The Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) unveiled a new space station model on August 15 for the first time. It is currently unclear when Russia will launch this station into space.
The new space station model, named Russian Orbital Station (ROS), was introduced by Roscosmos at the Army-2022 International Military Technical Forum, as reported by RT.
According to the agency, the Energia Space Corporation, a subsidiary of Roscosmos, is developing the blueprint for the future space station. The deployment of the space station will be carried out in two phases.
In the first phase, Russia will launch four modules into space, including the main axis of the station, a scientific power module, the core, and the station’s docking port. During this phase, there will be two astronauts working at the station.
Future space station model being developed by Russia. (Photo: RT).
In the second phase, Russia will launch an additional two components to enhance the space station. At that point, the number of crew members will increase to four.
“Among the new features and capabilities of the station, developers emphasize the enormous energy potential for missions, the integration of components, the ability to interact with next-generation satellite groups, and many future operational modes,” Roscosmos stated.
However, Roscosmos did not specify when the components of the new space station would be sent to space or when the station would become operational.
Since 2021, Vladimir Solovyov, the Chief Designer of spacecraft at Energia Corporation, has revealed plans to construct the new space station. At that time, Solovyov mentioned that the space station could become operational by 2028.
In July, Roscosmos Director Yury Borisov announced that Russia would withdraw from the International Space Station (ISS) after 2024. However, a Roscosmos official later clarified that the withdrawal from the ISS would depend on the technical condition of the space station.
According to plans, NASA will continue to use the ISS until 2030. Former Roscosmos Director Dmitry Rogozin predicted that the ISS would not be able to continue operations by 2028 unless a significant investment was made for repairs.
