On April 13, 2015 Russian President of Russia Vladimir Putin met with Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and Head of the Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) Igor Komarov.
A partial transcript of that meeting is as follows:
” Good afternoon gentleman.
Deputy Prime Minister DmitryDeputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation: Good afternoon. We recently updated you on the work to develop a super-heavy rocket, on the start of the design work, to be more precise, taking as a base the Angara A5 series of rockets, which went through tests last December. The design work is underway at the Khrunichev Centre and Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia.
We have come up with an original technological solution for the hydrogen-powered third stage, which will make it possible to increase the heavy Angara’s payload capacity by 12 tons. The two-launch system will make it possible to use the rocket to launch flights, including manned flights, into distant space. Mr Komarov will give more detail on this.
Federal Space Agency Head Igor Komarov: This is a new generation piloted transport spacecraft that can carry out flights to the Moon and into distant space. The development work is currently underway at the Khrunichev Centre and the project is part of the Federal Space Program. We plan to hold the first launch in 2021, and we hope that in 2024 it will be ready to carry our cosmonauts on board and dock with the orbiting station. In the future, it will be used for our Moon program and other programs.
Dmitry Rogozin: Mr President, we would like to start with the results for 2014 and then present Roscosmos’ proposals, which the Military-Industrial Commission’s Board has already approved for inclusion in the Federal Space Program. These are proposals for new approaches that will make it possible for us to develop our own orbital station and build a super-heavy rocket.”
Source: Kremlin
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