MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th January, 2021) The reusable methane rocket engine developed for Russia's new Amur-SPG medium-class carrier rocket will be powerful enough to cover up to 50 space launches, files from Russian space agency Roscosmos released on the government procurement website show.
According to the documents, at least 10 flights are currently stipulated by the engine's design. "Consider measures to increase the possibility of using a serial liquefied [natural gas] rocket engine as part of the first stage of a launch vehicle up to 25, 50 times," the files say.
The Russian SRC (space rocket center) Progress has not been releasing much detail on the new Russian carrier rocket powered by liquefied natural gas (methane) in order to protect the developers, SRC Progress General Director Dmitry Baranov told Sputnik in October.
Earlier that month, a 407 million-ruble ($5.2 million) contract was signed on the development of a rough design of the Amur-SPG medium-class rocket.
The new Amur-SPG rocket will have a first stage that could be reused up to ten times. In the reusable mode, the rocket will be able to launch 9.5 tonnes (metric tons) of cargo into low-Earth orbit from Russia's Vostochny spaceport. In the regular mode, the rocket will be able to carry 12 metric tons of cargo.
