According to Dmitry Baranov, General Director of the Progress Rocket and Space Center, Russia has suspended the development of its super-heavy rocket for flights to the moon. He admitted that work on the design of the spacecraft can resume after the completion of the program for its creation.
The development of elements and technologies for a super-heavy space rocket complex was planned as part of the STK Elements development work. The project was supervised by "Progress" by order of "Roskosmos". The rocket was supposed to be created on the basis of the Soyuz-5 and Soyuz-6 missiles being developed by the center.
In October 2021, it was planned to complete the technical design of the rocket, but at this stage all work was stopped, Mr. Baranov said.
The Progress Center is engaged in the production of military products, missiles and satellites for Roskosmos, and also fulfills contracts for the production of missiles ordered by the European company Arianespace.
In May, Dmitry Rogozin, the general director of Roscosmos, said that in the next two or three years, events will take place that will turn the idea of Russian cosmonautics upside down. Among them, he named, in particular, the planned for October, the first in 45 years, the dispatch of a domestic automatic station to the Moon.
