Spacecraft for sale: Russia’s Roscosmos agency advertises vehicle used to bring International Space Station crew back to Earth
Ever wanted to own a spaceship, but don't have Elon Musk's cash? Now you can. Russia's state space agency Roscosmos has put up for sale the original hull of Soyuz MS-08's descent vehicle, used to bring astronauts back to Earth.
The module is being sold by Glavkosmos, a subsidiary of Roscosmos created in 1985. According to its website, the purchase would be ideal for any aerospace exposition. It is the first time the state has sold such an artefact, and no price has been publicly listed.
"If this object attracts interest, Glavkosmos will be able to offer descent capsules to customers in the future, for example, upon completion of tourist missions," said Dmitry Loskutov, the company's general director.
In March 2018, the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station (ISS), carrying Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, and two American astronauts Andrew Feustel and Richard Arnold.
A few months later, in October 2014, the ISS crew came back down on the MS-08 vehicle, and made a successful landing, again in Kazakhstan, in the very reentry capsule that is now being put up for sale.
The Soyuz MS is the latest version of the Soyuz spacecraft, originally developed during the Soviet era. For nine years, until May 2020, it was the only means to make crewed space flights to the ISS, and was regularly used by NASA astronauts.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Russia plans to make its own replacement for the soon-retiring ISS. Called ROSS, the Russian orbital satellite will consist of three to seven modules and will be capable of carrying up to four people.
Also on rt.com As International Space Station shows signs of falling apart, Putin approves ambitious plan for Russia to make its own replacementIf you like this story, share it with a friend!
