ISS is recognized as a past stage – Kommersant

Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin held at the Baikonur Cosmodrome meeting on development prospects of manned spaceflight after 2020. As the “Y”, industry representatives stated that the project of the International Space Station (ISS) in its current form is for Russia “passed stage.” Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) Deputy Prime Minister commissioned a study on the deployment of its own space station and bring them to the government.

As told “Kommersant” one of participants, which were collected by “representatives of all organizations involved in the manned space program,” head of the Russian Federal Space Agency Oleg Ostapenko presented yesterday the project deployment of Russian space station. “The main and general designers companies confirmed that exists today technological advance is sufficient to create it,” – said “Kommersant” another member of this working meeting. According to sources, “b”, any specific instructions about starting work on the project was not followed yesterday: Deputy Prime Minister just said that “the prospects of manned space flight – it is not a question of industry and political decision-making.” It requested as soon as possible to convene the Council of Chief Designers on the manned program (it will have to give its opinion) and Roscosmos – prepare all nec essary studies (including financial) of the project and provide them to the White House for making the final decision.

As already reported, “b”, the proposals of the working group Roscosmos and scientific organizations in the industry to reduce the possible deployment in the period 2017-2019 the Russian station’s orbit with an inclination of 64.8 degrees. In the initial configuration, it will be formed on the basis of a multi-purpose laboratory and Hub modules spacecraft OKA-T, as well as the “Soyuz-MS” and “Progress-MS.” Station with a high-altitude orbit will allow to protect the crew manned at startup from the Baikonur East: in the case of an emergency at the stage launch astronauts would not be in the Pacific Ocean, and will be able to land on the land. In addition, for the delivery of cargo to the station can be used and Plesetsk Cosmodrome, and most importantly, a review of the Russian Federation to increase the station up to 90%, making it possible to control the Northern Sea Route and the Arctic shelf (see. “ ;Kommersant” on November 17).

In connection with the opening prospects sharply raises the question of whether to continue Russia’s participation in the ISS in 2020-2024 years. Earlier, Dmitry Rogozin has said that Russia is not going to renew it for this period, as requested by the United States. In this case, compliance with international obligations under the project until 2020, Russia is obliged to perform and execute, and the final answer concerning its participation in the ISS after that Roscosmos must give NASA in December. Close to the space agency source “b” states that if a decision on the establishment of the station will receive a “political approval”, then renew his work on the ISS Russia agreed only for business purposes – such as the delivery of its segment for rent to other countries and sending into orbit space tourists .

Ivan Safronov, Sergei Goryashko