The Russian orbital station, which will replace the ISS, will be eternal, according to the annual report. talks about the largest near-Earth laboratory currently operating, the prospects of the Russian station and the space plans of other countries, primarily the USA and China.
The ISS is planned to operate until at least 2024. After this, the work of the laboratory will be completed or extended for another four years. The ISS partners, primarily the US, Russia, and Japan, have not yet made a decision. Meanwhile, the future of the ISS is directly related to the development of new space technologies.
Deadline
After the separation of the Russian segment from the ISS, the Russian orbital laboratory will consist of three modules: a multi-purpose laboratory with improved operational characteristics “Nauka”, a hub “Prichal” and a scientific and energy module. Later, the national station is planned to be equipped with three more modules - transformable, gateway and energy.
The main goal of the laboratory is to become a platform for testing technologies for deep space exploration. As reported in the annual report of the RSC, “continuous operation of the station is expected by replacing modules that have exhausted their service life.” Although the first three modules should be part of the ISS, none of them have yet been launched to the station. The reasons are still the same. Consider, for example, the situation with the Science module.
The Deputy Prime Minister agreed with him. “The issue of the future of manned programs must be discussed, and not go with the flow, being responsible only for the process, but not for the result. The opinion of this expert is worth listening to, and not habitually brushing aside. We expect an objective analysis of the situation and specific proposals from Roscosmos. Otherwise, we will lag behind not only the United States, but also other space powers. All that will remain is nostalgia for the old days,”
June 15th, 2014
We have all seen many times a wide variety of space stations and space cities in science fiction films. But they are all unrealistic. Brian Versteeg from Spacehabs based on real scientific principles develops concepts for space stations that could one day actually be built. One such settlement station is Kalpana One. More precisely, an improved, modern version of a concept developed in the 1970s. Kalpana One is a cylindrical structure with a radius of 250 meters and a length of 325 meters. Approximate population level: 3,000 citizens.
Let's take a closer look at this city...
Photo 2. 
“The Kalpana One Space Settlement is the result of research into the very real limits of the structure and form of huge space settlements. Starting from the late 60s and up to the 80s of the last century, humanity absorbed the idea of the shapes and sizes of possible space stations of the future, which were shown all this time in science fiction films and in various pictures. However, many of these forms had some design flaws that, in reality, would result in such structures suffering from insufficient stability during rotation in space. Other forms did not effectively use the ratio of structural and protective mass to create habitable areas,” says Versteeg.
Photo 3. 
“When searching for a shape that would allow the creation of a living and habitable area under overload conditions and would have the necessary protective mass, it was found that the oblong shape of the station would be the most suitable choice. Due to the sheer size and design of such a station, very little effort or adjustment would be required to avoid its oscillations.”
Photo 4. 
“With the same radius of 250 meters and a depth of 325 meters, the station will make two full revolutions around itself per minute and create the feeling that a person, being in it, will experience the feeling as if he were in conditions of earthly gravity. And this is very important aspect, since gravity will allow us to live longer in space, because our bones and muscles will develop in the same way as they would on Earth. Since such stations in the future may become permanent habitats for people, it is very important to create conditions on them that are as close as possible to the conditions on our planet. Make it so that people can not only work on it, but also relax. And relax with delights.”
Photo 5. 
“And although the physics of hitting or throwing, say, a ball in such an environment will be very different from on Earth, the station will definitely offer a wide variety of sports (and other) activities and entertainment.”
Photo 6. 
Brian Versteeg is a concept designer and is focused on the work of future technology and space exploration. He worked with many private space companies, as well as print publications, to whom he showed concepts of what humanity would use in the future to conquer space. The Kalpana One project is one such concept.
Photo 7. 
Photo 8. 
Photo 9. 
Photo 10. 
Photo 11. 
But for example, some more old concepts:
Scientific base on the Moon. 1959 concept
Image: Magazine “Technology for Youth”, 1965/10
Toroidal Colony Concept
Image: Don Davis/NASA/Ames Research Center
Developed by the NASA aerospace agency in the 1970s. As planned, the colony would have been designed to house 10,000 people. The design itself was modular and would allow the connection of new compartments. It would be possible to travel in them on a special vehicle called ANTS.
