On March 27, according to TASS news agency, Russia's next-generation manned space transport vehicle will make its first space flight in 2028. This ship is designed with the goal of completely replacing the Soyuz spacecraft line, which has served sustainably and become the backbone of the aerospace industry for decades. This strategic information has just been officially confirmed by Deputy General Director of the State Aerospace Corporation Roscosmos Sergey Krikalev to the media.
Speaking at a thematic conference on space management technology held at the National Academy of Public Administration and Economics under the Russian President, Mr. Krikalev revealed that safe deployment system tests are very close.
The process of manufacturing a spacecraft model with high fidelity simulation of technical systems is being urgently completed. Experts will soon conduct drop-off tests from helicopters to comprehensively assess the safety and landing capability of the spacecraft. Based on the current positive progress, the first space flight of this new generation vehicle has been finalized in 2028.
The new generation manned transport ship is expected to excellently undertake the mission of bringing astronauts and essential goods to space stations in Earth's low-altitude orbit. More importantly, this is considered a core technological link in Moscow's ambitious moon exploration program in the next decade.
In terms of technical specifications, this future ship possesses superior survival and independent operating capabilities compared to its predecessor Soyuz. This vehicle is capable of maintaining its operating state on Earth's low-altitude orbit for up to a full year and staying at the space station on the Moon for up to 180 days. For autonomous flight missions that do not require connection to the mother space station, the orbital version can operate on its own for 30 days, while the version for the Moon mission can fly automatically for 10 days.
The birth of this new spacecraft marks a historic turning point for the Russian space industry. The Soyuz spacecraft line has become a proud symbol and played a central role in the world's manned space programs for more than half a century.
However, upgrading to a new generation of vehicles with more space and advanced technology is an inevitable requirement for Russia to be ready for complex deep space exploration missions. Russian space officials are currently making maximum efforts to ensure this super project takes place on schedule as committed.
