To develop a space craft:

Russia engages in novel space projects

Russia: Russian corporation Energy develops a space craft which can be used 10 times, lodge up to six crew members and land vertically, reported a press release of the Federal Specialized Agency Roscosmos.

Named provisionally “last generation transport manned craft” the invention will travel to the International Space Station and could also be sent to the orbits of the moon and Mars, adds the source.

When reentering the dense layers of the atmosphere, the craft will not have to land with the help of a parachute like the recoverable capsules of the Soyuz, but with special motors whose compartment will be discarded, says the note. Kept a secret until today, the project does not include the descent of the craft on the surface of the Moon or Mars because it is designed only for orbit flights and the secure return to Earth with six cosmonauts on board.

The new spacecraft will be launched from the new cosmodrome, called Vostochni, located in the province of Amur (Russian Far East) and construction will begin in 2010, date in which its outer shape, stressed the press release.

According to plan, the first unmanned flight is slated for 2015 and three years later, it will take off with cosmonauts on board, informed Alexei Krasnov, high executive of Roscosmos. It will start flying to the Space Station and to a new station venue to scientific tasks and serving as a platform to assemble new crafts that will go to the Moon and other planets, explained the director of manned programs of the Specialized Federal Agency.

The space corporation Energy winner of the bid for the construction of the new spacecraft, will take the best of the proposal made by Center Jrunichev, the other competitor.

Moscow, Prensa Latina