Image and presentation: Don Davis/NASA/Ames Research Center
Spheres Bernal
Image: Don Davis/NASA/Ames Research Center
Another concept was developed at NASA Ames Research Center in the 1970s. Population: 10,000. The main idea of the Bernal Sphere is spherical living compartments. The populated area is in the center of the sphere, surrounded by areas for agricultural and agricultural production. Sunlight is used as lighting for residential and agricultural areas, which is redirected into them through a solar mirror battery system. Special panels release residual heat into space. Factories and docks for spaceships are located in a special long pipe in the center of the sphere.
Image: Rick Guidys/NASA/Ames Research Center
Image: Rick Guidis/NASA/Ames Research Center
Cylindrical colony concept developed in the 1970s
Image: Rick Guidys/NASA/Ames Research Center
Intended for a population of more than one million people. The idea of the concept belongs to the American physicist Gerard K. Onil.
Image: Don Davis/NASA/Ames Research Center
Image: Don Davis/NASA/Ames Research Center
Image and presentation: Rick Guidys/NASA/Ames Research Center
1975 View from inside the colony, the concept idea of which belongs to Onil. Agricultural sectors with various types vegetables and plants are located on terraces that are installed at each level of the colony. Light for the crop is provided by mirrors that reflect the sun's rays.
Image: NASA/Ames Research Center
Image: Magazine “Technology of Youth”, 1977/4
Huge orbital farms like this one in the picture will produce enough food for space settlers
Image: Delta, 1980/1
Mining colony on an asteroid
Image: Delta, 1980/1
Toroidal space colony of the future. 1982
Space base concept. 1984
Image: Les Bosinas/NASA/Glenn Research Center
Moon base concept. 1989
Image: NASA/JSC
Concept of a multifunctional Mars base. 1991
Image: NASA/Glenn Research Center
1995 Moon
Earth's natural satellite appears to be an excellent place to test equipment and train people for missions to Mars.
The special gravitational conditions of the Moon will be an excellent place for sports competitions.
Image: Pat Rawlings/NASA
1997 Ice mining in the dark lunar craters south pole open up opportunities for human expansion within solar system. In this unique location, people from a space colony powered by solar energy will produce fuel to send spacecraft from the lunar surface. Water from potential ice sources, or regolith, will flow within the dome cells and prevent exposure to harmful radiation.
Image: Pat Rawlings/NASA
In connection with the new space exploration programs that the Russian government has planned for the near future, Anatoly Perminov addressed the members of the Federation Council. The head of Roscosmos informed about the current state of the industry and the prospects for its development in the current decade.
In his speech, Perminov criticized not only the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, but also its head, Mr. Kudrin. The head of the Federal Space Agency on the work of the Ministry of Finance said the following: “Today we are conquering markets only through our technologies in the field of space exploration; the policy followed by the Ministry of Finance does not allow us to fully implement projects to conquer new foreign markets. We need to look up to China. Delivered in this country specific task: in five years, occupy all markets in Asia and South America, and Beijing has set a task to invest in these promising markets based on the financial component, even despite the obvious damage to the national economy. In conquering markets, the main factor of victory is the financial component. Today we cooperate with Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Cuba. We will create spacecraft with these countries.”
According to Perminov, Russia will gradually move away from the use of heavy Proton launch vehicles, which operate on toxic fuel. But this will happen only if the new Angara launch vehicle passes flight tests successfully. The Angara launch vehicle uses environmentally friendly fuel. Its first launch is scheduled for 2013.
According to the head of Roscosmos, the leading space powers have not yet found components that could provide the same thrust as the fuel on which Proton operates. “All over the world, demethylhydrazine, as well as its various variations, TG-02, is used as fuel in heavy rockets. There are no other compromise components. The whole world continues to operate these heavy missiles. If we abandon the Proton rocket, we will get a complete stop of launches of dual-use and military vehicles, and commercial launches will be reduced by 50 percent,” said Anatoly Perminov.
