Static mockup of Russia's Oryol spaceship ready - Roscosmos

MOSCOW. Jan 9 (Interfax) - The Roscosmos space corporation has completed the construction of a static mockup of the next-generation Oryol piloted spaceship for trials, the corporation said in a report summarizing results of the Russian manned space programs in 2023.

"A static mockup of the next-generation piloted spaceship consisting of a reentry vehicle and an engine compartment was built for static trials, and the static trials have begun," Roscosmos said.

"Production of full-sized mockups of the spaceship for vibration resilience and helicopter-based trials is nearing completion," it said.

On July 3, 2023, Roscosmos said that mockups of the spaceship's reentry vehicle would be tested at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in 2024-2025.

In August 2023, Russian space station chief designer Vladimir Kozhevnikov told Interfax that Russia's new Oryol spaceship would perform its inaugural flight in 2028.

In November 2023, Energia Corporation General Designer and Deputy General Director Vladimir Solovyov said that the first manned flight of the spaceship was due in 2028-2029.

Russia is developing the Oryol reentry spaceship as part of the Federatsiya R&D project to bring people and cargo to space stations and to serve as a key element of the lunar exploration strategy.

On April 10, 2023, Roscosmos first deputy head Andrei Yelchaninov said in an interview with Interfax that the concept of the Oryol lunar spaceship would be revised and a new, light spaceship would be developed on its basis for flights to the future Russian space station.

On December 26, 2022, Roscosmos Executive Director for Manned Space Programs Sergei Krikalev said in an interview with Interfax that the Oryol could fly to the Moon only if coupled with a super-heavy-lift launch vehicle.