Russia's New Crewed Spacecraft Orel Advances Amid Delays

Russia's state-backed space corporation Roscosmos is proceeding with the development of its new Orel crewed spacecraft, a project that has navigated numerous name changes and conceptual shifts over nearly two decades, while encountering significant delays.

Initial discussions for collaboration on next-generation crewed spacecraft with the European Space Agency (ESA) began two decades ago. Europe ultimately decided against pursuing its own crewed spacecraft project at the time, prompting Roscosmos to advance the endeavor independently.

The project has been known by various designations throughout its history, including PPTS (Prospective Piloted Transport System), PTK NP (New Generation Piloted Transport Ship), and Federatsiya. The current name, Orel (or Oryol, meaning "Eagle"), was adopted in 2019.

After nearly 20 years of work and the release of numerous renderings, the actual progress on constructing the hardware remains unclear. The project has faced scrutiny regarding its tangible advancements and resource allocation.

Roscosmos aims to develop a spacecraft capable of transporting a crew into Earth orbit and potentially for future lunar missions. However, the project's timeline and ultimate realization remain uncertain.