Roscosmos plans to launch the Zeus nuclear tug into space by 2030. The timing of the launch of a promising product during the 72nd International Astronautical Congress, held in Dubai, was announced by the CEO of the state corporation Dmitry Rogozin. The statement of the head of Roscosmos is cited by Russian Space.
"We plan to raise this device by 2030 — it is called by the name of the ancient Greek god "Zeus— - to a safe altitude of at least 800 kilometers, turn it on and start the first expedition," Rogozin said.
According to him, the electric power of the tugboat's power plant will be 0.5 megawatts, which will allow it to launch to Jupiter after performing gravitational maneuvers near the Moon and Venus. "At the same time, the device is able to take such a payload that research probes will be released from each of the celestial bodies," the magazine writes.
In December, at the All-Russian Cosmonautics and Aviation Forum "CosmoStart 2021", the executive director of Roscosmos for Advanced Programs and Science, Alexander Bloshenko, said that Zeus would be able to deliver tens of tons of payload to Jupiter satellites.
In August, Rogozin announced breakthrough results for Roscosmos, which will give a test of a drip refrigerator-radiator for Zeus on the ISS. In his opinion, the nuclear tug will allow moving large stations and orbital modules around the Solar System and beyond.
Ivan Potapov
