Khrunichev Center to End Production of Proton Rockets This Year

MOSCOW (Roscosmos PR) — Within the framework of the planned program of launches of the Proton-M heavy class launch vehicles, the State Space Research and Production Center named after M.V. Khrunichev (part of the Roscosmos State Corporation) has four rockets left to manufacture. Currently, ten Proton-M launch vehicles are in storage, and this year it is planned to complete the manufacture of the last four rockets.

The Proton is being replaced by the Angara-A5 heavy-class launch vehicle, which successfully launched in 2014, 2020 and 2021. as part of flight design tests. The launch of a full technological cycle for the production of Angara launch vehicles on the basis of the Omsk branch of the Khrunichev Center of the Polet Production Association (part of Roscosmos) is a priority task for the Roscosmos State Corporation.

The operation of the Proton space rocket complex at the Baikonur Cosmodrome began in 1965. At present, 426 launches of the Proton launch vehicle have been made in its various configurations. The main configuration for launching federal and commercial payloads is the Proton-M launch vehicle with the Breeze-M upper stage.