“Roskosmos” began work on the first stage of the returned launcher – RBC

The assembly shop at the State space Khrunichev research and production center

Photo: Ramil Sitdikov / RIA Novosti

«Roskosmos» decided to start work on a sample returned by the first stage of the launch vehicle. The Khrunichev restored special department

«Roskosmos» proceeds to the creation of the flight sample returned the first stage of the launch vehicle, for which the State Research and Production Space Center (Khrunichev) Khrunichev assembled a team of specialists who worked on “Energy-Buran” system. This was told “Izvestia” Chief Designer “Roscosmos” on the space rocket complex Alexander Medvedev.

According to him, the company months ago, “restored Department of reusable launch vehicles”.

As According to the publication, Russian engineers are not inspired by the experience of Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, which puts the Falcon 9 rocket stage on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean. Khrunichev designs winged first stage, able to return to the launch site as the plane and land on a runway.

«The pattern that puts the first stage of SpaceX, does not suit us, since our space launch rockets fly not over the sea and we are not able to fit in the right place barge. Even if such an opportunity was not the fact that this is the best path: the sea is almost always interfere with crosswinds and pitching, “- said Medvedev

The Khrunichev theme returned the first stage, he said, is underway. about 20 years already. “In 2001, I first presented a prototype of the returned level – a system of” Baikal “on the Air Show in Le Bourget. For many years, we have charted the projects built layouts, making them blowing in the TsAGI (Central Aero-Hydrodynamic Institute Zhukovsky -. RBC’s ) and obtained positive results, “- said Medvedev, adding that” it is time from projects on paper move on to the real thing “: create a flight demonstrator

« and agrees Igor Komarov, general director of “Russian Space Agency.”. The concrete proposals we have prepared for them is too early to talk in detail “, – concluded Medvedev

During April and May of SpaceX Elon Musk failed three times to put the lower stage of the launch vehicle Falcon 9 on an offshore platform.. After the first successful landing Musk said Falcon reusable first stage of the carrier rocket launches can withstand 10-20

Two weeks ago, however, a series of successful landings was interrupted:. Bottom stage of the launch vehicle Falcon 9, which launched communication satellites Eutelsat 117 West B and ABS 2A, was not able to successfully land on an offshore platform. Musk called it a touchdown, “possibly the toughest by far.”