The ceremony of the start of the construction of the cosmodrome for the promising Ukrainian carrier "Cyclone-4M" took place in Halifax, Canada. Earlier it became known that they want to hold its first launch in 2022.
The beginning of the construction of the cosmodrome for the new Cyclone-4M rocket, with reference to the head of the State Space Agency of Ukraine, Vladimir Taftai, was reported by TASS. The presentation and the ceremony were held in the Canadian city of Halifax on November 19.
It was held with the participation of the Canadian Minister for Innovation, Science and Industry Francois-Philippe Champagne, as well as the Minister of Economic Development of Nova Scotia Susan Korkum-Grik.
According to the project, a commercial spaceport will be built on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia for a rocket being developed by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau named after M. K. Yangel. The carrier will be produced by the Southern Machine-Building Plant (Yuzhmash).
The cosmodrome project is implemented by the Canadian company MLS (Maritime Launch Services). The command center of the future space launch pad was named after Alexander Degtyarev, the former head of the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau.
Visualization of the pad
Image Source: Yuzhnoye
The Cyclone-4M has been designed since 2017. This is a two-stage medium-class rocket capable of putting a load of up to five tons into a low reference orbit. The carrier will be able to launch up to 3.35 tons of cargo into a sun-synchronous orbit. For the first stage, kerosene with liquid oxygen oxidation was chosen, for the second — heptyl (fuel) and amyl (oxidizer).
The project is based on the Ukrainian-Brazilian carrier "Cyclone-4", work on which began in 2004. They wanted to launch the rocket for the first time no later than 2010, but the development time was constantly delayed, and the launch date was repeatedly postponed. One of the problems was the increase in project costs. As a result, the Brazilians left it, and Ukraine had to stop working.
"Cyclone-4"
Image Source: Wikipedia
The history of the updated Cyclone-4M is closely connected with Maritime Launch Services, which will finance the project with its own funds and with the help of investments received from commercial sources. They want to launch a rocket for the first time in 2022.
Earlier, we recall that the first reusable carrier in its history showed Spain.
And even earlier it became known that Roscosmos had ordered engines for a promising reusable rocket, which should receive a cruise stage. The prototype of the reusable stage "Krylo-SV" is planned to be created next year.
