Russia's New Soyuz-5 Rocket: Breaking Free from Ukraine, Targeting Commercial Launches

Following the breakdown of space cooperation with Ukraine due to the conflict, Russia is accelerating development of its new Soyuz-5 rocket. Powered by the powerful RD-171MV engine, which avoids Ukrainian components and boasts over three times the thrust of a NASA Space Shuttle Main Engine, the Soyuz-5 aims to replace the Zenit and Proton-M rockets. Russia hopes to gain a stronger foothold in the commercial launch market. However, even more significant is the Soyuz-7 (Amur) rocket, designed with a reusable first stage and new liquid oxygen-methane engines, intended to eventually replace the Soyuz-2. Its debut, however, has been pushed back to no earlier than 2030.