On Friday, Russia announced plans to build a new space station (Ross) after the International Space Station (ISS) was abandoned due to Western sanctions in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Roscosmos Supervisory Board has given the go-ahead for the modular station construction project, after approving the preliminary design of the Russian Orbital Service Station (ROS), according to the Russian Space Agency, citing a statement.
The decision follows reports on the construction of the National Space Center in Moscow and the prospects for the current space platform, which has been in operation since 1998.
Roscosmos leader Dmitry Rogozin highlighted that ROSS is the future of manned cosmonauts and Russian exploration of the moon.
Since the station’s orbit will have an orientation of 97-98 degrees and a higher level of radiation, ROSS will not be permanently inhabited.
Dmitry Rogozin did not rule out the use of modules from the Russian part of the International Space Station in the construction of the new platform station.
It is estimated that ROSS will contain six modules, in which a maximum of four astronauts will work. There will also be two manned flights and three cargo flights each year.
On April 2, Roscosmos Director General announced his decision to withdraw from the International Space Station, a symbol of space cooperation for more than two decades.
Roscosmos, which also said today that it will design the Venus-D probe without NASA, has presented conditions for its partners to lift sanctions for a “special military operation” in Ukraine before March 31, which did not happen.
So far, Moscow has been considering participating in the EEI until 2024 and even 2030, if the station stands the test of time.
