Bob Zimmerman has some thoughts:
Overall, Rogozin’s comments suggest that there is a great deal of confusion within Putin’s government on what to do in space. On one hand he says they want to do it cheaper. On the other he says they want to build a very expensive rocket. Then with his third hand he adds that they still plan to go to the Moon, but also took out his fourth hand to note that their goal is not the Moon or Mars, but doing things cheaper.
I’m encouraged that they want to copy us in our folly of building a giant rocket. It will hold them back just as it does us.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this is happening shortly after the F9 first stage return.
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-O05XC96JTSE801-3D1FRB9SNURMNQ6KIHIJMO7DND
It all sounds nuts. The new cosmodrome being built at Vostochny is to be used for Soyuz-2 and Angara flights. Same deal with Plesetsk. I don’t expect anything bigger than Angara A7 for two decades. Even A7 might not come out at all.
There is talk about a 2005 proposal for a so called Angara-100 in Wikipedia. Some monster rocket using 4 RD-170 strap ons and an RD-0122 but it seems like a paper rocket built on unavailable Energia tech to me.
Even talk about Zenith is bonkers. The rocket was originally built in what is now Ukraine and we know how stable that place is right now… AFAIK there is zero Russian RD-170 production capability and a even a restart would take years. There were also zero plans to use the RD-0122 again. Then there’s oil at $10 USD a barrel. I’m not seeing this happen.
It’s still a reflex action against Ares V. Smells of paper rocket. Heck even the Chinese have proposed an insane monster rocket like this. Not worth to be considered.