Russia offers Soyuz capsule for tourist flights, even after it is replaced
Capitalism in space: The Russian company that makes the Soyuz capsule has announced that it intends to continue flying the capsule, even after the new Federation replacement capsule is operational.
“I think that the Soyuz has the right to continue its life. As long as there exists a space tourism market and this spacecraft enjoys confidence, this all should be used as essential components,” the CEO said. Energiya is also considering the possibility to upgrade the Soyuz for circumlunar missions. “If we manage to do it faster, we will have a chance to perfect important systems on it, that will be further used on the Federation,” Solntsev noted.
Energiya is now part of the Russian space agency Roscosmos and is controlled by the government. Thus, for it to do this will still require government approval. Will the Russian government allow the old capsule to exist when the new one begins flying? That would be a form of competition, something Russia hasn’t really encouraged since the fall of the Soviet Union. We shall see.
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Capitalism in space: The Russian company that makes the Soyuz capsule has announced that it intends to continue flying the capsule, even after the new Federation replacement capsule is operational.
“I think that the Soyuz has the right to continue its life. As long as there exists a space tourism market and this spacecraft enjoys confidence, this all should be used as essential components,” the CEO said. Energiya is also considering the possibility to upgrade the Soyuz for circumlunar missions. “If we manage to do it faster, we will have a chance to perfect important systems on it, that will be further used on the Federation,” Solntsev noted.
Energiya is now part of the Russian space agency Roscosmos and is controlled by the government. Thus, for it to do this will still require government approval. Will the Russian government allow the old capsule to exist when the new one begins flying? That would be a form of competition, something Russia hasn’t really encouraged since the fall of the Soviet Union. We shall see.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
There won’t be any Russian “Federation” spaceship. That’s just empty talk. Soyuz will remain their last crewed spacecraft. And I’ve heard that astronauts going to the ISS complain about being strapped down during all of the trip, so how much fun is that for a “tourist”? As fun as taking an elevator ride. All the way up, and all the way down again. Without any destination. Could you sell tickets to tourists for that?
Localfluff,
My thoughts exactly. Do they have a service module that would allow the occupants to get out of the fetal position? I wouldn’t spend money to be strapped into that thing for a week straight. I feel for the astronauts that had to take the longer orbital maneuvers to reach the space station. I’m so claustrophobic they would have to sedate me for the whole damn trip! I’m getting anxiety just thinking about it…
Having a little closer look at it, Soyuz astronauts can float around in the orbital module, 2½ meter long nearly spherical. Sounds small for three, but it should be nice one at a time. They remain strapped down during the fast 6 hours trips to the ISS.
I think that the Russians will focus on flying their Soyuz launcher and finishing their new spaceport. But they will in a few years completely lose the markets for both commercial satellite launches and for rocket engines. They will keep Proton only if the military needs it. Maybe some of their human spaceflight know how can be preserved in cooperation with foreign private companies, but that doesn’t seem to be what they are aiming for, so Russian human space flight will likely end permanently with the ISS. Any new development of launchers or spacecrafts seems unrealistic.