Russia seems to have gone ahead with developing a modified "Parom" (ferry) spacecraft intended to replace the Progress cargo ships that first ventured into space in 1978. Progress spacecraft are the only vehicles that travel to the International Space Station carrying with them space travelers, scientific equipment and supplies.

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Media reports claim RSC Energia (OAO S. P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia), the prime developer and contractor of the Russian manned spaceflight program, has gone ahead with engineering studies for the new spacecraft. If actually built, Parom might fly into space starting 2020.

Parom might be a ton heavier than Progress and will feature a new design. Its larger size means it will be able to ferry more people and cargo, reducing the number of annual cargo shipments to the ISS from four to three.

A pressurized cargo bay with an internal volume of some 18 cubic meters can take 2.4 tons of supplies, including 400 kilograms of water and more than 50 kg of air. A new feature will be a six-tank cluster with 1.8 tons of propellant.

The original concept for Parom drawn up in 2005, however, saw this vehicle as a reusable inter-orbit space tug. It also envisioned Parom not as a cargo spacecraft.

Instead, cargo in payload containers destined for a space station will be taken into an orbit 200 km high by launch vehicles. Parom will then dock with the payload containers and deliver them to the space station.

Because of this, Parom was to have been built around a pressurized transfer passage with docking ports at each end. Each of these two docking ports can be used to dock with the payload containers, a space station or any other spacecraft. 

TagsParom, Russia, International Space Statio, Progress spacecraft, rsc energia