GoKawiilRoscosmos drops 'Oryol' name as new crew capsule remains in limbo after 20 years
Russia's long-planned successor to the Soyuz spacecraft has cycled through multiple names since talks with the European Space Agency collapsed roughly two decades ago, from PPTS to PTK NP to Federatsiya to Oryol. New Roscosmos chief Dmitry Bakanov appears to have abandoned the 'Oryol' branding favored by his predecessor Dmitry Rogozin, with a recent Interfax report reverting to the older PTK NP designation.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The repeated renaming without corresponding hardware progress suggests the program has functioned more as a rhetorical placeholder than an active engineering effort, raising questions about Russia's capacity to field a next-generation crewed vehicle. The naming reversal could also signal a broader shift in priorities or messaging under new leadership at Roscosmos, though no official explanation has been given.
- Russia's next-gen crew spacecraft has had at least four names since 2009: PPTS, PTK NP, Federatsiya, and Oryol.
- New Roscosmos chief Dmitry Bakanov appears to have dropped the 'Oryol' name used under former chief Dmitry Rogozin.
- Despite nearly 20 years of development, concrete hardware progress on the spacecraft remains unclear.
Source: arstechnica.com, 2026-09-30
Published there as: “So what's happening with Russia's new, long-delayed crewed spacecraft?”
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