Сложная миссия: для работ на Российской орбитальной станции понадобится 15 запусков тяжёлой ракеты «Ангара»

The head of Roscosmos State Corporation, Yuri Borisov, in an interview with the Russia-24 TV channel, spoke about the efforts that the aerospace industry will need to build and launch the Russian Orbital Station (ROS).

Image source сгенерировано нейросетью DALL•Е 3

The mission is very complex; we will have to carry out 15 launches of the heavy Angara and 19 launches of the Progress spacecraft from 2027 to 2033 to complete the formation of the ROS. It is also necessary to create ground infrastructure and prepare the cosmodrome. A mock-up of a promising transport ship has arrived at the Cosmonaut Training Center, and the training of new crews has begun. Dozens of Russian enterprises will participate in the work.

Yuri Borisov, head of Roscosmos State Corporation

The first Russian heavy rocket Angara A-5 launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome on April 11. It weighs 761 tons, the Orion upper stage weighs 22.1 tons, and the payload that can be put into near-Earth orbit thanks to this rocket is 24-24.5 tons.

In mid-August, it became known that Russia had begun mass production of Angara launch vehicles. For the development of the Russian space program, at least eight of them need to be produced per year. By the end of the year, all Angara family rockets will receive new fairings.

They should become Russia's main space trucks instead of the ecologically and morally obsolete Protons and Soyuzes — it is planned to update Russia's fleet of launch vehicles by 2028-2029. In addition to the construction, launch, and operation of the ROS, this family of launch vehicles will supposedly be involved in other space endeavors. It will help Russia engage in the exploration of the Moon, Mars, and Venus.

It is known that at the Angara launch complex of the Vostochny Cosmodrome, autonomous tests of the service complex for the first manned rocket of the same name are almost completed.