The construction of a new Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS) will begin no earlier than 2028, Vladimir Solovyov, the general designer for Russian manned systems and the general designer of RSC Energia, said.
Earlier it was reported that the launch of the first module could take place in 2027-2028.
“We propose to build it in two stages. If the decision on its construction is made before the end of the year, then the first stage will begin in 2028 with the launch of the Science Power Module by the Angara-A5M launch vehicle,” Solovyov said in an interview with the Russian Space magazine.
After that, the node and gateway modules will be launched on the same rocket. The first will be similar to the module that is already part of the International Space Station. The second will be used for spacewalks.
Meanwhile, the director of the ISS, Robyn Gatens, said NASA had not received any official word from Russia on the news of the country quitting the International Space Station (ISS) after 2024.
“Russia is like us, they are planning what is ahead of them, as we are planning for the transition after 2030 for a commercially operated space station in lower orbit, they have a similar plan, we have not received any official word from the partner,” Gatens said.
Earlier, the new director general of the Russian state space corporation Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov, confirmed on Tuesday that Russia will fulfill all its obligations to international partners on the International Space Station (ISS) and then will leave the station after 2024.
“You know that we are working within the framework of international cooperation on the ISS. Of course, we will fulfill all our obligations to our partners, but the decision and departure from this station after 2024 has been made,” Borisov said while reporting to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Commenting on the state of the national space industry, the Roscosmos chief said that the situation is “difficult.”
“I see my main task alongside with my colleagues as the following: not to drop, but to raise the bar, and first of all, to provide the Russian economy with the necessary space services. And this is navigation, communication, data transmission, meteorological, geodetic information, and so on. These are the most required services today, without which it is impossible to imagine modern life,” Borisov added.
The former head of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin said on July 15 that after four years, the industry managed “to get out of the system crisis quagmire.”
The Russian space industry, among other things, has achieved complete accident-free operations over the past four years, carrying out 86 successful launches in a row, completing the construction of the Russian segment of the ISS, receiving the financing of the multi-satellite orbital grouping Sphere.
Additionally, Rogozin noted that Roscosmos managed to successfully implement a range of tasks, including creating new Soyuz-5 spacecraft, developing the preliminary design of the Russian orbital station to replace the ISS, and launch tests of the newest Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles have begun, which are expected to start combat duty by the end of 2022.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova had said that relations between Russia and the United States are in decline in many areas, but there are strategically important spheres where contacts remain, referring to ISS.
Russia’s Roscosmos and US space agency NASA had signed an agreement on cross-flights of cosmonauts to the International Space Station (ISS). As part of the agreement, the only female cosmonaut at Roscosmos, Anna Kikina, will fly to the ISS on the US-made Crew Dragon spacecraft, and the US astronaut, Francisco Rubio, will fly on the Russian-made Soyuz MS-22 ship.
“Yes, our relations with the US on many fronts are indeed in decline through the fault of Washington, but nevertheless, there are strategically important areas of work in a number of areas in which contacts remain,” Zakharova said at a briefing.
Roscosmos said that the agreement meets the interests of Russia and the US and should contribute to the development of cooperation within the framework of the ISS program and the effective implementation of projects for the exploration and development of outer space for peaceful purposes.
- Via Sputnik News Agency
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