Orel (spacecraft)
Orel (Russian: Орёл, lit. 'Eagle') or Oryol, formerly Federation (Russian: Федерация, romanized: Federatsiya), and PPPTS (Russian: Перспективная Портативный Пилотируемая Транспортная Система, romanized: Perspektivnaya Portativnyy Pilotiruemaya Transportnaya Sistema, lit. 'Prospective Portable Piloted Transport System'), is a project by Roscosmos to develop a new-generation, partially reusable crewed spacecraft.
Mockup and test article of the Orel crew module, photographed at the Moscow Air and Space Show in August 2015 | |
| Manufacturer | RKK Energia |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Russia |
| Operator | Roscosmos |
| Applications | Crew transportation to Low Earth orbit and to the Moon, possibly to Mars |
| Specifications | |
| Launch mass | 17,000 kg (LEO)–21,367 kg (Moon) |
| Dry mass | 14,000 kg (crew module 9,500 kg, propulsion module 4,500 kg) |
| Crew capacity | 4–6 |
| Volume | 18 m3 |
| Regime | LEO, TLI, Lunar orbit |
| Design life |
|
| Production | |
| Status | In development |
| Maiden launch | Planned: 2028 (robotic) 2028 (crewed) 2030s (uncrewed lunar orbit) |
Until 2016, the official name was (Russian: Пилотируемый Транспортный Корабль Нового Поколения, lit. 'New Generation Piloted Transport Ship') or PTK NP. The goal of the project is to develop a next-generation spacecraft to replace the Soyuz spacecraft developed by the former Soviet Union to support low Earth orbit and lunar operations. It is similar in function to the US Orion or Commercial Crew Development spacecraft.
The PPPTS project was started following a failed attempt by Russia and the European Space Agency (ESA) to co-develop the Crew Space Transportation System (CSTS). Following ESA member states declining to finance Kliper in 2006 over concerns about workshare then again declining to finance development of CSTS in 2009 over technology transfer to Russia that could be used for military purposes, the Russian Federal Space Agency ordered a new crewed spacecraft from Russian companies. A development contract was awarded to RKK Energia on 19 December 2013.
Orel is intended to be capable of carrying crews of four into Earth orbit and beyond, with different mass versions suitable for 5, 14, or 30 day missions. If docked with a space station, it could stay in space up to a year, which is double the duration of the Soyuz spacecraft. The spacecraft will send cosmonauts to lunar orbit, with a plan to place a space station there, called Lunar Orbital Station.