Russia's Roscosmos set to develop Amur-SPG reusable rocket by 2030

MOSCOW. Jan 28 (Interfax) - Roscosmos is hoping to develop the Amur-SPG launch vehicle with a reusable first stage by 2030, Roscosmos head Yury Borisov said at a plenary session of the 49th Korolyov Academic Readings on Cosmonautics on Tuesday.

"We are hoping to finalize the development [of Amur-SPG] by 2030," Borisov said.

The Amur-SPG launch site is under construction at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, he said.

Borisov said they needed platforms to test technologies for reentering and restarting the engine during flight, as well as using liquefied natural gas as fuel. "Its production will begin as early as this year, and tests will help us make progress in the development project," he said.

On October 2, 2024, Ravil Akhmetov, First Deputy General Director, General Designer at Progress Rocket and Space Center, said Progress had started working on the Amur-SPG methane-fuel rocket. He also said they were preparing for first-stage landing trials.

On March 10, 2023, Roscosmos said it had signed a government contract for technical design of the Amur-SPG reusable rocket. The company will also explore the rocket's possible use for manned missions, it said.

In April 2023, Borisov said the Amur-SPG methane-fueled rocket would be ready by 2028-2029. The Amur-SPG technical design was due to be ready at the end of 2024.

Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said on April 12, 2024, that the Amur-SPG maiden launch was scheduled in 2030.

Borisov said on January 23, 2024, that Amur-SGP could serve as a basis for the ultra-heavy-lift launch vehicle.

The Amur-SPG launch site is under construction at the Vostochny Cosmodrome. It will provide a guided launch of the rocket's first stage and its multiple use for satellite launches. As reported, the first stage could be reused up to 50 times.

Amur-SPG is expected to replace Soyuz-2 rockets currently in use.