Reusable spaceship of new generation brings Russian and European space exploration together

In addition to such traditional exhibits as SU and MiG pursuit planes, the Russian stand at Le Bourget displays a natural-sized Martian station and a spaceship of new generation

The 46th international air show opened in Le Bourget, France, on Monday. About 1,900 companies and enterprises from 44 countries of the world will be demonstrating their latest achievements in aviation and space industries during the current week. About 240 civil and military aircrafts, helicopters, unmanned planes and spacecrafts will be displayed at the air show, Itar Tass reports.

Russia represents over 40 enterprises and design bureaus at the world's largest air show. The Russian exposition takes 350 square meters, which is not a large territory in comparison with foreign competitors. Russian companies will display a variety of aviation products – from small models to operating aircrafts.

Russian exhibits represent latest developments in the field of defense aviation, a project of the reusable spaceship of the new generation, as well as a natural-sized model of a Martian station. A part of the Russian exposition is devoted to the Soyuz international project.

MiG and SU pursuit planes traditionally become central exhibits of the Russian exposition at Le Bourget.

Space corporations Roskosmos, Energia and several others have their stands at the air show too. Energia presents a model of the manned spaceship of the new generation, Kliper. The new spaceship is said to become a substitute to outdated Soyuz spacecrafts.

Russia will be developing the project of the new spaceship in cooperation with Europe, the chairman of the Federal Space Agency of Russia (Roskosmos), Anatoli Perminov said.

”The European Space Agency supported the project of the Kliper spacecraft. One may therefore announce our intentions as official,” Perminov emphasized in an interview. The ESA plans to attract other space agencies to participate in the large-scale project. In addition, Russia and Europe discuss the question about the joint practical usage of Kliper. The spaceship is to be used in the structure of the International Space Stations and in Lunar and Martian exploration projects. The spaceship will be capable of making about 20 flights into space.

”The joint project will give an opportunity to develop long-term cooperation in the field of manned space exploration. The spacecraft, which will be launched from both Russian and European space ports, may become a key element in the exploration of planets of the Solar system,” Perminov said at an interview at the air show.

”The main goal of the six-seated nonexpendable spaceship Kliper is to reduce the prime cost of space missions, from the economic point of view,” the head of the Russian space corporation Energia, Nikolay Savastyanov said. “Klipers will be cheaper than Soyuz spacecrafts and a lot cheaper than shuttles,” the specialist said.

Kliper's first flight into space is scheduled to take place in 2011.

Russian and European space agencies plan to conduct a joint research in the field of perspective carrier rockets, Newsru wrote. The head of Roskosmos believes that the two sides experience a need in middium and heavy class of carrier rockets of the new generation. In addition, Russia plans to cooperate with Europe in the field of scientific exploration of space, which includes automated interplanetary stations, remote sounding of Earth, exploration of the Sun, etc.

On the photo: the model of the new spaceship