|
|
|
|
|
Russian Soyuz Spacecraft to Be Used for Lunar Mining A Russian spacecraft manufacturer Energiya (Energy) has said that its new digitally-controlled Soyuz TMA vehicles will be used to extract lunar reserves of helium-3 until a reusable shuttle comes online, RIA Novosti reported. “Before the new Clipper space shuttle is there to take over, we will have to master new digital control systems that we are now installing on Soyuz (craft) instead of analog parts,” Energiya Chief Executive Nikolai Sevastyanov said. He stressed that only Russian-made systems will be used to upgrade the Soyuz TMA, and that the digital version will be cheaper, lighter and more spacious. The three-seater Soyuz TMA capsule was the sole vehicle to carry crews to the International Space Station after U.S. shuttle flights were suspended after the Columbia disaster in February 2003, to resume only two-and-a-half years later. Russia’s next-generation reusable Clipper shuttle, which seats six, is expected to replace the veteran Soyuz by 2015. ---------------------------------------------------
Prison Planet.tv: The Premier Multimedia Subscription Package: Download and Share the Truth! Please help our fight against the New World Order by giving a donation. As bandwidth costs increase, the only way we can stay online and expand is with your support. Please consider giving a monthly or one-off donation for whatever you can afford. You can pay securely by either credit card or Paypal. Click here to donate. |
