Russia's Roscosmos Starts Development of Nuclear-Powered Space Tug for Flights to Moon, Jupiter, Venus: Report

Moscow, December 12: Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos has signed a contract to develop nuclear-powered space tug Nuklon for flights to the Moon, Jupiter and Venus. According to a report of Sputnik News, documents released on the public procurement website revealed that Roscosmos had signed a contract worth 4.2 billion rubles ($57.5 million) with Arsenal, the design bureau of St. Petersburg, on December 10. Venus Is a ‘Russian Planet’, Says Russia’s Space Agency After Claims of Sign of Life on the Planet.

The contract has been signed for the "development of a preliminary design for the creation of a space system with a nuclear-based transport and energy module (TEM)", the documents showed. Roscosmos had in past disclosed some details about developing a spacecraft fitted with a nuclear power module that would serve as a "tug" of sorts for flights to other plants such as the Moon, Jupiter and Venus. Russian Spacewalkers Take Sample of Mystery Hole at Space Station.

In July, Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roscosmos, revealed that the space agency's an ambitious plan and said it was working on a nuclear propulsion system that would enable heavy cargo spacecraft to travel to the furthest reaches of our Solar system and beyond. In November, Energia, Russia's rocket and space corporation, also announced that it was working on the development of a new homegrown multi-functional space station.

Russia's own orbital station will consist of three to seven modules unmanned or with a crew of two to four people, Xinhua news agency had quoted Vladimir Solovyov, first deputy general designer of Energia, as saying. Roscosmos had said that it plans to discuss the operational lifespan of the ISS with NASA early next year.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 12, 2020 08:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).