Russia, Europe, and Japan may jointly develop a crewed spacecraft called Kliper to ferry as many as six astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The spacecraft could launch as early as 2010 鈥� just as NASA retires its space shuttles.
The three space agencies are in discussions to develop the craft, which is intended as a replacement for Russia鈥檚 Soyuz spacecraft. Soyuz has been the workhorse of Russia鈥檚 human spaceflight programme, but is based on 40-year-old technology.
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鈥淪oyuz works and works but the components are becoming obsolete,鈥� says Alan Thirkettle, head of the development department at the European Space Agency鈥檚 (ESA鈥檚) human spaceflight and exploration directorate.
The craft carries three people and can stay docked to the International Space Station for just six months, but the Kliper may transport twice as many and could stay in orbit for up to a year. Officials estimate the first uncrewed flight could take place in 2010, with the first crewed flight in 2011.
Billion-dollar craft
That timing coincides with NASA鈥檚 plan to retire its space shuttle fleet in 2010. 鈥淭he fact that the shuttle is retiring means there needs to be a human crew transportation system in place,鈥� Thirkettle told New 杏吧原创.
NASA is developing a shuttle replacement called the Crew Exploration Vehicle, which it hopes to launch by 2014, but has said it does not want international governmental cooperation on the project. That has 鈥渟hoved鈥� Europe into searching for an alternative spacecraft to ensure 鈥渨e鈥檇 always have access to space鈥�, says Thirkettle.
ESA is hoping to secure about 聙50 million ($61 million) from its governing ministers in December to develop a preliminary design, as well as financial and legal agreements for the project over the next two years. Estimates put the cost for Russia to build and fly the first Kliper at about $1 billion 鈥� Thirkettle hopes ESA will participate at a level of 20% to 30% in the project.
Its design is still being worked out, but it may have 鈥渟tubby鈥� wings to allow it to steer and land on a runway, like the shuttle. But unlike the shuttle, which can loft heavy cargo into space, the Kliper would mainly act as a 鈥減eople carrier鈥�, says Thirkettle.
Completely autonomous
It may include features that had been developed for a space plane called Hermes, which ESA had worked on in the late 1980s but abandoned in 1993 through lack of funds. These features may include the wings, nose cones, or rudders, says ESA spokesperson Franco Bonacina. 鈥淲e have some things in the drawer already that we can easily pull out,鈥� he says.
Kliper is also being designed to operate completely autonomously, without the need for pilot control. 鈥淚t鈥檚 got to be capable of automatic flight,鈥� Thirkettle says.
Some on the team hope Kliper would be able to travel to the Moon, 鈥渂ut I think there鈥檚 a little bit of science fiction in that鈥�, he says. The faster speed and higher heat experienced during re-entry into Earth鈥檚 atmosphere from the Moon require an aerodynamically and thermodynamically different design than those currently on the table, he explains.
鈥淚t could well be that Kliper is a truck that goes backwards and forwards to low-Earth orbit and a different system takes you to the Moon,鈥� he says.
Kliper may be launched on an upgraded Soyuz rocket from Kazakhstan鈥檚 Baikonur Cosmodrome or ESA鈥檚 South American spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
