By Xinhua
Moscow : Russia is planning to build a new-generation piloted spacecraft by 2015, Vitaly Lopota, president of Russia’s top spacecraft manufacturer Energia Rocket and Space Corporation, said Tuesday.
Since 2000, Energia has been developing a reusable manned spacecraft to replace the Soyuz and Progress launch vehicles in making regular flights to the international space station and even the Moon and Mars, Lopota was quoted by RIA news agency as saying.
Some countries such as the United States are actively working on the development of a manned spacecraft and “we must follow the same path,” said Lopota, also Energia’s chief designer.
“We should be able to build the future Russian manned spacecraft no later than 2015,” he said.
Lopota said earlier that Energia has developed six designs for the new craft, two of which will be submitted to Russia’s Federal Space Agency in the near future.
It is estimated that the cost of the Russian reusable spacecraft project, including construction, would total 1 to 3 billion U.S. dollars.