Russian Space Agency Working On Enabling Light Rocket Launches From Railway Platforms

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd January, 2022) Roscosmos is planning to launch light and ultra-light rockets from railway platforms and work in this direction is already underway, the Russian space agency's chief Dmitry Rogozin said.

"...light and ultralight rockets can be launched from railway platforms. The task of working in this direction has been set for engineers and architects of the Barmin Research Institute of Launch Complexes and our other organizations," Rogozin said in an interview with the "Russian Space" magazine.

He added that Roscosmos is also planning to boost its Russian Soyuz MS spacecraft production, including for the space tourism industry.

"We are planning to increase the production of Soyuz MS spacecraft from two to four per year, using two spacecraft for flights under the Federal Space Program, and two for providing tourist services," Rogozin explained.

The Russian space agency chief specified that changes in production are largely due to the disappearing need to use Russian spacecraft to bring foreign astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).