Seraphim
03-20-2004, 04:52 AM
MOSCOW - Russian designers are working on a replacement for the veteran Soyuz spacecraft, the mainstay of the nation's space program since the 1960s, officials said Friday.
The new spacecraft, called the Clipper, will hold a crew of six compared to Soyuz's three. It will have a takeoff weight of 16 tons — more than twice its predecessor, Nikolai Bryukhanov, deputy chief designer at the RKK Energiya company, told the ITAR-Tass news agency.
Unlike the Soyuz, which can only be used once, the Clipper will be reusable and capable of making up to 25 flights, Bryukhanov said.
The new spacecraft also will be more comfortable, significantly reducing G-forces on the crew during re-entry in comparison with the Soyuz, he added.
Energiya can build the Clipper in five years if it receives sufficient government funding, said the company's vice president, Nikolai Zelenshchikov.
Russian Soyuz and Progress spacecraft have served as the only link to the international space station since the U.S. space shuttle fleet was grounded following the breakup of the Columbia during its return to Earth in February 2003.
Zelenshchikov said Energiya engineers were also working on a huge spaceship for a flight to Mars, set to weigh 660 tons, the Interfax news agency reported.
The new spacecraft, called the Clipper, will hold a crew of six compared to Soyuz's three. It will have a takeoff weight of 16 tons — more than twice its predecessor, Nikolai Bryukhanov, deputy chief designer at the RKK Energiya company, told the ITAR-Tass news agency.
Unlike the Soyuz, which can only be used once, the Clipper will be reusable and capable of making up to 25 flights, Bryukhanov said.
The new spacecraft also will be more comfortable, significantly reducing G-forces on the crew during re-entry in comparison with the Soyuz, he added.
Energiya can build the Clipper in five years if it receives sufficient government funding, said the company's vice president, Nikolai Zelenshchikov.
Russian Soyuz and Progress spacecraft have served as the only link to the international space station since the U.S. space shuttle fleet was grounded following the breakup of the Columbia during its return to Earth in February 2003.
Zelenshchikov said Energiya engineers were also working on a huge spaceship for a flight to Mars, set to weigh 660 tons, the Interfax news agency reported.