simsat-1/2) - still in use

• construction materials for the right launch tower (gantry) was present in 1969, but it is possibly that the gantry was never constructed

Plesetsk Test Center - Launch Site H (later Launch Site 10) - two type IB pads (62 53 00, 40 52 14E)

• construction began 1964 - the right launch tower (gantry) was completed 1966, followed by the left pad gantry in 1969

• Kosmos-3M (11K65M) launcher - first launch 15.5.67 (Kosmos 158) - total of 336 launches by 1.9.88 - both pads are still in use

Plesetsk Test Center - Launch Site 13 - two type II pads (62 52 03N, 40 44 03E)

• probably used to launch 6 R-14U (SS-5) missiles from May 1967 - in order to test the Aldan ABM system

Soviet designations:

• Launch Site 9: Site 133, Raduga complex - Kosmos-2 (11K63) launcher pads

• Launch site 10: Site 132, Voskhod complex - Kosmos-3M launcher pads

• Launch site 13: Site 131? - R-14 pads

• Support area: Site 121 (62 52 53N, 40 51 19E)