Russia begins testing the space "Federation"

In 2009, work began in Russia to create a replacement for the reliable but outdated Soyuz and Progress spacecraft. The new ship should ensure the delivery of astronauts and cargo to orbital stations, as well as the possibility of flying to the moon and launching on it in order to study the earth's satellite.





Compared with the old Soyuz, the new spacecraft received a large carrying capacity: in addition to 6 crew members, it will be able to put into orbit up to half a ton of useful mass. The new Russian ship will be able to autonomously be in flight for up to one month and up to a year, being docked to the space station. Only one pilot can control it. In the first flight, it will be driven by the Fedor robot.

The device was originally designed with the possibility of deep modernization in the future with the goal of flying not only to the moon, but also to the asteroid belt. The new spacecraft got its name “Federation” at an open competition by voting. The project is estimated at 57,56 billion rubles.



The Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute said it had begun testing the model of the Federation ship in its wind tunnels. It is worth noting that due to its streamlined shape, the Federation will actually fulfill the function of the head fairing of the launch vehicle, since it will be installed on it in an open form. TsAGI said:



Aerodynamic tests are necessary to determine the characteristics of a new spacecraft during its take-off and landing, as well as its stability and controllability.