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The use of methane instead of kerosene as a fuel in a new Russian super-heavy rocket will make it possible to implement modern technologies of reusability and multiple switching on of engines in flight, said the general designer of an oxygen-hydrogen engine for the Soviet super-heavy rocket Energia, general director and general designer of the Chemical Automation Design Bureau (1993-2015) ) Vladimir Rachuk.

Earlier, RIA Novosti became aware of the termination of the technical design of the Yenisei super-heavy rocket, which was supposed to be based on the technologies of the Soyuz-5 and Soyuz-6 oxygen-kerosene rockets . In turn, Soyuz-5 is an updated Russian version of the Zenit missile, created in the USSR and assembled in Ukraine from Russian components. Instead of a super-heavy rocket powered by kerosene, as the head of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin told reporters earlier , the new carrier will use methane. Super-heavy vehicles are designed for launching very large structures, for example, a manned flight complex to the Moon.

Nothing on using it to fly to Mars though.

Take that, Tom Cruise!

Russian thrusters misfired again on the ISS.

ROSCOMOS is getting a budgetary haircut: 16% reduction in the draft budget.

So it means in future we will see 2 commercial russian crews then 1 professional in ISS, and so on...

AF-1 said:

So it means in future we will see 2 commercial russian crews then 1 professional in ISS, and so on...

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My concern is less ISS. It has more to do with any follow-on station or collaboration with the Chinese. Russia ought to start bending metal soon for its national station for post ISS.

anzha said:

My concern is less ISS. It has more to do with any follow-on station or collaboration with the Chinese. Russia ought to start bending metal soon for its national station for post ISS.

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I advise not holding your breath. The Russians have made a lot of plans yet build? They were supposed to and are supposed to replace Soyuz by my count half a dozen times now. Orel is supposed to replace it now but we haven’t seen hide nor hair.
Now along side that they want a new station or joint venture with China. The Chinese don’t need the Russians. They already have the start of their station. The Russians might need the Chinese though because they don’t have a station yet. Farther the recent issues with ISS in new modules thrusters raid safety questions. Image of the Russians launch a new station module go to dock and suddenly the station’s thrusters decided it didn’t like the orbit? It’s not a pretty picture.
That’s not even considering the questions on QC. Remember the Hole in Soyuz? The Russians may try and blame a foreign Astronaut (if you want to get spicy about that see here #7 ) but that’s pretty questionable boarding on magic bullets.
Do I think Russia could maybe build a new station? Maybe. Maybe but given the issues they have had it seems like if they did it would be a Salut more than a Mir.

The launch video for SK's attempt:

TerraN_EmpirE said:

I advise not holding your breath.

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And here I wanted to turn into a blueberry.

TerraN_EmpirE said:

The Russians have made a lot of plans yet build? They were supposed to and are supposed to replace Soyuz by my count half a dozen times now. Orel is supposed to replace it now but we haven’t seen hide nor hair.

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Is it called Orel now instead of Federation? I knew there was a name change in the works, but missed the actual name.

TerraN_EmpirE said:

Now along side that they want a new station or joint venture with China. The Chinese don’t need the Russians.

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Absolutely. I think the Chinese ought to do their own thing and let the Russians come as guests, not as full partners. A cosmonaut on the station is worth it. The headaches of jointly running a station with the Russians? Not so much.

TerraN_EmpirE said:

Image of the Russians launch a new station module go to dock and suddenly the station’s thrusters decided it didn’t like the orbit? It’s not a pretty picture.

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And they just had a Soyuz do the same thing and destabilize the station.

TerraN_EmpirE said:

Do I think Russia could maybe build a new station? Maybe. Maybe but given the issues they have had it seems like if they did it would be a Salut more than a Mir.

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I don't think any nation is going to let the Russians be equal partners in their programs. If the Russians are actually going to do something, it will have to be on their own. A Salyut style station would be a good compromise. The 16% budget cut is going to hurt.