Energia Reveals New Russian Spacecraft

colonist writes "Russian space officials unveiled a full-scale model of the Kliper spaceship. If funding is provided, Kliper will replace the Soyuz space capsule as Russia's human space vehicle. The spaceship, designed by RKK Energia, is twice the size of the Soyuz and will carry a crew of six. It has two main parts: a reusable re-entry craft with a lifting body design, and an orbital module. Like the Soyuz, it has a rocket to pull the spaceship away from the launch vehicle in an emergency. See this photo gallery, Encyclopedia Astronautica and RussianSpaceWeb.com."

Comments

The US is doing a lot of space exploration...

[Shivetya]

the key is that we are not doing manned exploration. Sending people up in to space isn't exploration.

We have probes to many of the planets, Mars in paticular, we are going to smack a asteroid soon, and there are plans to a new space observatory.

Considering the costs associated with space I think the US is doing just fine. Hell, I like to wonder, where is everyone else?

Besides this is just a mock up, it is no more valuable to space travel than a brochure from marketing... actually that is what it is, an attempt to stir up interest in what they do.

Re:Earth to NASA.

[Keebler71]

This is the sort of thing NASA should have been working on decades ago

Where the hell have you been?.

CEV, X-33, X-34, X-37, X-38, X-40, X-43.

Not to belittle this Russian effort which I think is terrific, but at this point, the Russian vehicle is no more than a concept and a full-scale mock-up.

NASA has been working on such projects for decades; whether or not they are funded is beyond their control...