Russia wants to use its ISS module for a new space station

Russia's space agency Roscosmos intends to reuse the Russian segment of the International Space Station ISS, the Russian Orbital Station (ROS), in the planned new Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS) after its deployment there. This also entails several other changes to the Russian space program.

The ROSS is intended to be the future of Russian space exploration. Originally, an entirely new station was to be built. Roscosmos planned to launch the first modules into space as early as 2027, and the station was to be inhabited by astronauts by 2028. In the following years, a total of seven modules were planned. The station was also intended to orbit in polar orbit, allowing for direct overflights of Russia. Furthermore, astronauts would have been able to launch directly to the ROSS from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia, instead of from Baikonur in Kazakhstan, as is the case for the ISS.

Russian ISS segment to continue flying

However, there has now been a change of course: the ISS module ROS is also to serve as the core module of the ROSS in the future. Roscosmos officials have now approved this approach, quotes a Roscosmos representative, as reported by the news agency Ars Technica. The ROSS is also to be placed in the same orbit as the ISS.

For this purpose, the Russian segment of the ISS is to remain after its service life ends in 2030. The American segment will be returned by a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, where it is to be intentionally crashed into the Pacific Ocean.

Older statement causes irritation

The plans for reuse are causing criticism in Russia. Ars Technica quotes the Russian-language newspaper New Izvestia. According to the report, the same Roscosmos representative stated in 2022 that the old ISS module was by then infested with bacteria and fungi that could be dangerous to humans and equipment. They had been carried to the station by the many astronauts over the years. Journalists complain that this is no longer mentioned.

However, the condition of the ROS is generally far from good. For years, there have been problems with oxygen leaks, and the crew spends a significant portion of their time on repairs. While Roscosmos may save a considerable amount of money by reusing the module, they will likely pay the price in the future with technical problems on their new space station.

(nen)