Russian nuclear-powered space tug Zeus that is currently under development will be able to move cargo weighing up to 7 tonnes from near-Earth orbit to lunar orbit, head of Russian state space corporation Roscosmos Yuri Borisov said on Friday, adding that the tug is expected to be used in conjunction with heavy carriers.
"We are currently working on the creation of a nuclear tug, which will be able to complement the work of heavy carriers to some extent. It will be able to transport cargo and move it from the near-Earth to the near-lunar orbit, with loads weighing up to 7 tonnes," Borisov said at an educational event.
The nuclear-powered tug will also be used for the construction of lunar bases and, together with heavy carriers, will be used to send manned aircraft weighing over 20 tonnes to the Moon, the Roscosmos chief also said.
Russian nuclear-powered space tug Zeus has been under development since 2010 and is intended for deep space flights from one orbit to another. The spacecraft's preliminary design is expected to be finished by July 2024 and will cost 4.2 billion rubles ($43.6 million). Zeus is expected to be sent into space for test flights in 2030.
Zeus' first mission to Jupiter will last 50 months, from 2030 to 2034. Zeus and the payload module will be launched on separate rockets from the Vostochny Cosmodrome. The mission is expected to be completely unmanned.