Baikal (rocket booster)

The booster would be equipped with an RD-191 rocket engine burning kerosene and liquid oxygen to provide approximately 200 tons of thrust.

[citation needed] In addition, it would be equipped with a folding wing stored parallel to the fuselage of the vehicle during the booster stage of the flight.

Once the booster reaches subsonic speeds, a U-turn is performed and an air-breathing RD-33 jet engine in its nose section is started to fly back to its launching site and make a powered horizontal landing on a runway.

However, according to unofficial statements by Khrunichev Center representatives, there would have been a long development program to the production of models for captive tests, and the mock-up demonstrated at Le Bourget differs greatly in appearance and design from the Baikal that will actually be launched.

[citation needed] As of June 2016, the development was essentially complete, but funding for the manufacture of the flying prototype of the recoverable booster was absent due to the low expected launch rate.