Russia Customizing Soyuz Spaceship For Tourist Trips - Roscosmos

Daniyal Sohail Published October 23, 2019 | 09:40 AM

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd October, 2019) Soyuz spaceship will be customized for a tourist trip to the International Space Station (ISS) so that one person could pilot it rather than a three-person crew, Sergei Krikalev, the executive director for human spaceflight at Russia's space agency Roscosmos, said Wednesday.

The ship is being built in partnership with US space tourism company Space Adventures. The two companies have signed a deal to launch two tourists to the ISS in 2021.

"The ship for the specialized mission is being customized so that it would be easier for one person to pilot it, and some modes will not be duplicated as they are supposed to be.

These are interface tweaks, to make it more convenient for a one-person crew," Krikalev told reporters on the sidelines of the International Astronautical Congress.

The Roscosmos executive added that there had been no contracts signed with those who would fly the spaceship, but it would have to be an experienced cosmonaut. The spaceship might even be modified to fly without docking with the ISS.