RSC «Energia» shared plans for the development of the project of the manned Russian spacecraft «Orel» - an analogue of the American Orion for flights to the promising Russian Orbital Station (ROS) and beyond low Earth orbit.
Back in 2020, it was assumed that «Orel» would go on a flight as early as 2025, but reality has made its own adjustments. In November 2023, «Energia» noted that both unmanned and manned «Orel» will fly into space no earlier than 2028-2029.
Currently, work is underway to expand the «Orel» line - the general designer of RSC «Energia», the general designer of the Russian Federation for manned space systems and complexes, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Solovyov, spoke about this in his report at the «Korolev Readings». According to him, a cargo-passenger version of the «Orel» spacecraft weighing 19.5 tons has been developed. It will be able to accommodate from two to four astronauts and 2-3 tons of cargo in an additional cargo compartment.
According to ROS General Designer Vladimir Kozhevnikov, simulators are already being created to train astronauts on a new generation manned transport spacecraft, and their recruitment is expected in 2024-2025. The first «Orel» spacecraft should be ready for flight in 2027 - at the same time as the ROS scientific and energy module, to which it will dock.