Everyone seems to be launching and landing reusable rockets these days. Last week, China joined the club with a successful orbital mission and booster return. Japan’s space agency is hopping along, Honda is doing vertical tests, and SpaceX is practically running a reusable rocket shuttle service. Blue Origin, Stoke Space, Rocket Lab, and Relativity Space are all making credible progress. And Russia? Well, they have some news, but it’s less a triumphant update and more a gentle nudge of the goalposts.

Nearly six years ago, Roscosmos unveiled the Amur-LNG rocket - clearly designed to stare at the Falcon 9 and mimic its homework. The plan was a reusable first stage, methane engines, and 10.5 metric tons to low-Earth orbit. Debut date: 2026. That’s now. Oops.

This week, Dmitry Baranov, Roscosmos’ Deputy Director General for Rocket Programs, told RBC that they’re working on a “demonstrator” first stage. This hopper will do two tests starting in 2028: first a hop under 1 km, then a more ambitious 10 km jaunt with engine cutoff and restart. The RD-0169A engine is in preliminary test firings. The goal: “definitely and fairly quickly” replace the Soyuz 2. When? Baranov didn’t say, but a placard at a May forum suggested flight tests in 2031.

So, in summary: announced in 2020 for 2026, now projected for 2031. Russia’s Falcon 9 answer is at least two decades behind SpaceX’s first landing, and the only thing reusable so far is the delay.