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Russia Schedules Clipper Spacecraft Launch
Moscow (UPI) Aug 18, 2005 The first unmanned flight of Russia's Clipper space shuttle has reportedly been set for 2011, with the first manned flight scheduled for 2012. Nikolai Bryukhanov, deputy director general of the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation, told Business Tuesday that the Clipper could replace the Soyuz and become Russia's main spaceship for the coming decades. The Clipper is a shuttle craft with improved aerodynamics, allowing it to cut regular G-forces by 2 to 2 1/2 times, and irregular G-forces by 5 times, the Russian news agency Novosti reported. It will also be able to maneuver during the controlled re-entry stage, increasing the precision of the landing. The Clipper will be able to deliver a six-man crew to the International Space Station, Bryukhanov said. With a Clipper docked at the station, the permanent ISS crew can be increased by two to three times. Although Russia can build the Clipper using domestic technologies, the Federal Space Agency believes it will be more effective and strategically important for Russia to involve other nations in the project, Bryukhanov said. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com
Successful First Test For Vega's Zefiro 9 Engine
Paris, France(ESA) Dec 28, 2005Flames, smoke and a deafening noise accompanied the first firing test of Vega's Zefiro 9 third-stage solid rocket motor. A first examination of the data indicates that everything went well at the test carried out yesterday at Salto de Quirra in southeast Sardinia. |
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