Roskosmos has reduced the cost of the Soyuz-5 rocket, which will replace the Ukrainian Zenit
It became known that the cost of launching a new medium-class carrier rocket “Soyuz-5“, which is to replace the Ukrainian “Zenith,” will be from $ 50 to $ 55 million, RIA Novosti news agency reported, citing Alexey Ostanin, Director for Cooperation with Kazakhstan at the Center for the Operation of Ground-Based Space Infrastructure Facilities (part of the Roscosmos State Corporation).
“ A distinctive feature of the new complex is its … market attractiveness (the launch cost is within $ 50-55 million ),” Mr. Ostanin said in an interview with the journalists of the Cosmodromes of Russia newspaper. Recall that in 2018, Dmitry Rogozin, the general director of Roscosmos, posted a video on Twitter stating that the cost of launching a Soyuz-5 launch vehicle would be $ 60 million.
Recall that the development of a medium-class carrier rocket “Soyuz-5”, which should replace the “Zenith” produced in Ukraine, was started in 2016. According to available data, the first stage of the Soyuz-5 rocket will use the RD-171MV engine, an upgraded version of the Zenit first stage engine. The second stage will use the RD-0124MS engine, a modernized version of the Soyuz-2.1b rocket engine.
In mid-2018, Roskosmos signed a contract with RSC Energia, within the framework of which 61.2 billion rubles were allocated for the production and testing of the Soyuz-5 launch vehicle. From 2023 to 2025, three test launches of a new rocket are planned from the Baikonur cosmodrome. After completing flight tests until 2036, it is intended to carry out at least two launches of the Soyuz-5 rocket annually. RCC “Progress” will be engaged in the manufacture of launch vehicles.
