MOSCOW, July 28. /TASS/. The cost of launching heavy space rockets of the Angara family by 2025 will be 20% below that of the Proton-M, the general designer of the Khrunichev Center (the manufacturer of both rockets) Aleksandr Medvedev, told TASS in an interview.
"Angara’s current launch costs are approximately 30-40% higher than those of Proton. But one must bear in mind that the manufacturing costs of Angara-5 will be going down with each new product delivered," Medvedev said.
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The Khrunichev Center expects that by 2020-2021 (the deadline for Angara’s batch production) Angara’s costs will be equivalent to those of the Proton.
"We believe that by 2025 the costs of launches will be 20% below those of the Proton," Medvedev said.
Earlier, the Khrunichev Center’s CEO, Andrey Kalinovsky, said that batch production is to push Angara’s costs below Proton’s.
The factory in Omsk where the new rocket is to be produced will use the line assembly method, so far unparalleled in the space rocket industry.
"The metal products, purchased parts and components, such as engines, control system, telemetry equipment, wires and so on will be brought into the work shop and finished products will be leaving the gates. This will allow for making more products a year and minimize technological efforts," Medvedev said.