Fenix rocket prototype may be built by 2025 - Roscosmos head
MOSCOW. July 13 (Interfax) - The Fenix rocket project may cost almost 30 billion rubles, Roscosmos head Igor Komarov told Interfax in an interview.
"A technical assignment for that rocket is due in 2016-2017, and its design will begin in 2018. According to our estimates, it will take seven to eight years on average to create the rocket and I believe we will see the first prototype by 2025. The federal space program assigns almost 30 billion rubles for the Fenix project," he said.
The new rocket can be used as an alternative in case of contingencies in the Angara family, he said.
"The high degree of environmental safety is an interesting feature of this project. Launches of this vehicle will be maximally safe for the environment. It will be a new launch vehicle oriented towards industry needs. After we prove the need for and efficiency of this project, we will start to implement it at the Vostochny cosmodrome," he said.
In addition, Roscosmos "will work out and present plans and projects of the Angara-5V and the super-heavy-lift vehicle in which Fenix will be the first stage" before the end of this year, he said.