On December 15, 2020, a state contract was signed between the State Corporation “Roscosmos” and the Rocket and Space Center “Progress” (Samara, part of the State Corporation “Roskosmos”) to carry out R&D work on the development of key elements and technologies for creating a super-heavy space rocket complex.
The contract provides for the development and release of a technical design for a space rocket complex with a super-heavy launch vehicle (LV STK) and an upper stage. Alexander Cherevan, chief designer of the Soyuz-5 launch vehicle at the Progress RCC, has been appointed as the head of work on this topic.
Specialists of the Progress RCC completed a preliminary design, within the framework of which the main technical characteristics of the STK LV were determined, options for assembling the rocket were worked out, including on a universal launch complex using a mobile assembly and maintenance complex. At the technical design stage, the estimated mass of the launched payload, depending on the version of the launch vehicle, ranges from 125 to 147 tons for low-earth orbit and up to 27 tons for the moon’s orbit.
The technical design for the STK space rocket complex, in accordance with the contract, must be developed and submitted for consideration to the State Corporation Roscosmos in 2021.