Article Posted on : - Jun 28, 2010

An artist's conception of a futuristic space vehicle.

MOSCOW (BNS): Russia is planning to build launch vehicles that will carry heavier pay loads to the space station by 2018 and they would be followed by reusable launch vehicles.

In the first phase of the programme, the country is planning to design a mid-class carrier rocket system which would have advanced payload lifting capacity of up to 24 tonne.

The new rocket system is expected to be flight tested in 2015 with its nominal operations commencing in 2018, a top official of Federal State Unitary Enterprise TsNIIMash, the leading institute of the federal space agency Roskosmos, said.

In the next stage, a super-heavy rocket capable of lifting payloads up to 100 tonne would be developed, the official said.

This super-heavy rocket system will be followed by reusable space vehicles which would be designed to conduct space missions more than once.

Indian space agency ISRO's futuristic space programmes also include the designing and development of reusable launch vehicles which will be a significant milestone for low-cost access to space.