TOMSK, May 16. /TASS/. Russia’s Energiya Rocket and Space Corporation, which is developing a new spacecraft called Federatsiya (Federation), has formed a group of young engineers-developers who may eventually join the space vehicle’s crew, Energiya Deputy CEO for Personnel and Social Policy Mikhail Komarov told TASS on Tuesday.

"We have many persons who are working at design divisions and are wishing to go through a selection procedure to be included in the new spacecraft’s crew," he said.

"Now the Cosmonaut Training Center has announced a new enrollment and surely they will invite our young guys who are designing [the Federatsiya spacecraft]," the Energiya deputy CEO said.

This personnel reserve for the crew now includes over a dozen young specialists, he said, adding that the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center was currently preparing crews for manned spacecraft. "At the same time, a group of cosmonauts of the Energiya Rocket and Space Corporation existed earlier. It was established by [Soviet space rocket designer] Sergei Korolyov. The pre-requisites were the following: pilots used to go into outer space before that but then a requirement arose for sending engineers, developers and designers into outer space to further develop the space rocketry," he said.

"Several years ago, this group was transferred to the Cosmonaut Training Center but old-timers remained at the Rocket and Space Corporation. The group of young specialists remained at the flight and space center - this is a research and design center, which is developing, among other things, the lunar mission and the program of flights. And now they are actively participating in the development and designing of the new spacecraft," Komarov said.

Future members of the Federatsiya spacecraft crew should primarily possess engineering skills, he stressed.

"This is because this is a new project and a new spacecraft. There are a lot of new technologies there. That is why, the engineering competence should be the primary focus. A crew member must know the design and the technology and this is very important when a new product is tested," the Energiya official said.

The Federatsiya spacecraft being developed by the Energiya Rocket and Space Corporation is designed to deliver humans and cargoes to the near-Earth orbit and also to the Moon. Its crew will comprise up to four members. In its autonomous flight, the spacecraft will be able to operate up to 30 days and up to a year as part of an orbital station. Russia intends to use heavy Angara-A5V and Angara-A5P carrier rockets for delivering the Federatsiya spacecraft into orbit.