Here’s how much it costs to design new Russian super heavy-lift carrier rocket

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian spacecraft research institutions have proposed a new project on designing a super heavy-lift carrier rocket, which is two times cheaper than the previous project, local media reported Friday.

According to a document obtained by the Izvestia newspaper, AGAT and TSNIIMASH research institutions belonging to Roscosmos have presented the Energia-5.1 super heavy-lift launch vehicle (SHLLV), which would cost 700 billion rubles ($12.1 billion) instead of the 1.5 trillion rubles for the previous project.

“The proposal about the need for designing Energia-5.1 instead of Energia-3 has been sent to Roscosmos. It will be considered in line with the established procedures,”

TSNIIMASH’s press service was quoted as saying.

Energia was a project developed in the Soviet Union by Rocket and Space Corporation Energia in the late 70s. The first launch of the rocket took place in 1987.

The project on designing Energia-3 SHLLV was approved in 2015, but the costs of its construction were too high to start the implementation. The new project supposes that the SHLLV will be capable of carrying up to 100 tonnes of cargo.

In September, Roscosmos announced at the International Astronautical Congress 2017 in Adelaide, Australia, that Russia was planning to use an SHLLV to send components for the planned circumlunar station into orbit.