The Tsikon launch vehicle (also knows as Tsyklon and Cyclone) was first introduced in 1966. It was derived from the R-36 ICBM (NATO designation of SS-9, Scarp). The earliest version was known as the R-36O, an orbital variant of the R-36, known as FOBS (Fractional Orbital Bombardment System), called fractional because the payloads reached orbit, but were to reenter over their targets prior to completing a full orbit. The first flight of the Tsiklon 2 was October 27, 1967, launching from Baikonur. The first flight of the Tsiklon 3, a Tsiklon 2 with a restartable third stage, first flew on June 27, 1977 from Plesetsk.