Russian engineers develop a rocket airplane, which will deliver space tourists to Earth’s orbit. Researchers plan to demonstrate ready and tested vehicle in 2011-2012.
      
      Russian experimental machine-building plant signed the contract with the Russian investor, who prefers to be anonymous. The contract provides funding for development of M-91 aviation and space system – six months of preliminary engineering and couple of years for all necessary tests.
      
      Engineers say that foreign companies, which currently work on similar vehicles, plan to end development activities also in 2012.
      
      M-91 project is the system, consisting of carrier aircraft 3M-T and a rocket airplane for 16 passengers. The carrier aircraft takes the rocket airplane with tourists to the height of several km above the ground, and then the vehicle uses its own engines for delivering passengers to near-Earth space – about 100 km away from the surface.
      
      Source: Pravda.ru