# Russia’s Reusable Rocket Initiative: A Decade Behind SpaceX
Throughout the history of the global space race, Russia has consistently been a formidable force, tracing back to the Soviet Union’s historic launch of Sputnik in 1957. Yet, over the past several years, the nation has notably lagged in one of the most crucial aspects of contemporary space exploration: the development of reusable rockets. As of 2023, Russia is nearly 15 years behind SpaceX, the American private space firm that has transformed the industry with its reusable Falcon 9 rocket.
## The Emergence of Reusability in Space Exploration
For many years, space agencies across the globe depended on expendable rockets—ones that were used once and then discarded after each mission. Although this method proved effective, it was also expensive and inefficient. The concept of reusable rockets—those capable of being launched, recovered, and reused—was often deemed economically impractical. As recently as 2016, high-ranking Russian officials supported this view. A representative from Roscosmos, the state space corporation of Russia, remarked, “The economic viability of reusable launch systems isn’t evident.”
Nevertheless, SpaceX shifted the paradigm. In 2017, the company successfully relaunched a Falcon 9 rocket, demonstrating that reusability was indeed feasible and could significantly lower the costs associated with space missions. This breakthrough compelled space agencies worldwide to reassess their positions on reusable rockets, including Roscosmos.
## Russia’s Initiative: The Amur Rocket
In 2020, Roscosmos introduced plans for the “Amur” rocket, a reusable launch vehicle aimed at competing with SpaceX’s Falcon 9. The Amur rocket was designed to incorporate a reusable first stage, engines powered by methane, and a vertical landing system akin to SpaceX’s design. Initially, the rocket’s debut was scheduled for 2026. However, the project has faced numerous delays, pushing the first launch to now be anticipated no sooner than 2030.
The Amur rocket signifies Russia’s effort to stay competitive in the reusable rocket sector, yet the timeline indicates that the nation is still considerably behind. SpaceX embarked on its reusable rocket journey in 2011 and had already achieved successful landings of Falcon 9 boosters by 2015. By the projected launch of the Amur rocket, SpaceX will have amassed nearly 20 years of hands-on experience with reusable rockets.
## The “Grasshopper” Test Prototype
In a fresh development, Roscosmos has outlined intentions to construct a prototype vehicle aimed at assessing the Amur rocket’s capabilities for vertical landings. A report from the state-controlled news outlet TASS states that the assembly of this test vehicle, named “Grasshopper,” will commence in 2024. The designation “Grasshopper” directly references SpaceX’s earlier test vehicle of the same name, which played a key role in advancing the Falcon 9’s landing technology.
The Russian Grasshopper will act as a testing ground to address vital challenges related to vertical landings. However, the fact that Russia is only starting to develop such a test vehicle now emphasizes the extent of the nation’s lag in reusable rocket advancements. SpaceX’s Grasshopper began its flights in 2012, over a decade ago, and was pivotal to the company’s later success with the Falcon 9.
## Lagging Behind: A Global Context
Russia is not the sole nation grappling with the pace of progress relative to SpaceX. Other significant space agencies, including those in Europe and Japan, have also been slow to embrace reusable rocket technology. The European Space Agency (ESA) initiated funding for a “hopper” program in 2020, yet a low-altitude trial flight of the Themis project is not anticipated until 2025. Japan and other space-faring countries have yet to make considerable advancements in this domain.
However, certain rivals are making headway. Multiple Chinese enterprises are vigorously pursuing the development of reusable rockets, with some expected to achieve landing of the first stage of an orbital rocket in the coming years. In the United States, Blue Origin, established by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, has successfully recovered its suborbital New Shepard rocket on several occasions. The company is also gearing up to launch its much larger, orbital New Glenn rocket, which aims to land its first stage on a drone ship, similarly to SpaceX’s Falcon 9.
## The Path Forward for Russia
While Russia’s reusable rocket initiatives are progressing, it is evident that the nation faces a considerable journey to catch up with SpaceX and other emerging competitors. The setbacks in the Amur rocket’s development and the belated initiation of the Grasshopper test vehicle highlight the obstacles that Roscosmos must overcome to reclaim its status as a leader in the international space landscape.
Nonetheless, Russia’s space program still possesses notable capabilities and continues to be an important player in global space exploration. The advancements of the Amur rocket and the Grasshopper test vehicle could ultimately enable Russia to narrow the disparity with SpaceX, but this will require time, investment,
