Recently, it became known that Russia may launch a new spaceplane in the foreseeable future. According to a source in the rocket and space industry, it will be unmanned.
The other day, the head of the NGO "Molniya" Olga Sokolova said that Russia is actively working on a new spaceplane, which has already managed to get the nickname "mini-Buran" (its development is led by the same company that created the Soviet shuttle). Now a source in the rocket and space industry has told about the main feature of the new complex.
According to him, we are talking about an unmanned civilian analog of the American X-37B device. It will deliver cargo to orbit and return it back. "The device developed by the NGO Molniya is an unmanned civilian analog of the American X-37B, that is, it should be created in the same dimension. It is not intended for manned flights, but is designed for the delivery and return of cargo from space, " the source said.
X-37B
Image source: Boeing
The ship, according to the agency's source, will be put into orbit by a Soyuz launch vehicle. The device is an initiative work of "Lightning".
Recall, according to the general director of the company Olga Sokolova, the device can be launched into space "in the next five years." Now the NGO "Molniya" has moved from individual developments to a full-fledged creation of a spaceplane. Among other things, the recruitment of new specialists who will work in this direction continues.
It is noteworthy that the head of the space department Dmitry Rogozin also spoke about the possible creation of a new spaceplane in Russia last year [...] . He did not specify any details regarding the new complex. At the same time, he noted that another device — the created manned spacecraft "Eagle" (a conditional analogue of the American Crew Dragon and CST-100) — may be too expensive to supply the orbital station and it is more reasonable to use it to solve more important tasks.
Models of the Eagle»
Image source: wikipedia
Recall that Russia does not abandon its "lunar" ambitions: This applies both to the unmanned development of the Earth's satellite, and to sending manned spacecraft to it. At different times, experts have considered various options for the development of the lunar surface.
Experts consider the use of the superheavy rocket bundle to be the most logical way to solve these problems "Yenisei» "the Eagle spaceship." The prospects of this carrier, however, due to the technical complexity and high cost remain vague.
