Moscow — Russia Schedules Parachute Tests for Delayed Crew Spacecraft

Russia's state space corporation, Roscosmos, says parachute drop tests for its long-delayed crewed spacecraft will begin this fall in the country's Far East, according to comments from chief executive Dmitry Bakanov reported by Interfax and translated for Ars Technica.

What Did Roscosmos Just Announce?

"The first step is the launch and testing of a new, promising, reusable manned transport spacecraft," Bakanov told Interfax, in remarks translated by Rob Mitchell and reported by Ars Technica. "And in the fall, there will be a parachute drop and testing in the Far East." Bakanov also referred to the vehicle by its older technical designation, PTK NP, rather than the "Eagle" branding favored by his predecessor, Dmitry Rogozin, according to the report.

Why Has the Spacecraft Changed Names So Many Times?

The program has carried at least four names since Russia and the European Space Agency first discussed a joint next-generation crew vehicle two decades ago, Ars Technica reports. Europe later dropped out of that collaboration, leaving Roscosmos to continue alone. According to the outlet's timeline:

• 2009 — PPTS (Prospective Piloted Transport System), the initial conceptual name
• Through 2016 — PTK NP (New Generation Piloted Transport Ship), the official technical designation
• January 2016 — Federatsiya (Federation), chosen after a public naming contest
• September 2019 — Orel, or Oryol (Eagle), adopted under Rogozin's leadership

Bakanov's return to the PTK NP designation in his comments to Interfax suggests a shift away from the Rogozin-era branding, Ars Technica notes, though Roscosmos has not formally announced a name change.

What Tests Are Planned Through 2027?

Beyond the fall parachute drops, Interfax reported that the spacecraft will undergo tests of its emergency rescue systems in the event of a launch-pad failure later this year. In 2027, testing is expected to move into what Interfax described as the "zone of maximum dynamic pressures," which Ars Technica says likely refers to Max-Q, the point of peak aerodynamic stress during ascent. That would indicate a launch abort test, a milestone the outlet calls significant given the program's history of renderings and renamings without matching hardware progress.

It remains unclear from the Interfax report whether the fall and winter tests will use flight-ready hardware, boilerplate test articles, or mockups, Ars Technica reports.

When Could Russia Fly a Crew on the New Capsule?

Russian space officials are holding to a crewed launch debut in 2028 or 2029, likely atop the Angara A5M rocket, according to the Interfax report cited by Ars Technica. The outlet cautions that the date is "probably not a date to write down in ink just yet," given nearly 20 years of schedule slips under the program's various names.

What Should Readers Watch For Next?

• Whether the fall parachute drop tests in the Far East use real flight hardware or mockups
• Confirmation of emergency rescue-system testing at the launch pad later this year
• A 2027 Max-Q-zone test that would signal progress toward an actual crewed flight
• Any formal Roscosmos statement on whether "PTK NP" replaces the "Oryol" name going forward

For now, the fall parachute tests represent the most concrete near-term milestone in a program that has spent two decades cycling through acronyms more often than hardware, according to the Ars Technica report.