Russia will launch its first Amur reusable methane-fueled rocket in 2026, State Space Corporation Roscosmos Executive Director for Long-Term Programs and Science Alexander Bloshenko told TASS on Monday.

Roscosmos and the Progress Space Rocket Center signed a contract on Monday on the conceptual designing of the Amur-SPG space rocket center for a new Amur reusable methane-fueled rocket.

"Under the adopted plan, we are due to ensure the launch minimum and, correspondingly, the first launch of the Amur rocket in 2026. This will be a launch with a payload," the space agency’s official said.

The ground tests of the rocket’s engines based on the methane propellant are expected to be completed by late 2024. The infrastructure for the Amur reusable rocket will be built at the Vostochny spaceport in the Russian Far East alongside the work to develop the rocket and should be completed immediately before the date of the carrier’s first launch, Bloshenko said.