Design of Russia's Reusable Methane-Fuelled Rocket Expected by End-2024, Says Roscosmos

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Roscosmos and the Samara-based Progress Rocket and Space Center (RSC) signed a contract for the technical design of the Amur-SPG reusable methane rocket, the project will be ready by the end of next year, the Russian state corporation said on Friday.

"On March 9, 2023, a state contract for a technical project was signed. The lead contractor is the Progress RSC," the statement says. "Completion of the technical design of Amur-SPG is at the end of 2024."

The Amur-SPG launcher will be built at the Vostochny spaceport. Its design is planned to take into account the possibility of controlled descent of the first stage of the rocket and its subsequent reuse.

"In addition, at the stage of the technical design, the issues of using the Amur-SPG system for the flight of astronauts should be considered," the state corporation added.

At the beginning of 2023, Progress CEO Dmitry Baranov told reporters that Roscosmos had accepted a draft design of a reusable methane rocket, and further development of the rocket would take place as a technical design.

The design of the Russian reusable methane rocket Amur-SPG started in 2020 by order of Roscosmos. It should be a two-stage medium-class rocket, the first launch of which from Vostochny was originally planned in 2026. The carrier must have a reusable (up to 10 times) returnable first stage, equipped with RD-0169 engines that run on oxygen and liquefied natural gas (methane).