Russian Kliper Space Plane Design Completed

The Russian Kilper, or "Kliper," space plane design has been completed and the project has entered its next stage, RIA Novosti reported Tuesday.

By Space Daily Editorial Team · Editorial process

Published March 13, 2006 · Updated March 16, 2026

The Russian Kilper, or “Kliper,” space plane design has been completed and the project has entered its next stage, RIA Novosti reported Tuesday.

“The project is ready and we are already implementing it,” said Nikolai Sevastyanov, the head of Russia’s Energiya Rocket and Space Corp. “We are planning to put the Kliper into use by 2015.”

The Kliper, a six-person space plane similar to NASA’s space shuttle, is intended to replace the Soyuz and Progress cargo and crew rockets that have been making regular flights to the International Space Station. It can carry two crew members and up to four passengers.

Innovations in the project include massively increased cargo capacity and a tow-line unit,

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