In his report to Russian senators, Anatoly Perminov also touched upon the topic of prospects for the development and testing of the new Russian spacecraft “Rus”. In particular, he pointed out the following: “At least fifteen trouble-free test launches in unmanned mode will be required. After a thorough analysis, a decision will be made to dispatch the crew.” Unmanned test flights could take at least two years. The first launch of the Rus rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome will be carried out in 2015, and the launch with a crew will be in 2018. The head of the Russian Space Agency also said that the Vostochny cosmodrome, after completion of construction, will be operated for some time in parallel with the existing Baikonur and Plesetsk.
Anatoly Perminov is confident that an expedition to Mars will become a reality in a quarter of a century. “Of course, you need to prepare for the flight. This is a long and gradual process. But we don’t have anything to fly with yet. It’s absurd to fly to Mars on the spacecraft and engines that we use today,” said the head of Roscosmos. " It's about that we need to build a new ship with a completely modified megawatt-class nuclear power plant, and only in this case can we fly to Mars. Taking into account the use of new engines, the flight will take about a month, but this is realistic only after 2035. All this empty and absurd talk - like I agree to a one-way flight, just let me go to Mars - is just nonsense. What will be the result for science from such a flight? Obviously, none,” said the head of Roscosmos.
Deputy head of Roscosmos Vitaly Davydov also spoke at the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, who told the senators about the results of testing the sea strategic missile"Mace". In particular, he said: “It would seem that the difficult period of Bulava is behind us, we have now eliminated the shortcomings that existed, and, in general, with some confidence we share the optimism of the developers in the sense that the work will be completed.”
The problems identified during the tests were resolved thanks to government support measures. For the most part, the approval of the defense industry development program contributed. The necessary funds were reserved in the budget to finance ongoing projects, including the allocation of funds for the preparation of production, which is associated with “Bulava”.
Vitaly Davydov noted that in the adopted State Armament Program 2020, one of the priorities is rocket and space technology, funding for it has been increased, and this gives confidence in the development of space exploration in the future.
At the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget these days, Chinese representatives invited Roscosmos to participate in the Chinese space station. As the head of the state corporation, Igor Komarov, said, there is no agreement or plans: the stations have different orbital inclinations. So far, Russia has no plans to join the project. The plan of the station in question is relatively finalized. The Chinese manned space program itself is young - the first Chinese taikunaut appeared less than a decade and a half ago.
However, after the closure of the ISS project in the 20s of this century, China may be one - if not the only - of the countries with a functioning station in Earth orbit.
ISS Closed Club
Both projects stretch back almost half a century into the past of the Cold War. Plans for an international multi-module space station called Freedom were announced in 1984 under Reagan. The 40th president of the United States inherited from his predecessor one of the most expensive orbital carriers in the history of the Space Shuttle and not a single permanent orbital station, and the new leadership in the United States always likes to appoint new areas of astronautics.
Fortunately, Mir-2 did not remain just a fantasy of the Orbiter simulator modellers: through the PMA-1 adapter, the Zarya modules and the Mir-2 base unit, which became the Zvezda, were connected to the American segment.
Over eighteen years in orbit, the ISS has acquired its current scope. The station, which has become one of the most expensive structures of humanity, has been visited by citizens of several dozen countries, many countries are conducting experiments on it - you just need to be a partner.
But only the United States, its allies and Russia, which has joined, have membership in the project. Does not participate in the ISS along with others, for example, India or South Korea. Other countries have real barriers to participation. Most likely, not a single Chinese citizen will ever be on board the station. The probable reason for this is geopolitical motives and political hostility. For example, all researchers at the American space agency NASA are prohibited from working with Chinese citizens associated with Chinese government or private organizations.
