Cost of Soyuz-5 launch from Sea Launch facility to reach $57 mln with upper stage and $44 mln without it

MOSCOW. Dec 9 (Interfax) - A Soyuz-5MS launch vehicle that is designed for the Sea Launch facility will be able to bring up to 7.8 tonnes of payload to a transfer orbit, and a launch will cost from $44 million to $57 million, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Military Industrial Commission Board Andrei Yelchaninov said in an interview with Interfax.

"The project may use the Soyuz-5MS launch vehicle that is being designed by the Progress Rocket and Space Center. According to the preliminary estimates, it will be able to deliver up to 5 tonnes of payload to a transfer orbit from the equator without an upper stage and up to 7.75 tonnes of payload with an upper stage," Yelchaninov said.

"The launch cost may vary from $44 million to $57 million, respectively. Obviously, the parameters will be updated in the course of sketch design, but it should be comparable with the cost of Falcon 9 launches by Elon Musk," he said.