UPDATE: ""RSC Energia has been selected to lead the development of a next-generation Russian manned spacecraft," says the BBC.

Russia’s space agency is set to unveil plans for a replacement for the venerable Soyuz spacecraft today, according to media reports.

Costing 800 million rubles ($24 m) to design, a new six-seat craft to replace the three-seat Soyuz could take its first flight in 2018.

“Post-Soviet Russia has never had a massive project of this kind,” says Aleksey Krasnov, head of the Roscosmos human spaceflight programme (New Scientist).

The BBC says a number of different versions of the Prospective Piloted Transport System are envisaged, including a six-seat Earth-orbiter, a Moon-capable four-seater, and a cargo version.

“The lunar version of the ship would be capable of flying no less than 200 days in space when docked to a space station in orbit around the Moon,” says the BBC. “… The 200-day mission requirement probably provides some hint about Russian plans to eventually build a permanently occupied lunar outpost, similar to Nasa’s lunar base developed under its Constellation programme.”

Image: “Soyuz 4 Commander Vladimir Shatalov displays how Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 docked in Earth orbit on January 16, 1969.” / NASA