Fast start
Therefore, China is walking alone in space. It seems that it has always been this way: the Soviet-Chinese split prevented us from borrowing the experience of early Soviet launches. All that China managed to do before him was to adopt experience in creating the R-2 rocket, an improved copy of the German V-2. In the seventies and eighties of the last century, as part of the Intercosmos program, the USSR launched citizens of friendly states into orbit. And there was not a single Chinese here. Technological exchanges between China and Russia resumed only in the 2000s.
The first tykunaut appeared in 2003. The Shenzhou-5 apparatus was launched into orbit by Yang Liwei. Although much later, China became the third nation in the world after the USSR and the USA to create the possibility of putting a person into Earth orbit. The answer to the question of how independently this work was carried out is a matter for those who like to argue. But the Shenzhou ship, both externally and internally, resembles the Soviet Soyuz, and one of the world-famous Russian scientists received 11 years in prison on charges of transferring space technology to China.
In 2008, the People's Republic of China completed a spacewalk on Shenzhou-7. Taikunaut Zhai Zhigang was protected from space by the “Feitian” spacesuit, created in the likeness of the Russian “Orlan-M”.
China launched its first space station, Tiangong-1, into orbit in 2011. Externally, the station resembles the early devices of the Salyut series: it consisted of one module and did not provide for expansion or docking of more than one ship. The station arrived at the specified orbit. A month later, the unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou-8 was automatically docked. The ship undocked and docked again to test the rendezvous and docking systems. In the summer of 2012, Tiangong-1 was visited by two crews of taikunauts.
"Tiangong-1"
In world history, human launch was 1961, spacewalk was 1965, automatic docking was 1967, docking with a space station was 1971. China was rapidly repeating the space records that the USA and USSR set generations ago, it was increasing its experience and technology, even if resorting to copying.
Visits to the first Chinese space station did not last long, only a few days. As you can see, this was not quite a full-fledged station - it was created to test rendezvous and docking technologies. Two crews - and they left her.
At the moment, Tiangong-1 is gradually leaving orbit; the remains of the device will fall to Earth somewhere at the end of 2017. This will probably be an uncontrolled derailment, since communication with the station has been lost.
Basic module "Tianhe"
In the design of the 22-ton Tianhe, there are noticeable similarities with the base module of the Mir and Zvezda of the ISS, which originated from the Salyut. In the front part of the module there is a docking unit; a robotic manipulator, gyrodynes and solar panels are located outside. Inside the module there is an area for storing supplies and scientific experiments. The crew of the module is 3 people.
Scientific module "Wentian"
The two scientific modules will have approximately the same size as Tianhe and approximately the same mass - 20 tons. They want to install another smaller robotic manipulator on the Wentian for conducting experiments in outer space and a small airlock chamber.
Scientific module "Mengtian"
The Mengtian has a gateway for spacewalks and an additional docking port.
Due to the paucity of available information, the Bisbos.com illustration takes liberties with assumptions and conjectures, but gives a good idea of the future station. Here, in addition to the station modules, there is a Tianzhou model cargo ship (in the upper left corner) and a Shenzhou series crew ship (in the lower right corner).
Perhaps these plans could be combined with the Chinese project. But on June 19, the head of Roscosmos, Igor Komarov, said that there are no such plans yet:
They offered, we exchange offers to participate in projects, but they have a different inclination, a different orbit and plans that are somewhat different from ours. While there are agreements and plans for the future, there is nothing concrete.
He recalled that the Chinese space station project is a national project, although other countries can participate in it. On the other hand, to representatives of RIA Novosti the director of the department international cooperation Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) Xu Yansong said that the project could become international.
The cited problem in the station's location is inclination, one of the most important characteristics of the orbit of any satellite. This is the angle between the orbital plane and the reference plane - in this case, the Earth's equator.
The orbital inclination of the International Space Station is 51.6°, which is interesting in itself. The fact is that when launching an artificial Earth satellite, it is most economical to increase the speed given by the rotation of the planet, that is, launch with an inclination equal to the latitude. The latitude of Cape Canaveral in the USA, where the shuttle launch pads are located, is 28°, Baikonur - 46°. Therefore, when choosing a configuration, a concession was made to one of the parties. In addition, from the resulting station you can photograph much more land. They usually launch from Baikonur with an inclination of 51.6°, so that the spent stages and the rocket itself do not fall onto the territory of Mongolia or China in the event of an accident.
