Russian officials have announced that tests of the parachute system for the country’s next-generation crewed spacecraft will begin this fall. Bakanov, speaking to Ars Technica through a translated interview, said the initial phase involves launching and evaluating a new reusable vehicle designed for human spaceflight. The parachute drop and associated tests are scheduled to take place in the Far East region.

The same publication reports that additional trials will examine emergency rescue scenarios at the launch pad later this year, with further testing planned for 2027 in the zone of maximum dynamic pressure. This phase likely corresponds to maximum aerodynamic stress during ascent and may involve a launch abort demonstration.

While specific hardware details remain unclear, it is uncertain whether the upcoming tests will use actual flight vehicles, test articles, or structural mockups. Russian space authorities have not confirmed the exact nature of the test articles involved. The agency also maintains an aspirational target for a crewed orbital flight of the spacecraft in 2028 or 2029, potentially using the Angara A5M launch vehicle. This timeline has not been officially verified and may be subject to change.

The spacecraft, sometimes referred to as the “Eagle” in earlier statements, is intended to eventually replace the Soyuz as Russia’s primary vehicle for low-Earth orbit missions and to support future lunar transportation efforts. However, development has faced repeated delays, and no crewed flight has occurred despite earlier projections. The path forward remains contingent on the successful completion of incremental ground and flight tests.