MOSCOW. Feb 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Khrunichev State Space Research and Production Center and the Molniya Research and Production Association will have conducted negotiations on a number of financial and technical problems, pertaining to the development of the Baikal reusable rocket booster, by late February, Yury Trufanov, Molniya deputy director general/chief designer, told Interfax-Military News Agency on Friday.
"The negotiations will be aimed at solving both financial and technical problems, pertaining to Baikal development within the framework of possible funds for 2004," he said.
According to Trufanov, the insufficient funding and almost a total lack of state support to the Angara carrier rocket and Baikal booster programs may result in extending the deadline of both projects.
The existing plans envision for the Angara carrier rocket and the Baikal reusable rocket booster to be built in 2006.
Baikal will be the first stage of Russian-produced Angara- type rocket carriers; two boosters will be mounted on medium carriers. Angara-5-type heavy rocket carriers will be fitted with four boosters.
The Baikal booster has been designed for 25 launches; the number of launches is to be enhanced to 200 in the near future.
Estimates show that employment of the Baikal booster will by some two or three times cut expenditures required for orbiting payload.
The booster's launch weight is 130.4 tonnes, dry weight is 17.8 tonnes. The length of the booster is 27.1 meters, wing span is 17.1 meters. The sustainer has a thrust of 196 tonnes, the thrust of the jet engine is 5 tonnes. Return flight radius mounts up to 410 kilometers. The cruise speed is 490 kilometers per hour and the landing speed is 280 kilometer per hour.
Cost of development and research programs implemented in the course of the booster's designing mounts up to some USD130m. Cost of one launch of the Angara-type rocket carrier varies from USD12m to USD15m, the first stage of the rocket making up for half or even two thirds of the sum.
Baikal is a unified booster that can be used on rocket carriers of different types, including U.S. Shuttles, French Arians, etc.