The Russian modules separated from the ISS will maintain an orbital inclination of 51.6°, unless, of course, it is changed, which is very energy-intensive - it will require maneuvers in orbit, that is, fuel and engines, probably from Progress. Statements about the Russian National Space Station also hinted at operating at an inclination of 64.8° - this is necessary for launching devices to it from the Plesetsk cosmodrome.
In any case, all this is different from the announced Chinese plans. According to the presentations, the Chinese space station will be launched at an inclination of 42°-43° with an orbital altitude of 340-450 kilometers above sea level. Such an inclination discrepancy excludes the creation of a joint Russian-Chinese space station similar to the ISS.
Current life expectancy estimates that the ISS will last until at least 2024. The station has no successors. NASA has no plans to create its own space station in low Earth orbit and is concentrating its efforts on a flight to Mars. There are only plans to create the Deep Space Gateway module as a transfer point between the Earth and the Moon on the way to deep space, to the red planet. Probably, for a new round of international cooperation, the geopolitical climate of the early nineties and the present day differs significantly.
When creating the ISS, the Russian side was invited not only for the sake of technology, but also for experience. At that time, in the USA, orbital experiments were carried out on short-term flights of the reusable Spacelab laboratory, and experience on long-term orbital stations limited to three Skylab crews in the seventies. The USSR and its specialists had unique knowledge of the continuous operation of stations of this type, the life of the crew on board and the conduct of scientific experiments. Perhaps the recent proposal of the PRC to participate in the Chinese space station project is precisely an attempt to adopt this experience.
This article will touch upon such a topic as spaceships of the future: photos, descriptions and specifications. Before moving directly to the topic, we offer the reader a short excursion into history that will help to appreciate current state space industry.
During the Cold War, space was one of the arenas in which the confrontation between the United States and the USSR was fought. The main stimulus for the development of the space industry in those years was precisely the geopolitical confrontation between the superpowers. Huge resources have been devoted to space exploration programs. For example, the United States government spent approximately $25 billion on a project called Apollo, the main goal of which was to land humans on the surface of the Moon. This amount was simply gigantic for the 1970s. The lunar program, which was never destined to be realized, cost the budget of the Soviet Union 2.5 billion rubles. The development of the Buran spacecraft cost 16 million rubles. However, he was destined to make only one space flight.
Space Shuttle program
Its American counterpart was much luckier. The Space Shuttle made 135 launches. However, this “shuttle” did not last forever. Its last launch took place on July 8, 2011. The Americans launched 6 shuttles during the program. One of them was a prototype that had never carried out space flights. 2 others were completely catastrophic.
The Space Shuttle program can hardly be considered a success from an economic point of view. Disposable ships turned out to be much more economical. In addition, the safety of shuttle flights has raised doubts. As a result of two disasters that occurred during their operation, 14 astronauts became victims. However, the reason for such ambiguous travel results lies not in the technical imperfections of the ships, but in the complexity of the very concept of spacecraft intended for reusable use.
The importance of Soyuz spacecraft today
As a result, Soyuz, expendable spacecraft from Russia that were developed back in the 1960s, became the only vehicles carrying out manned flights to the ISS today. It should be noted that this does not mean they are superior to the Space Shuttle. They have a number of significant disadvantages. For example, their carrying capacity is limited. Also, the use of such devices leads to the accumulation of orbital debris that remains after their operation. Very soon, space flights on the Soyuz will become history. Today there are no real alternatives. The spaceships of the future are still under development, photos of which are presented in this article. The enormous potential inherent in the concept of reusable ships often remains technically unrealizable even in our time.
