Russia will launch all the Proton rockets it has, and none of the rockets will remain unused, said Dmitry Rogozin, CEO of Roscosmos.
In an interview with RIA Novosti, Rogozin said that the Protons are planned to be intensively exploited until they run out. Earlier it was reported that the operation of the Proton missiles will end in 2025, and they will be replaced by the Angara-A5 on more environmentally friendly fuel. As Aleksey Varochko, general director of the Khrunichev Center, reported, Russia could launch another 14 Protons before that time.
According to Rogozin, if the launches continue after 2024, this may require additional negotiations.
“We are not going to hand over anything to the museum, to the warehouse … We must finish shooting everything,” he said, noting that there is a backlog for the Protons, and the industry “simply has no right” to throw them away.
The head of Roskosmos also said that launch customers are accustomed to the Protons and the devices are adapted to these rockets.