The Russian space agency on Monday unveiled a mockup of its new station for the first time since Moscow revealed earlier this year that it plans to leave the International Space Station (ISS) following 2024.
Roscosmos showcased a prototype of the Russian Orbital Station (ROS) at the Army 2022 International Military-Technical Forum. According to the agency, Energia Space Corporation, part of Roscosmos, is currently developing a sketch of the future space station, the deployment of which will unfold in two stages.
The first phase consists of four modules – a science power module, a node, a core module and a gateway, Roscosmos said. At this stage, there will be two people in the crew. The second phase will add two more modules to the station – target and production modules – and a servicing platform, the agency added. After this the crew will be increased to four.
“Among the new features and capabilities of the National Station, the developers singled out great energy potential for target-oriented tasks, integration of modules, the possibility of communication with next-generation satellite groups, and various modes of operation,” said Roscosmos.
In late July, Roscosmos chief Yuri Borisov said Russia would withdraw from the ISS following 2024. It added that Russia wants to fulfill its obligations to its foreign partners. He indicated at the time that this decision had nothing to do with geopolitics, including the Ukraine conflict.
Later, Sergey Krikalev, executive director of human space programs at Roscosmos, clarified that the timing of the withdrawal depends on the technical status of the ISS and might come anytime following 2024.
Vladimir Solovyov, a former Soviet cosmonaut and chief designer of RSC Energia, said last year that Russia would begin construction of its own space station as early as 2028. This project will build on the Science Power Module 1 that was originally built. It was designed for the ISS but is now being remanufactured, Soloviev said at the time.
Meanwhile, Dmitry Rogozin, the former head of Roscosmos, has predicted that the ISS, which NASA plans to operate until 2030, will break down by then unless huge sums of money are invested in repairs.
