For the new Russian methane carrier rocket “Amur”, a system is being created to move away from the launch pad, it will be triggered in the event of an emergency during launch. This was stated by Igor Pshenichnikov, chief expert of the Department of Prospective Programs and the Sphere Project of the State Corporation Roscosmos, who is responsible for the implementation of the Amur-LNG project.
“We are planning to implement a withdrawal and hot standby system in the Amur carrier rocket,” Pshenichnikov told TASS on April 19.
According to him, in case of failure of one of the engines, it will be turned off, and the others will be forced. He noted that the possibility of fulfilling the mission is even being considered.
“In this case, the step will not be able to return, it flies away in a one-time form,” Pshenichnikov said.
If a failure occurs directly during the launch or close to the ground, the rocket cannot be withdrawn due to its large mass. Therefore, the carrier will be guided to a safe distance so that the launch pad is not damaged.
On October 19, it was reported that the Progress rocket and space center began work on the preliminary design of the Amur reusable rocket.
According to the materials of the technical assignment, the preliminary design must be prepared by December 21, 2020.
On October 5, the executive director of Roscosmos for promising programs and science Alexander Bloshenko said that the launch of the Amur rocket is scheduled for 2026. The cost of its launch, depending on the configuration, will range from $ 22 million to $ 35 million.
The two-stage medium-class missile “Amur” will receive a reusable, reusable first stage equipped with an RD-0169 engine. The launch complex for the carrier rocket at the Vostochny cosmodrome will provide up to 15 launches per year, taking into account the interflight servicing of the reusable first stage.