Plans for Euro-Russian spaceplane

Posted on: Sep. 28th, 2005 || Source: news.bbc.co.uk | E-mail Article | Print Article

The European Space Agency (Esa) is proposing joining forces with Russia to develop a new vehicle for human spaceflight, the Clipper.

The six-person spaceplane would give European astronauts autonomous access to the space station and the Moon.

Esa will ask its member states to fund a 30-40m-euro (£20-27m) preparatory study at its next ministerial meeting.

Russia is planning to replace its ageing Soyuz capsule with the Clipper and is seeking international partners.

The Soyuz has been in operation since the late 1960s, flying cosmonauts back and forth to Salyut, Mir and the International Space Station.

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