It seems like everyone is launching rockets these days.
last week, China has joined the club the number of countries that have launched an orbital mission and returned their booster safely to Earth is just the beginning of the public and private enterprises aggressively pushing for rocket reuse in that country. Also in Asia was Japan’s space agency conducting hop testsand Honda recently performed vertical reuse tests.
In the US, of course, SpaceX launches and lands reusable rockets every few days. Blue Origin has demonstrated its ability to both land and restart a large orbital booster, although the New Glenn booster is temporarily grounded. Other US companies, including Stoke Space, Rocket Lab and Relativity Space, are making reliable progress towards partially or fully reusable rockets.
But what about Russia, which boasts a history of spaceflight and performed the world’s first orbital launch nearly seventy years ago? There was some news from Russian space officials this week, but it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
Amuru is waiting
It’s been nearly six years since Roscosmos, the state-backed Russian Space Corporation. announced his plans Developing a reusable rocket called “Amur-LNG”. Clearly designed as a response to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, Amur was designed to have a reusable first stage, methane-fueled engines, and the ability to deliver 10.5 metric tons into low Earth orbit in reusable mode.
At the time, Russian space officials said they planned to debut the rocket in 2026.
this week, in the interview With the RBC business publication, a senior Russian missile official gave some new information about the development schedule of the Amur missile. Dmitry Baranov, Roscosmos Deputy General Director for Rocket Programs, said that the focus is now on preparing a “demonstrator” for the first stage of the rocket.
