New manned spacecraft mock-up is to be presented at MAKS international aerospace show, – Federal Space Agency Head Vladimir Popovkin reported on Friday, June 14,2013.
At the moment in accordance with our program documents we have to launch new manned spacecraft by 2018, and we will see it at MAKS air show”, – Popovkin said at President Putin’s meeting with the cosmonauts dedicated to the 50th anniversary of Valentina Tereshkova space flight.
The question is not the concept of the spacecraft to go to space in 2018 but the mock-up, – he pointed out. Popovkin noted that the main goal is to combine human possibilities with the needs of science and new programs are being developed with Russian Academy of Sciences to satisfy this goal.
“We already understand human possibilities in space. Today it is vital to combine these possibilities with science needs”, – Roscosmos Head stated.
The state allocates a lot of money to develop space industry, however there is a lack of good ideas, – Popovkin noted. “I cannot say that we have no money, but I can say sometimes we have no ideas”, – Roscosmos Head also underlined that about 40% of financial means are spent for manned cosmonautics.
RSC finished designing perspective manned transport system for Russian spacecraft of new generation late 2012. New returnable spacecraft will replace Soyuz spaceships and will be a breakthrough for Russian space industry. Flight tests will start in 2017.
