Energia taking a pioneering lead

Heads Up from Rob Coppinger at Hyperbola for posting an English-language Russia Today interview with Engergia head Vitaly Lopota, discussing the long-term and immediate future of space tourism, the Advanced Crew Vehicle, soft-landings on the Moon and the company's interest in nuclear rockets for manned expeditions to Mars.

Review the post here.

Russian space chief proposes nuclear spaceship

Russia's space agency chief is proposing to build a new spaceship with a nuclear engine.

Anatoly Perminov told a government meeting Wednesday that the preliminary design could be ready by 2012. He said it will then take nine more years and 17 billion rubles (about $600 million or 400 million euros) to build the ship.

Read the story HERE.