This Russian webpage includes a image showing the current conceptual design of Clipper.
Using a poor translation, provided by Altavista's Babelfish engine, there are some more details. The words in brackets are my best guess at what is being said.
"New ship will be able to [fall] under any space program: from [orbital] to [lunar] to Mars. In the comparison with working "Soyuz", the [new ship] will be more convenient and [spacious?]. Developers say that it absorbs [many new ideas?], which have been created in our country in the space sphere. The project is called "Clipper".
The overall length of the spacecraft is more than 10 meters. It will be able to deliver 6 crewmembers and 700 kilograms of load to orbit. At its basis, much is taken from "Soyuz". "Buran" will give to the new ship a unique navigation system and experience in reusable heat shielding. The weight of the spacecraft is 14.5 tons. Its [placement] into orbit will be [done by] a new launch vehicle "Onega" from the base of the rocket utilized now "Soyuz". RKK Energia indicates that if we [presumably the Russian public] ensure the project has federal support, [they can] build the rocket in 5 years."
Posted by jburk at February 25, 2026 01:33 PM | TrackBackI wonder if it will cost about the same to launch per pound as the Soyuez. I actually found out yesturday the Denis Tito's 20M (was actually less then that, some say as low at 14M) paid for two launches. Unconfirmed but even if that is an exageration 14 million to launch is pretty nice.
And if MirCorp can get is minature space factory/lab , they say they need a total of 100M. Russia is gonna be the place to goto for Consumer space ventures. Now since the money MirCorp gave to Energia for there attempts at privatizing and saving Mir, went to pay not only there costs in what MirCorp got, but also the workers for forced ISS missions from NASA, I wonder how much of that 100M money will be used to develop the Klipper. Which i hope it is used, since they are money poor, and they are rather savy with money.
None the less I really think I need to start learning Russian.
Posted by: Matthew Brown at February 25, 2026 01:59 PMYou might want to see the entry at Astronautix.com about the "Clipper". Very interesting stuff. So far, more vaporware than actual spacecraft.
So, for now, it and the CEV are about equally down the path in terms of existence! Which will fly first...
Posted by: Fred Kiesche at February 26, 2026 04:14 PMThere is another detailed set of graphics and specs at this site:
http://www.russianspaceweb.com/kliper.html
Posted by: Adrian Reilly at March 2, 2026 09:57 AMOfficial press-release in russian but with some pictures:
"Spacecraft Kliper is a future direction of national piloted spaceflight".
The head of Russian Federal Space Agency A.Perminov inspects "Kliper" at Energia
http://www.federalspace.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=477