Post by Enchant on Apr 3, 2005 13:21:09 GMT -5
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Russia unveiled its new-generation inter-planetary Kliper spacecraft on March 25 at EXPO-2005 in Nagoya. "The initial plan was to unveil the Kliper at the Le Bourget air show in June," said Vladimir Strashko, the general commissioner of Russia's display in Nagoya. "However, we decided to show a life-size model of the Kliper for the first time at EXPO-2005." This decision is understandable because Russia wants to display its landmark achievement as soon as possible, especially as the country will be the second space power to have a new-generation reusable orbital system at its disposal. Anatoly Perminov, the head of the Federal Space Agency, said the Kliper would be able to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) and fly to the Moon. "This spacecraft, which was developed by the Energiya space-rocket corporation, will be extremely comfortable," he said. "We have been constantly concerned about cramped modern spacecraft. When I sat in a craft at the Cosmonaut Training Center, I understood how difficult the conditions were for the three crew members." The capsule features six comfortable armchairs that are reminiscent of an airliner.
The new spacecraft can land on airfields with first-category tarmac the way an ordinary plane does, which is what makes it completely different from the U.S. Space Shuttle. Moreover, the Kliper will be far cheaper. Perminov said his agency was studying the possibility of orbiting the Kliper using a Zenith launch vehicle. "Unlike the Buran space shuttle, which was attached to the Energiya rocket sidewise, the Kliper will be placed on top of the Zenith rocket," he said, adding that this option would also be much cheaper. The Kliper will have a mass of 14.5 tons, fly 700kg payloads to the ISS and return 500kg payloads to Earth. Moreover, Kliper crews will be subjected to no more than 2.5-point G-loads during landing. "The new Russian spacecraft will resemble a stylized iron without a handle, flying with its lower section down," said Boris Sotnikov, the deputy director of Energiya's R&D center. He says it has been designed to fly to the Moon and Mars.
It looks like a shuttle pod of a scifi movie...very cool.. ;D
(spaceflight news)
Russia unveiled its new-generation inter-planetary Kliper spacecraft on March 25 at EXPO-2005 in Nagoya. "The initial plan was to unveil the Kliper at the Le Bourget air show in June," said Vladimir Strashko, the general commissioner of Russia's display in Nagoya. "However, we decided to show a life-size model of the Kliper for the first time at EXPO-2005." This decision is understandable because Russia wants to display its landmark achievement as soon as possible, especially as the country will be the second space power to have a new-generation reusable orbital system at its disposal. Anatoly Perminov, the head of the Federal Space Agency, said the Kliper would be able to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) and fly to the Moon. "This spacecraft, which was developed by the Energiya space-rocket corporation, will be extremely comfortable," he said. "We have been constantly concerned about cramped modern spacecraft. When I sat in a craft at the Cosmonaut Training Center, I understood how difficult the conditions were for the three crew members." The capsule features six comfortable armchairs that are reminiscent of an airliner.
The new spacecraft can land on airfields with first-category tarmac the way an ordinary plane does, which is what makes it completely different from the U.S. Space Shuttle. Moreover, the Kliper will be far cheaper. Perminov said his agency was studying the possibility of orbiting the Kliper using a Zenith launch vehicle. "Unlike the Buran space shuttle, which was attached to the Energiya rocket sidewise, the Kliper will be placed on top of the Zenith rocket," he said, adding that this option would also be much cheaper. The Kliper will have a mass of 14.5 tons, fly 700kg payloads to the ISS and return 500kg payloads to Earth. Moreover, Kliper crews will be subjected to no more than 2.5-point G-loads during landing. "The new Russian spacecraft will resemble a stylized iron without a handle, flying with its lower section down," said Boris Sotnikov, the deputy director of Energiya's R&D center. He says it has been designed to fly to the Moon and Mars.
It looks like a shuttle pod of a scifi movie...very cool.. ;D
(spaceflight news)