Anatoly Perminov said leading space agencies from around the globe discussed the issue of participation in the Clipper spacecraft project at a meeting in Florida on March 2.
Russia's Energiya Rocket and Space Corporation, the developer of the new spacecraft, said the industrial production of Clipper re-usable crafts for flights to the International Space Station was expected to start before 2015. Energiya's chief designer Nikolai Sevostyanov said the Clipper will replace the currently operational cargo spaceships, the Soyuz and Progress carrier rockets.
The six-man shuttle will fly two professional astronauts and four passengers.
The Clipper project envisages several innovations, including an inter-orbital towing unit and a cargo container to deliver 12 metric tons of cargo to the ISS instead of the current 2 tons.
