Russia is in the process of linking one of its most ambitious future space programs with one of its largest gas-processing projects. Gazprom is collaborating with Roscosmos to explore the possibility of supplying ultra-pure helium for the Amur-SPG reusable rocket, which will establish a direct connection between the country’s helium sector and its next-generation launch vehicle program.
During a plenary session of the International Industrial and Energy Forum TNF, Vitaly Markelov, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Gazprom, disclosed the development. Markelov stated that Gazprom manufactures helium with a purity level of 99.9999%, which he characterized as the highest purity class and a product that is derived from the technology developed at the Amur gas-processing facility.
The Amur-SPG is being designed with a methane-based propulsion architecture, which is why the statement is so significant. The rocket is designed to use liquid oxygen and liquefied natural gas as propellants, with the initial stage scheduled for re-use. According to Roscosmos, the vehicle is currently being developed for launches from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur Region of Russia.
A Helium Industry Built Around the Amur Gas Plant
The helium that Gazprom is discussing for the space program is sourced from the Amur Gas Processing Plant, which is located near Svobodny in the Amur Region. The plant is one of the largest natural-gas processing facilities in the world and is capable of processing up to 42 billion cubic meters of gas annually.
Helium is one of several valuable components that are separated from natural gas. According to Gazprom, the facility is expected to have a maximum annual production capacity of 60 million cubic meters of helium when it is fully operational. The Amur facility is referred to as the world’s largest helium producer in terms of planned output by the company.
Additionally, the plant has proven its capacity to generate commercial helium with an exceptionally high purity. In September 2023, the first helium purification, liquefaction, and filling installation began shipping helium with a purity of 99.9999%, according to Gazprom’s production history. A second installation subsequently began shipments as well.
This is not simply ordinary gaseous helium. The product is purified and liquefied using cryogenic technology during the final stage. The storage, transportation, and management of liquid helium necessitate the maintenance of ultra-low temperatures, which are nearly minus 269 degrees Celsius.
Why Helium Matters to a Methane Rocket
The relationship between helium and a rocket that is powered by methane is not immediately apparent. The primary propellant of Amur-SPG is not helium. The rocket’s propulsion system is based on liquefied natural gas and liquid oxygen.
Alternatively, helium can be used as a high-purity pressurizing and servicing gas in rocket ground and flight systems. Inert gasses are employed in launch vehicles to perform duties related to pneumatic operations, pressurization, and propellant management. Extremely high purity is valuable because contaminants can create problems for sophisticated propulsion and fluid-handling systems.
For a reusable rocket, those requirements become even more important. Amur-SPG is designed to function as a reusable launch system by returning its first stage. The project, which is scheduled to launch from Vostochny, is characterized by Roscosmos as incorporating a reusable first stage and methane propulsion.
The Amur Rocket and Vostochny
The Amur project has been under development for several years. In 2020, Roscosmos and the Progress Rocket Space Center executed a contract for the preliminary design of a new methane-powered launch complex. The concept required a reusable initial stage and operations from Vostochny.
Roscosmos has since resumed its efforts to develop the infrastructure concept. In 2024, Nikolay Nestechuk, director of the Center for Operation of Ground-Based Space Infrastructure, stated that construction of the launch site for Amur-СПГ could commence in 2026, provided the configuration and location of the launch complex are determined.
An unusual geographical advantage is generated by the location for the helium supply chain. The Amur Gas Processing Plant and Vostochny Cosmodrome are in the same broad region of Russia’s Far East. This presents the opportunity to establish a regional industrial ecosystem that is tangibly connected to the production of helium, the processing of natural gas, and the infrastructure for space launches.
From Gas Processing to Space Infrastructure
Gazprom’s helium project was initially designed as a component of a much larger natural-gas processing system. The organization has made substantial investments in cryogenic technology that is specifically designed for the separation, purification, and liquefaction of helium. The Amur plant is to be equipped with three helium purification and liquefaction installations, each of which is expected to have a capacity of 20 million cubic meters of helium per year, according to Gazprom.
Additionally, a helium logistics hub has been established by the organization near Vladivostok. According to Gazprom, the facility is intended to accommodate over 4,000 helium containers annually when the Amur plant achieves full production.
The primary objective of that infrastructure was to facilitate the international and industrial helium markets. However, the Russian space program has been included as an additional strategic customer in the proposed partnership with Roscosmos.
A Strategic Domestic Supply Chain
The significance of the announcement is not limited to the Amur rocket. Helium is employed in various high-tech sectors, such as aerospace, electronics, nuclear technology, metallurgy, and medicine. Gazprom has expressly designated the space industry as one of the sectors that necessitate gas.
A domestic source of ultra-pure helium could reduce Amur-SPG’s reliance on external suppliers for a specialized material necessary for launch operations. It would also establish a connection between two significant industrial projects in the Russian Far East: Roscosmos’ Vostochny-based reusable launch program and Gazprom’s gas-processing complex.