Russia's Energia Corporation Says 2-Hour Flights To ISS May Be Carried Out In 2-3 Years

Russia's Rocket and Space Corporation (RSC) Energia has developed a two-hour scheme for flights to the International Space Station (ISS), under which the spacecraft will have to circle the Earth only once, the press service of the corporation said on Friday, adding that such flights may be carried out in 2-3 years

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th April, 2019) Russia's Rocket and Space Corporation (RSC) Energia has developed a two-hour scheme for flights to the International Space Station (ISS), under which the spacecraft will have to circle the Earth only once, the press service of the corporation said on Friday, adding that such flights may be carried out in 2-3 years.

"RSC Energia ballistic specialists believe that it will be possible to implement the scheme involving circling [the Earth] once in two or three years," the statement said.

During the flights of unmanned cargo spacecraft to the ISS in July 2018 and in April 2019, an approach involving spacecraft circling the Earth twice was tested. In the future, this three-hour scheme is planned to be applied for manned launches.

At present, Russian spacecraft reach the ISS in accordance with the standard two-day scheme or the fast six-hour scheme.