Russia's New Ships

Did anybody else see this story today?

www.msnbc.msn.com...

Russia is building two new spacecraft to take over the role of maintaining the ISS after the US pulls back. One is a six-passenger lifting-body style vehicle, and one is an autonomous "space tug" which will grab cargo capsules as they draw near, and then re-direct them to the ISS.

Pretty neat stuff... the Russians are actually doing a great job at positioning themselves to take advantage of Space Race II.

So far the Russian's only have mock-ups of the 'clipper' ship idea. That's no better than a drawing or rough engineering sketch.

I find it interesting that this new vehicle closely resembles one of Lockheed's early ideas for the new CEV. Reminds me of the 'resemblance' the Soyuz has to the rejected GE proposal for the Apollo project.

Actually the klipper concept was released way before the lockheed concept. The Russians have released a scaled up physical model for their design which is much more than what lockheed has currently done.

ESA is also supporting Russia with their new spacecraft:

The European Space Agency (ESA) on Friday pledged its backing for Russia's plans for manned spacecraft called Kliper, the news agency Itar-Tass reported here. Daniel Sacotte, ESA's director of human spaceflight, microgravity and exploration programmes, said here his organisation "would support" the project, it said.

www.spacedaily.com...

Originally posted by AlphaMail
Russia is building two new spacecraft to take over the role of maintaining the ISS after the US pulls back.

You mean IF, Nasa has not said the use is leaving the ISS program...I doubt they will leave it, but with Nasa's "new vision" and there money is being more directed to the moon and mars and new spacecraft, so they expect the US to pull out of the ISS because of money issues.

The Kliper is nothing new, they have had it on the drawing boards for a long time, and there soyus is like 40 years old...and now with Europe backing there new craft...it might actually get made.

Heres some more info from space.com astronotes on the Klipper:

Russia will be displaying a full-scale mockup of its multi-use Kliper spaceship at the Paris Air Show, held June 13-19 in the suburb of Le Bourget.
Work on the Kliper concept is being led by Energia Rocket and Space Corporation. The mockup in Paris will include the spacecraft’s cabin module and accessory/utility compartment.
Russia is showcasing the six-person spacecraft as a replacement for the Soyuz spacecraft. Target destinations for the craft are the International Space Station, the Moon, as well as Mars.
Anatoly Perminov, head of Russia’s Roskosmos -- that nation’s Federal Space Agency – will be meeting with space officials from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, as well as the United States. Last week, Perminov met with the Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), Jean-Jacques Dordain.
According to RIA Novosti, a Russian news agency, ESA and Roskosmos are discussing the prospect of working together, leading to a first piloted flight of the Kliper in 2011. Novosti also quoted Perminov as saying that the Kliper could be launched from European as well as Russian spaceports.