"We would like to buy from the state the well-known engines NK-33 and NK-43, produced earlier by the Samara-based Kuznetsov plant, as well as the documentation, equipment, technical backlog. In general, everything that has survived on this theme from the Soviet program. We intend to restore production and build our own rocket engine plant in Samara," Sopov said in an interview to be published in the Vedomosti newspaper.
The company's proposal is being discussed in the government, and S7 Space is also negotiating with the UEC on the issue, he added. The total cost of resuming production of rocket engines is estimated at $300 million, Sopov said.
"This includes the production of not only NK-33 and NK-43, but also a control system, which we also would like to do on our own," he noted.
"This allows us to begin the flight test program for the new Soyuz-5SL rocket, without waiting for the launch of serial production of the upgraded NK-33 and NK-43," Sopov concluded.
The engines NK-33 and NK-43 are modernized engines from the Soviet superheavy lunar rocket N-1. At present, they are used as part of the first stage of the Soyuz-2.1v light rocket. The engines were created and are now stored at JSC Kuznetsov (part of the UEC).