Statement by Barack Obama
Barack Obama announced in July 2011 that main goal US astronauts are planning a flight to Mars in the coming decades. Space program"Constellation" has become one of the programs that NASA is implementing as part of the flight to Mars and the exploration of the Moon. For these purposes, of course, we need new spaceships of the future. How are things going with their development?
Orion spacecraft
The main hopes are placed on the creation of Orion, a new spacecraft, as well as the Ares-5 and Ares-1 launch vehicles and the Altair lunar module. In 2010, the United States government decided to terminate the Constellation program, but despite this, NASA still received the opportunity to further develop Orion. The first test unmanned flight is planned in the near future. It is assumed that the device will move 6 thousand km from the Earth during this flight. This is about 15 times greater than the distance at which the ISS is located from our planet. After the test flight, the ship will head for Earth. The new device can enter the atmosphere at a speed of 32 thousand km/h. In this indicator, Orion exceeds the legendary Apollo by 1.5 thousand km/h. The first manned launch is scheduled for 2021.
According to NASA plans, the role of launch vehicles for this ship will be Atlas-5 and Delta-4. It was decided to abandon the development of Ares. In addition, the Americans are designing SLS, a new launch vehicle, to explore deep space.
Orion concept
Orion is a partially reusable spacecraft. It is conceptually closer to the Soyuz than to the Shuttle. Most future spacecraft are partially reusable. This concept assumes that the ship’s liquid capsule can be reused after landing on Earth. This will make it possible to combine the operating efficiency of Apollo and Soyuz with the functional practicality of reusable spacecraft. This decision is a transitional stage. Apparently, in the distant future, all spaceships of the future will become reusable. This is the development trend of the space industry. Therefore, we can say that the Soviet Buran is a prototype of the spaceship of the future, just like the American Space Shuttle. They were way ahead of their time.
CST-100
The words "prudence" and "practicality" seem to describe Americans best. The government of this country decided not to put all space ambitions on Orion's shoulders. Today, at the request of NASA, several private companies are developing their own spaceships of the future, which are designed to replace the devices used today. Boeing, for example, is developing the CST-100, a partially reusable and manned spacecraft. It is designed for short trips to Earth orbit. Its main task will be the delivery of cargo and crew to the ISS.
Planned launches of CST-100
Up to seven people can make up the ship's crew. During the development of the CST-100, attention was paid Special attention comfort of astronauts. Its living space was significantly increased compared to ships of the previous generation. It is likely that CST-100 will be launched using Falcon, Delta or Atlas launch vehicles. Atlas-5 is the most suitable option. The ship will be landed using airbags and a parachute. According to Boeing's plans, a whole series of test launches awaits the CST-100 in 2015. The first 2 flights will be unmanned. Their main task is to launch the device into orbit and test security systems. A manned docking with the ISS is planned during the third flight. CST-100 in case successful tests very soon it will replace the Progress and Soyuz - Russian spacecraft that today have a monopoly on manned flights to the ISS.
Development of "Dragon"
Another private ship designed to deliver crew and cargo to the ISS will be a device developed by SpaceX. This is the "Dragon" - a monoblock ship, partially reusable. It is planned to build 3 modifications of this device: autonomous, cargo and manned. Like the CST-100, the crew can be up to seven people. The ship in its cargo modification can carry 4 people and 2.5 tons of cargo.
They also want to use the Dragon for a flight to Mars in the future. For this purpose, a special version of this ship called “Red Dragon” is being created. The unmanned flight of this device to the Red Planet will take place, according to the plans of the US space leadership, in 2018.
Design feature of the "Dragon" and first flights
Reusability is one of the features of "Dragon". Fuel tanks and part of the energy systems after the flight will descend along with the living capsule to Earth. They can then be used again for space flights. This design feature distinguishes the Dragon from most other promising developments. "Dragon" and CST-100 in the near future will complement each other and serve as a "safety net". If one of these types of ship cannot, for some reason, complete the tasks assigned to it, then another will take on part of its work.
