So what's happening with Russia's new, long-delayed crewed spacecraft?
Russia says it has a "promising, reusable manned transport spacecraft."
In a seeming alternate reality, Russia and the European Space Agency contemplated cooperation on next-generation crewed spacecraft nearly two decades ago. The agreement stipulated that Europe would supply a service module to power a crew capsule designed to accommodate up to six astronauts. However, Europe ultimately opted not to pursue a crewed spacecraft project at the time, and Russia's state-controlled space corporation, Roscosmos, proceeded independently.
This endeavor, often resembling more of a spectacle than a genuine hardware development, has undergone numerous name changes over the years. Initially designated as PPTS (Perspektivnaya Pilotiruemaya Transportnaya Sistema) in 2009, it later became PTK NP (Pilotiruyemy Transportny Korabl Novogo Pokoleniya) until 2016. Following a public contest and announced in January 2016, the project was renamed Federatsiya, meaning Federation.
A new name, Orel or Oryol (Eagle), was adopted in September 2019 during a period when Roscosmos was under the control of Dmitry Rogozin.
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