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Actually a larger, updated Soyuz;
Dr. Mordrid
PARIS — European Space Agency (ESA) governments agreed June 22 to participate in a two-year program with Russia, and probably Japan as well, to explore crew-transport vehicle designs for missions to the international space station, the Moon and elsewhere.
The Russian-proposed program, formerly called Clipper, has evolved into a more modest effort to start with an evolved and enlarged Soyuz capsule as a design focus. Only later would the program, now called Advanced Crew Transportation System (ACTS), move to a possibly winged spacecraft along the lines of what the Russians have proposed for Clipper.
Daniel Sacotte, ESA director of human spaceflight, microgravity and exploration, said in a June 22 interview that ESA governments led by France and Germany had agreed to invest around 15 million euros ($19 million) on a two-year, collaborative effort with Russia to settle outstanding ACTS issues.
The Russian-proposed program, formerly called Clipper, has evolved into a more modest effort to start with an evolved and enlarged Soyuz capsule as a design focus. Only later would the program, now called Advanced Crew Transportation System (ACTS), move to a possibly winged spacecraft along the lines of what the Russians have proposed for Clipper.
Daniel Sacotte, ESA director of human spaceflight, microgravity and exploration, said in a June 22 interview that ESA governments led by France and Germany had agreed to invest around 15 million euros ($19 million) on a two-year, collaborative effort with Russia to settle outstanding ACTS issues.