The Dragon was first launched into orbit in 2010. The unmanned test flight was successfully completed. And in 2012, on May 25, this device docked with the ISS. At that time, the ship did not have an automatic docking system, and it was necessary to use the space station’s manipulator to implement it.
"Dream Chaser"
"Dream Chaser" is another name for spaceships of the future. It is impossible not to mention this project of the SpaceDev company. Also, 12 company partners, 3 US universities and 7 NASA centers took part in its development. This ship is significantly different from other space developments. It looks like a miniature Space Shuttle and can land in the same way as a regular airplane. Its main tasks are similar to those facing the CST-100 and the Dragon. The device is designed to deliver crew and cargo into low-Earth orbit, and it will be launched there using Atlas-5.
What do we have?
How can Russia respond? What are Russian spaceships of the future like? In 2000, RSC Energia began designing the Clipper space complex, which is a multi-purpose space complex. This spacecraft is reusable, somewhat reminiscent in appearance of a shuttle, reduced in size. It is designed to solve various problems, such as cargo delivery, space tourism, evacuation of the station crew, flights to other planets. Certain hopes were placed on this project.
It was assumed that the spaceships of Russia's future would soon be constructed. However, due to lack of funding, these hopes had to be abandoned. The project was closed in 2006. The technologies that have been developed over the years are planned to be used to design the PTS, also known as Project Rus.
Features of PTS
The best spaceships of the future, as experts from Russia believe, are PPTS. It is this space system that will be destined to become a new generation of spacecraft. It will be able to replace Progress and Soyuz, which are rapidly becoming obsolete. The development of this ship, like the Clipper in the past, is being developed today by RSC Energia. PTK NK will become the basic modification of this complex. Its main task, again, will be to deliver crew and cargo to the ISS. However, in the distant future there is the development of modifications that will be able to fly to the Moon, as well as carry out various long-term research missions.
The ship itself should become partially reusable. The liquid capsule will be reused after landing, but the propulsion compartment will not. A curious feature of this ship is the ability to land without a parachute. Jet system will be used for braking and landing on the earth's surface.
New cosmodrome
Unlike the Soyuz, which take off from the Baikonur cosmodrome located in Kazakhstan, the new spacecraft are planned to be launched from the Vostochny cosmodrome, which is being built in the Amur region. The crew will consist of 6 people. The device can also carry loads weighing up to 500 kg. The unmanned version of the ship can deliver cargo weighing up to 2 tons.
Challenges facing PTS developers
One of the main problems facing the PTS project is the lack of launch vehicles with the necessary characteristics. Main technical points spacecraft today have been developed, but the lack of a launch vehicle puts its developers in a very difficult position. It is expected that it will be close in characteristics to the Angara, which was developed back in the 90s.
Another major issue, oddly enough, is the purpose of the PTS design. Russia today can hardly afford to implement ambitious programs for the exploration of Mars and the Moon, similar to those being implemented by the United States. Even if the space complex is successfully developed, most likely its only task will remain the delivery of crew and cargo to the ISS. The start of testing of the PTS was postponed until 2018. By this time, promising spacecraft from the United States will most likely already take over the functions performed today by the Russian Progress and Soyuz spacecraft.
Vague prospects for space flights
It is a fact that the world today remains devoid of the romance of space flight. This, of course, is not about space tourism and satellite launches. There is no need to worry about these areas of astronautics. Flights to the ISS are very important for the space industry, but the duration of stay in orbit of the ISS itself is limited. This station is planned to be liquidated in 2020. And manned spacecraft of the future are an integral part of a specific program. It is impossible to develop a new device if there is no idea about the tasks facing it. New future spaceships are being designed in the United States not only for delivering crews and cargo to the ISS, but also for flights to the Moon and Mars. However, these tasks are so far from everyday earthly concerns that we should hardly expect significant breakthroughs in the field of astronautics in the coming years. Space threats remain fantasy, so there is no point in designing combat spaceships of the future. And, of course, the powers of Earth have many other concerns besides fighting each other for a place in orbit and other planets. The construction of such devices as military spaceships of the future is therefore also impractical.