"Jonathan" wrote in message
...

But its replacement will be yet another R-7 derivative.

The R-7 is probably the most iconic rocket of all time, scoring above a
staggering 1,800 launches over six decades. It sent Sputnik, the first
manmade satellite, into space in 1957, and Yuri Gagarin in 1961. It has
since launched payloads for all ranges of space applications. While you
might think that this venerable rocket is outdated, it is still the
workhorse of the Russian space industry. "Old" technology to them means all
the bugs have long since been ironed out.