By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russia’s space agency will soon invite a tender to develop a new carrier rocket for its manned flight programme, a top space official said Wednesday.
“A special commission will determine the design criteria (for the new space vehicle) and the domestic companies eligible for participation in the tender,” said Anatoly Perminov, the head of the Federal Space Agency.
The Federal Space Programme for 2006-2015 stipulates the construction of a reusable “Clipper” spacecraft jointly with European partners, and two carrier rockets, the Angara and the Soyuz-2.
While the family of Soyuz-2 launch vehicles is already operational, Russia is still developing the entire range of Angara boosters.
Sergei Ivanov, Russia’s first deputy prime minister who oversees industrial development, said earlier that the first tests of the Angara carrier rocket would start on schedule in 2011.
The Khrunichev State Research and Production Center, the Angara designer and manufacturer, will exhibit mock-up models of Angara boosters at the Dubai Air Show 2007 on November 11-15.