On the eve of Cosmonautics Day, Dmitry Rogozin, CEO of the state corporation Roscosmos, gave a detailed interview to Channel One, saying that the Russian space program goes beyond orbital flights and involves a much more distant exploration of outer space.

Speaking about the period 2023–2028, Dmitry Rogozin called them the decisive five-year plan. First of all, because the previously created missiles of the Soyuz-2 and Proton families, although they had great potential for modernization, are still rapidly losing their relevance. The place of heavy missiles should be taken by a completely new and more environmentally friendly “Angara”, which has a flexible modular design. From the Vostochny cosmodrome, it will withdraw 5 tons more than the Proton from Baikonur, and with the addition of a third hydrogen stage – another 10 tons more.

At the same time, in 4-5 years, along with Soyuz-2, the promising Amur LNG rocket will start operating, operating on environmentally friendly oxygen-methane fuel with the reusable first stage. The use of natural gas instead of kerosene improves the economic component: additional cleaning of engines is not required.

In addition, a manned lunar program will start this year. The mission “Luna-25” faces a difficult task for the first time to land the device on the south pole of the Earth’s satellite, where, as scientists assume, there is ice under the layer of regalite. Water opens up wide opportunities for creating a lunar scientific base: the production of oxygen, electricity, the creation of rocket fuel, and so on.

A flyby of the Moon and work in its orbit is planned for 2024. Then the lunar take-off and landing complex must disembark the crew from the ship to the surface of the moon. The Eagle is already undergoing static tests at the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation. The prototype ship will be launched in December 2023. By 2030, Russian cosmonauts will be on the moon.

In 2016, a Russian-European mission to Mars was sent. The transfer module has reached the planet’s orbit and continues to operate there. The second stage of the mission is being prepared, which involves sending a lander to Mars in 2022 using the Proton rocket, the European flight module and the Russian module Kazachok, which will ensure a soft landing of the European Mars rover on the surface. “Kazachok” will also continue its work, using research equipment on board.

If we compare the current capabilities of Russia and the United States in space, then they can be compared according to open civil programs: the budget of Roscosmos is about 10 times less than the budget of NASA (not counting the rapidly developing private space companies). It is more difficult to assess the situation in the military industry, where Roscosmos is creating the basis for strategic nuclear forces. Nevertheless, Russia intends to develop priority areas and remain in the top three world space powers along with the United States and China. An important goal is to obtain high commercial returns from the space industry.

Now in Moscow, a National Space Center for 20 thousand people is being built, where the basic departments of leading universities will be located: students will have the opportunity to communicate with engineers, get acquainted with pilot production, conduct practical training, and work with real machines.

Yevgeny Lyamin’s interview with Dmitry Rogozin in the assembly shop of the Khrunichev center of the Moscow rocket plant