Nizhny Novgorod. May 22. INTERFAX-In June, Roscosmos will present a draft lunar program using the Angara-A5V rocket instead of the superheavy Yenisei, the decision on the specific configuration will be made by the country's leadership, the executive director of the state corporation for science, Alexander Bloshenko, told Interfax.
"We need a decision at the level of the country's leadership. The government already has a super-heavy project in mind. Now we will finalize the program for the four-launch scheme using the "Angara" and submit it to the government in June. We will wait for the decision, " said Bloshenko.
According to him, the version using the Angara family of missiles (with a hydrogen stage) will be cheaper, despite the fact that it will require the completion of the Eagle ship.
"To do this, we need to make certain manipulations with the lunar ship "Eagle", to facilitate it. He was christened "Eaglet" because he is smaller and lighter, " added Bloshenko.
He also noted that the data is significantly lower than the cost of the US lunar program.
On March 17, the head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, said that a four-launch scheme would be required to launch ships to the Moon using the Angara family of rockets.
According to Rogozin, the use of Angara rockets "will allow for four, not two launches" to deliver a person to the moon.
The superheavy launch vehicle "Yenisei" was planned to be used in the Lunar program of Russia. The rocket should have a payload capacity of 88 tons and provide for the launch of a ship weighing 20 tons into a circumlunar orbit.
The preliminary design of the rocket was approved at the end of 2019, it is being created on the basis of the blocks of the Soyuz-5 launch vehicle, which is also being created at the present time. The creation of the first modules started in the spring of 2020.
In January, the Space Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences, after a report by the head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, recommended that the creation of the Yenisei be postponed indefinitely. The Council also recommended that the general designers of Roscosmos use the Angara-5B rocket for a manned flight to the Moon instead of the Yenisei.
On February 10, Dmitry Baranov, head of the Progress Rocket and Space Center (RCC), said that the development of the Yenisei rocket was "put on pause" due to the need to correct the appearance of the rocket. "We are ready to continue working after the relevant decision is made. I think it's a matter of a few months, I would say, until the middle of this year, " Baranov said.
On February 15, Rogozin said that the new concept of the superheavy lunar rocket "Yenisei" will be presented within three to four months.
