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Program of human flights to Moon with Angara rockets to cost over $5 bln, says Roscosmos

This program envisages using a lighter version of the Oryol spacecraft called Orlyonok; the relevant subprogram has been designed and will be submitted to the Russian government in June

Mockup of Angara carrier rocket Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

Mockup of Angara carrier rocket

© Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

MOSCOW, May 24. /TASS/. A program to send humans to the Moon with four launches of Angara carrier rockets will cost 400 billion rubles (about $5.4 billion), Roscosmos Executive Director for Long-Term Programs and Science Aleksandr Bloshenko said on Monday.

"A version of a four-launch scheme [for the flight] to the Moon is available. It will require a hydrogen-powered Angara, which we are going to create in any case. By distributing financial costs, we get the figure of about 0.4 trillion [rubles]," Bloshenko said.

This program envisages using a lighter version of the Oryol spacecraft called Orlyonok. The relevant subprogram has been designed and will be submitted to the Russian government in June, the Roscosmos official said.

This version of the program is an attempt "to further optimize the cost and subsequently channel the funds for developing a super-heavy carrier system based on other technological principles," Bloshenko said, adding that Roscosmos had to use existing technologies in its current heavy carrier version as it was pressed for time.

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Overall, the lunar program based on a super-heavy carrier and the entire infrastructure for manned space flights, a take-off and landing module and rescue means will cost 1.7 trillion rubles ($23 billion). This version of the program is currently under the government’s consideration, Bloshenko said.

"In his speech, the [Russian] president spoke about the start of the tests of a super-heavy carrier in 2028 but mentioned no payloads. We had to rework the program, using established standards. We understand that it is not needed to anyone, if taken separately and it costs 0.8 trillion rubles (without a take-off and landing module, additional Oryol spaceships, any lunar rovers and prototypes)," the Roscosmos official said.

Russia’s lunar program

All the three versions of the lunar program will be submitted to the Russian government for analysis.

Roscosmos Chief Dmitry Rogozin said at the end of 2020 that the availability of two launch pads for the Angara carrier rocket (at the Vostochny and Plesetsk spaceports) from 2023 would make it possible to combine launches, assembling crewed spaceships in orbit. This would serve as the basic instrument for the start of lunar explorations, he said.

Russia plans to send the first human expedition to the Moon’s surface by 2030.

First manned launch to Russian Orbital Station scheduled to late 2028

The universal node module and the docking module are expected to be sent in 2028, while the base module is expected to be sent at the end of 2029 or in early 2030

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Maria Zakharova also drew attention to the fact that the Russian Foreign Policy Concept touches upon the topic of traditional values 11 times

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US surveillance drones can be stopped by MiG-31 jets, air defense systems — analyst

Igor Korotchenko said the most effective way to fight such targets is to use long-range surface-to-air missile systems, such as the S-400 or S-300V, which are armed with long-range SAMs, as well as use air-to-air missiles carried by MiG-31s

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Dmitry Peskov stressed, however, that "Orban is well known as a politician who knows how to defend his country’s interests in quite a tough manner"

West, East have practically no chance to avoid global conflict — Serbian president

There is no hardcore philosophy about this, these are clear, unequivocal things, Vucic said

Iran sees no obstacles to military-technical cooperation with Russia

Kamal Kharrazi also refuted repeated accusations of Iran selling drones to Russia, stressing that they were false

Beijing opposes hegemony, ready to promote multipolar world — Chinese leader

Xi Jinping said that Beijing is ready to promote equal multipolarity of the world

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"We are confident that our Chinese friends can themselves provide a proper evaluation of such statements," Dmitry Peskov stressed

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Kamal Kharrazi noted that "up to now, we have not decided to go further than 60% enrichment"

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"The West's monkey business against Russia has turned out to be a complete fiasco," Mikhail Ulyanov said

Houthis say they attacked four ships related to UK, US, Israel

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EU needs change, because instead of peace and order there is war and migration — Orban

Hungarian Prime Minister expressed the hope that right-wing conservative forces will be able to bring about changes in the EU

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Vucic stressed earlier that the Ukrainian conflict cannot be ended right now

Turkish troops kill 25 opposition fighters in firefight in northern Syria

Al Mayadeen TV reported that the most violent clashes took place in Afrin

Mongolia to close border crossing for Silk Road rally

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Ukraine moving troops to border with Belarus cause of concern for Russia, too — Kremlin

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Lavrov, Szijjarto say Kiev must ensure rights of all ethnic minorities — Foreign Ministry

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West promises to allocate $675 mln to buttress Ukrainian defense industry — official

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Evo Morales accuses Bolivia’s Luiz Arce of staging coup attempt

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Alexey Kushch noted that back in 2022 he cautioned that Kiev was losing a "historic window of opportunity" in order to cast off the "debt noose"

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Press review: Kiev puts out negotiation feelers and Moscow to put OSCE membership on ice

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Russian troops liberate two communities in Kharkov Region, DPR over past day — top brass

Russian troops destroyed Ukrainian Air Force aircraft at a military airfield and an armament repair center over the past day, the ministry reported

Undocumented naked man nabbed at Belarus-Poland border

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NATO looks to appoint official in charge of support for Ukraine — WSJ

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Serbian president lauds robust relations with Russia

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Designer Gosha Rubchinskiy was seeing him off

Beijing criticizes NATO for shifting blame in Ukraine conflict, urges self-reflection

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Belarus not going to get involved into any hostilities — Lukashenko

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