Posted by Ray Katz in NASA, current
Europe wants Russian spacecraft
On Europe's wish list: Soyuz
With the scheduled retirement of the shuttle fast approaching, and the questionable ability of the United States to launch astronauts anytime soon after, Europe is looking toward Russia.
The Soyuz spacecraft, in operation since 1967, may soon be the only real alternative for European astronauts to get in to space. And, to ensure the accessibility to space for its astronaut, the European Space Agency (ESA) is seeking to purchase Soyuz spacecraft.
They have been working closely with the Russian already. A planned launch of a Soyuz from ESA’s base in New Guinea is scheduled for 2010. And, although nothing much has yet come of it, ESA has been thinking about creating a manned spacecraft of its own.
