Experts from within the space industry have revealed Russia may begin work on the creation of its own space station in 2017. Currently, Russia has to fulfill commitments to the International Space Station (ISS) until 2020 but it is proposed that modules intended for the ISS will be incorporated into the new station.
A source close to the administration of the Central Research Institute of Machine Engineering (the space industry’s leading research facility) said that creating a Russian high-latitude orbital station is one of the key provisions in a manned space program for the period up to 2050, which is being drafted by a joint group of experts from Russia’s space agency Roskosmos and associated research institutes. The Russian station is proposed to be deployed between 2017 and 2019.
Whilst Russia has stated it fully intends to honour its obligations to the ISS until 2020, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who oversees the Russian space industry, said that Russia does not intend to extend the operation of the ISS until 2024, as proposed by the United States, and will use the allocated funding on other space projects.
Those who witnessed the recent and popular BBC documentary ‘Cosmonauts: How Russia won the Space Race’ will know Russia has a strong association with space and indeed remember the International Space Station was formulated upon Russian foundations. The nation does indeed have strong astrological reasoning for such a move.
“The new station will be located in a geometrically advantageous position, with a possibility to expand the sector of earth coverage,” the source said. “From the station, it will be possible to see 90 percent of the territory of Russia and the Arctic shelf, whereas for the ISS this figure is no more than 5 percent.”
Another function to be performed by the new station will be to conduct flight and development tests of manned lunar spacecraft: “In effect, we are talking of creating a bridgehead of sorts: First spacecraft will be delivered to the station and then proceed to the Moon,” the source explained.
The cost of the potential new station has yet to be disclosed.
