Alexey Rogozin compared the statistics of accidents of heavy space rockets in the USA and the USSR

Energy and Saturn have the best results

The SpaceX Starship super-heavy space rocket, which Elon Musk is creating for missions to Mars, suffered a second accident on November 17. The flight was interrupted 10 minutes after launch. The previous launch on April 20, 2023 also ended in failure. The rocket must launch cargo weighing 100 tons into orbit. Former head of the Ilyushin company, active state adviser 3rd class Alexey Rogozin compared the statistics of launches of super-heavy launch vehicles in the USA and the USSR (in modern Russia, “super heavy rockets” have not yet been created).

Photo: Global Look Press

Creation of super-heavy launch vehicles — The task is very complex, and not every country can do it. This is evidenced by the statistics of emergency launches.

Thus, in the USSR they were unable to bring to fruition the super-heavy rocket N-1, which was conceived by chief designer Sergei Korolev. After his death, the rocket was launched four times and each launch ended in an accident. The first launch took place on February 21, 1969, three years after Korolev’s death. The estimated payload size is – 95 tons. 

The N-1 rocket project, which was supposed to become the basis of the Soviet lunar program, was closed. Soviet cosmonauts never visited the Moon.

But in the USA they were able to create a super-heavy rocket. This is Saturn 5. It made its first flight on November 9, 1967. A total of 13 flights were carried out, including 12 successful ones. The United States was able to send several successful missions with astronauts to the Moon. Saturn payload size – 141 tons.

The United States was able to repeat its success with a super-heavy rocket only on November 16, 2022. Then the SLS Block 1 rocket launched for the first time. This is a competitor to Elon Musk’s rocket. The estimated payload mass is 95 tons.

The USSR was also able to create a super-heavy space rocket. “Energy first launched on May 15, 1987. In total, two successful launches were made, including November 15, 1988 – with the reusable spacecraft «Buran». The estimated payload size of «Energy» – 105 tons.

Unfortunately, with the collapse of the USSR, the Energia-Buran project was archived. Roscosmos’ current plans do not yet include projects to create super-heavy rockets. So, most likely, in the next ten years, we will repeat the success of Energia. we are unlikely to succeed.