ZHUKOVSKY (Moscow region), August 22 (RIA Novosti) - Russia would be able to evacuate a crew from the International Space Station (ISS) using its Clipper shuttle if the Land Launch project is successful, a leading Russian spacecraft designer said.
Alexei Gonchar, head of Russia's Design Bureau of Transport Machinery (KBTM), said the project, involving leading Russian and Ukrainian companies, including KBTM and Energia Rocket and Space Corporation (both Russian), and KB Yuzhnoe and PO VF Yuzhmashzavod (both Ukrainian), envisions the modernization of the Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan for the Zenit-M booster rockets, which use environmentally friendly fuels, such as kerosene and oxygen.
The Zenit-M launch system will either use two-stage Zenit-2SLBs (the upgraded version of the Zenit-2) or three-stage Zenit-3SLBs, but only the latter can launch the Clipper into space.
"Yield expectations from commercial launches under the Land Launch project stand at $100 million, with Russia to share 70% of the revenue and Ukraine - 30%," Gonchar said, adding that construction of an infrastructure for the Zenit-M launch system would create more than 5,000 jobs.
