Revealed the characteristics of the future Russian reusable missile with a retractable wing

The Ministry of Defense has revealed the technical characteristics of the promising reusable ultralight missile Irkut. It is reported by RIA News with reference to the corresponding publication in the journal "Space technique and technology ".

The new carrier is being created on the basis of the Wing-SV project. A feature of the rocket is that its reversible first stage will land in airplane mode using an additional turbojet engine, retractable wing and landing gear (wheels or skis).



It is reported that the new rocket will be implemented in two versions: one-time and reusable. The characteristics of the first correspond to those previously announced for the Wing-SV carrier. In particular, the rocket will be able to launch 584 kg of payload into low-earth orbit, and 84 kg into geostationary orbit.

The partially reusable version with a reversible first stage will be less "lifting". This is due to the fact that its own weight will be greater due to the additional turbojet engine, wing and landing gear: 25 tons versus 23,6 for a disposable one. The reusable Irkut, consisting of two stages and an upper stage, will be able to deliver up to 398 kg to LEO, and 60 kg to GSO.

The carrier will use a methane / oxygen mixture as fuel. Depending on the use of wheels or special skis as a chassis, the rocket will be able to land both on the runways of airfields and on the "primer".

The aforementioned article reports that the first launch of the partially reusable Irkut ultralight-class missile is scheduled for 2024. This is not the first time that the date has been “shifted”. Initially, flight tests were planned to be held in 2022, and then they were postponed to 2023.