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Ten names on shortlist for new Russian piloted spaceship

The organizing committee has selected the following: Federation, Gagarin (the first man in space), Rodina (Motherland), Zvezda (Star), Leader, Galaxy, Mir (Peace), Zodiac, Astra and Vector

© Sergey Savostyanov/TASS

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MOSCOW, December 4. /TASS/. Ten suggestions from around 6,000 have been shortlisted to name a new manned Russian spaceship to be launched in 2016, the Energia rocket and space corporation said on Friday.

From 5,817 names, the organizing committee has selected the following: Federation, Gagarin (the first man in space), Rodina (Motherland), Zvezda (Star), Leader, Galaxy, Mir (Peace), Zodiac, Astra and Vector, said the corporation, the vehicle's designer.

Voters can select their choice online at the corporation’s website and the Russian Space Agency’s page on the Vkontakte social network. The person who entered the name most popular with voters will be identified this month and will be taken to Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan to watch the spring launch.

The spaceship may be used later for flights to the Moon.

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