Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX, wrote on the social media platform X in April that he eagerly
awaits the demonstration of the Russian reusable rocket Amur-LNG, which Roscosmos is developing
LNG stands for liquefied natural gas. Earlier, Yuri Borisov, the general director of the
Russian space agency Roscosmos, stated that the Amur-LNG could be used several times more
than SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov announced that the first launch of the Amur-LNG is scheduled for 2030
If the Falcon 9 rocket is typically used no more than 10 times, then the first stage using
LNG oxygen fuel can be used at least 50, and possibly more than 100 times
And this directly affects the launch cost, Borisov said. As part of the Amur-LNG rocket's development, the construction of its launch pad at the
Vostochny Cosmodrome is set to commence in 2026. Currently, the project for the launch complex is in the crucial stage of forming initial
data and preparing technical specifications. So what do we know about Amur-LNG rocket
The design of the medium-class methane rocket Amur-LNG began in 2020. In March 2023, Roscosmos announced the continuation of the reusable methane carrier rocket Amur-LNG
development, with technical design planned until 2024. The reusable first stage is expected to be built with the RD0169 engine
In the reusable variant, the Amur-LNG will be able to launch at least 10.5 tonnes of
payload into low Earth orbit, and in the expendable variant, at least 13.6 tonnes
The Amur-LNG will replace the currently operational Soyuz 2 rockets. The launch pad for the Amur-LNG at the Vostochny Cosmodrome is expected to provide 15 launches
per year. It may be located next to the Angara launch pad
The launch of the reusable carrier rocket Amur-LNG is scheduled for 2030
Launching the Amur-LNG rocket is expected to be between $22 million and $35 million
which is around two times cheaper than Falcon 9. Let's take a look at the Amur-LNG versus Falcon 9 and Starship scenario
The Amur-LNG and Falcon 9 are two-stage rockets and can be used as expendable or partially
reusable with a returnable first stage. However, directly comparing these launch vehicles raises questions due to different classes
and experience in launches and landings. With an oxidizer-rich staged combustion cycle, Amur-LNG's RD0169A engine can generate 100
tonnes of thrust and has a reusability factor of up to 10
The methane fuel is environmentally friendly and easy to handle. Five of these engines are expected to be configured for the first stage of the Amur-LNG engine
In contrast, Falcon 9 uses a kerosene engine. Methane has several advantages over kerosene
One key advantage is that methane burns without producing soot, so rocket engines can run
on it far longer than on kerosene. This is why the Russians say they can send the Amur first stage into space up to 100 kilometres
Nevertheless, the combustion of liquid methane yields 1.6 times less energy compared to an
equivalent volume of kerosene. But Russians say that when cooled to ultra-low temperatures, liquefied gas is compacted enough
to use tanks of standard volumes. Interestingly, SpaceX Starship also uses methane as a fuel, and the company honestly admits
that compared to Starship, Falcons are so uncompetitive that with the start of flights
of the new carrier, Falcon 9 activities will have to be curtailed
Starship is expected to cost roughly $50 million to launch in its first phases, and several
million dollars per launch in its later design refinement stages. Since Starship also uses methane engines, its launch price will unavoidably drop as
proof of its complete reusability grows. It will be interesting to see if the cost falls below $22 million, threatening Amur-LNG's advantage
But Amur-LNG will ferry just 10.5 tonnes of reusable payloads into space, whereas Starship
will carry 100 tonnes at first, with plans to expand the payload later
While the payload launched by Starship will be in a 9-metre diameter hull with an internal
living volume of over 800 cubic metres, those launched by Amur will be in a 5-metre diameter fairing
Under no circumstances would Amur be competitive in the commercial sector, where Starship is present
The first launch of the Amur-LNG is planned for 2028-2030, while Falcon 9 already has
230 launches and 196 first-stage landings, of which 187 were successful. Additionally, SpaceX is consistently working on increasing the number of reusable payloads