[FPSPACE] More about Kliper

[Keith Gottschalk]

>> corporation, and with the necessary financial support will be ready in 
>> 2010, the Russian state owned leader in the development of space 
>> technology told RIA Novosti.

  This grammar leaves ambiguous whether Kliper is still a wish-list hoping for funding, or is really a funded project, moving from the drawing board to "bending metal".

>> The designers of the Russian shuttle are making it so that the shuttle 
>> can make 10 day independent flights. The shuttle, which will weigh 
>> 14.5 metric tons and will be 10 meters long, is intended to be used 
>> for space tourism and long term flight to Mars and the Moon, he said.

This claim undermines the credibility of the whole press release. A ten day flight is taking no one to Mars. Also, if Kliper has wings & thermal protection, no one is going to lug that mass above LEO, instead of transferring crew to a wingless lander. Even with my innumeracy, I understand that point!

Keith