RUSSIA SOON TO VIEW TWO SPACE TRANSPORT PROJECTS – SOURCE
RIA Novosti
14:41 | 12/ 12/ 2007
MOSCOW, November 12 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s rocket and space
corporation Energia has developed six projects for new manned
spacecraft, two of which will be submitted to Russia’s space agency
in the near future, a source said Wednesday.
"Two of the most attractive projects for spacecraft as part of a
reusable manned transport system could be submitted to the Federal
Space Agency in the near future," the spokesman said.
Russia has been developing the Clipper, a six-man spacecraft similar
to the U.S. space shuttle, designed to replace the Soyuz and Progress
launch vehicles in making regular flights to the International Space
Station and even the Moon and Mars. It is proposed the craft will
carry two professional astronauts and up to four passengers, compared
to the Soyuz’s three-member crews.
The projects also envisage innovations such as an orbital transfer
vehicle and a cargo container with an increased payload capacity of
12 metric tons, as compared to the current two tons.
In December 2006, Anatoly Perminov, the head of the Federal Space
Agency, said the agency planned to start construction of the new
Clipper in 2012.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
