Kliper Spaceplane: ESA-Russia Collaboration that never Materialized

The Kliper spaceplane was a proposed Russian reusable spacecraft intended for crewed missions to low Earth orbit (LEO), the Moon, and potentially Mars. Developed by RSC Energia, it aimed to be a successor to the Soyuz spacecraft and capable of transporting both crew and cargo to space. Key features and concepts associated with the Kliper spaceplane included: Reusability: Designed to be partially reusable, enabling multiple flights after refurbishment similar to the Space Shuttle program. Crew Capacity: Planned to accommodate up to six cosmonauts for missions to the International Space Station (ISS) or other orbital missions. Launch Vehicle: Intended to be launched atop a variety of rockets, including the Soyuz-2 and Angara rockets, depending on mission requirements. Mission Capabilities: Envisioned for missions to the ISS, lunar expeditions, and potentially Mars missions, providing a versatile platform for various space exploration endeavors. Landing System: Planned to return to Earth autonomously, with the ability to land on conventional runways, similar to the Space Shuttle, reducing the reliance on ocean landings. The Kliper project generated significant interest and anticipation, but it faced funding challenges and shifts in priorities within the Russian space program. Ultimately, the project was shelved in the mid-2000s in favor of other initiatives, such as the continued use and development of Soyuz spacecraft and modules for the ISS missions. Despite its discontinuation, the Kliper concept and its design elements have contributed to discussions and ideas surrounding future crewed spaceflight and reusable spacecraft within the Russian space industry. The Soyuz-3 concept, as described from the information available, seems to incorporate several key technical details: First Stage: Comprised of four conical strap-on boosters. Equipped with a modified version of the RD-120 engine, borrowed from the operational Zenit-2 rocket. Second Stage (Core/Sustainer Stage): Borrowed body dimensions from the Avrora project. Top section had a cylindrical shape with a constant diameter (different from previous conical shapes). Carried the NK-33 engine, inherited from the ill-fated N1 rocket of the 1960s Moon Race. The scale model lacked the RD-110P steering engine on the 2nd stage. Third Stage: Developed from scratch. Equipped with four RD-0146E engines. Utilized cryogenically cooled liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen as propellants. The basic concept of the engine was also intended for upper stages of the Proton-M and Angara launch vehicles. These specifications indicate a mix of heritage technology and new developments, combining engines from previous projects like the N1 and Zenit rockets with new designs for the third stage. The use of cryogenic propellants in the third stage suggests a focus on achieving higher performance. (Клипер, English: Clipper) was an early-2000s proposed partially-reusable crewed spacecraft concept by RSC Energia. Due to lack of funding from the ESA and RSA, the project was indefinitely postponed by 2006. Designed primarily to replace the Soyuz spacecraft, Kliper was proposed in two versions: as a pure lifting body design and as spaceplane with small wings. In either case, the craft would have been able to glide into the atmosphere at an angle that produces much less stress on the human occupants than the current Soyuz. Kliper was intended to be designed to be able to carry up to six people and to perform ferry services between Earth and the International Space Station. Presumably Soyouz 2-3 would have been able to launch the Kliper without wings and without the service module (working with the module Parom), whereas Soyouz 3 would have been used for the winged and autonomous heavier version (capable of docking to the station by its own). Royalty Free Music from Track: The Time by MusicArea “Soyuz TMA“ () by TwilightSparkleX is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ().