Russia's long-delayed crewed spacecraft project, known as Orel/Eagle, faces continued uncertainty under new Roscosmos chief Dmitry Bakanov, who reverted to the earlier PTK NP designation. Parachute system tests are scheduled to begin in fall 2026, marking one of the first concrete hardware milestones after nearly two decades of delays, name changes, and mostly conceptual development.
Background
Russia has been developing a replacement for its aging Soyuz crewed spacecraft since the mid-2000s, with the Federation/Orel project undergoing repeated delays, redesigns, and leadership changes at Roscosmos over nearly two decades.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Oct 1, 2026 at 12:48 AM
- Score
- 6.0 / 10