Proton boosters will be in use at least up to 2025. After that the quantity of launches will be reduced due to the gradual equipment obsolescence, – Khrunichev Centre Director General Andrei Kalinovsky reported.
“We suppose that Proton booster will stay in demand on the market at least by 2025. Naturally we know that the booster has limitations that not always concern ecology. Launchpad equipment and facilities depreciate and maintenance costs more and more with the course of time. One day the use of Proton will be just inefficient.
In the long view all state launches will be transferred either to new spaceport Vostochny or to Plesetsk. Proton will “stay” at Baikonur to be used for commercial launches”, – said Kalinovsky.
