Creation of Russia's Rokot-2 Rocket Without Parts From Ukraine Requires $47Mln - Developer

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th May, 2019) The creation of Rokot-2 small-lift launch vehicle with Russian components will require 3.4 billion rubles ($47 million), and it will be possible to carry out more than 40 launches of that rocket until 2028, according to materials from the rocket's manufacturer, Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, seen by Sputnik.

In August last year, Russia's Roscosmos State Space Corporation reported that Khrunichev Center, which is part of Roscosmos, was developing the Rokot-2 rocket with the Russian-made control system. At present, the first edition of Rokot launch vehicle uses the Ukrainian control system.

According to the materials, the development of the Russian control system will require 690 million rubles ($10.7 million), the creation of the Briz-KM-2 upper stage and the preparation of its production will cost 1.

45 billion rubles, the modernization of the technical and launch systems at the Plesetsk cosmodrome is worth 450 million rubles, and additional 750 million rubles will be needed to conduct the first launch.

The documents say that through 2028, the Rokot-2 program may use more than four dozen RS-18B intercontinental ballistic missiles, which were removed from combat duty, for space launches.

The Rokot space rocket uses accelerator units of the RS-18B intercontinental ballistic missiles and the Breeze-KM upper stage. A total of 29 launches of Rokot-class rockets from the Plesetsk cosmodrome have been conducted to date. All stages of the Rokot and the Breeze-KM use toxic fuel components (unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine as fuel and nitrogen tetroxide as oxidizer). The rocket's control system was produced at the Ukrainian engineering bureau Khartron.