Progress centre is developing new Soyuz-5 booster replacing the models used today, – TsSKB-Progress Director General Alexander Kirilin reported on MAKS 2013 International Airshow held in Zhukovsky in Moscow region.
According to him new rocket is being developed in the frameworks of “Magistral” project. “This is a very interesting rocket; it runs on liquefied natural gas components; the rocket weights 16 tons, without side blocks – 8 tons”, – Kirilin said, noting that “the rocket matches R-7 launchpad”. However Progress Centre Head didn’t give any details.
Currently Russia uses booster of R-7 series to deliver cargoes to space, by 2010 apart from Soyuz boosters the series also included Molniya-M. The last launch of Soyuz-2.1B booster took place late June 2013. The booster set Russian Resource-P Earth remote sensing satellite into the orbit.
