Russia seeks to start a new stage in space without the help of third parties. After learning that he will leave the International Space Station in 2024, Roscosmos shared the first details ROSS, an orbital service station that will start operating in 2028. Vladimir Solovyov, chief designer of RSC Energia, the corporation responsible for the construction, said in an interview that his new station will operate autonomously and become a springboard for the exploration of the moon.
ROSS will operate in a sun-synchronous orbit at a height of 372 km from the Earth and an inclination of 96.9 degrees. According to Soloev, the choice of this orbit is due to the fact that it will allow a broader view of Russia and other territoriesas well as conducting biomedical research of the human body in orbit.
New Orbital Service Station help to understand the dangers that astronauts will face in future space missions. It will also be able to monitor both poles of the Earth every hour and a half using optical, infrared, ultraviolet detectors and other instruments.
According to Russia, this orbit gives them more advantages over the ISS, since the 51.6 degrees they currently fly in allow them to see only 10% of Russia.
ROSS will operate autonomously, without a crew
Unlike the International Space Station, ROSS will be built with autonomy in mind. The director of RSC Energia indicated that they are striving to make this station more technically advanced and efficient in terms of research. Solovyov points out that one of the current restrictions is an astronautsince it is very expensive to have it in space.
Feeding, supplying oxygen and water to the crew is quite expensive. In addition, flights outside the Earth’s magnetosphere increase the radiation dose of astronauts, which somewhat reduces the allowable duration of flights.
Vladimir Solovyov
Although ROSS will work autonomously for a long time, will be able to take manned flights. But before reaching this point, Russia will need to activate all the systems, and this will require the work of astronauts. Although calculations still need to be done to determine the maximum time they can spend in space, Solovyov said a month or two would not affect health.
How the new Russian space station will be built
Russia will build its orbital refueling station in two phases. The first of these will begin in 2028 with the launch of the NEM and a module with six docking stations using the Angara A5M launch vehicle. Subsequently, solar panels and batteries will be sent to provide enough power for observations and radar experiments.
The first manned mission will depart from the Bainkonur Cosmodrome in 2028., as soon as the node module docks. Solovyov confirmed that during the construction phase they will make two manned flights per year. ROSS will have two cabins and a bathroom to accommodate four cosmonauts.
Solovyov confirmed that ROSS will work jointly with the International Space Stationl. for at least two years.
We need to continue to operate the ISS until we create a more or less tangible buildup for ROSS. Although the ISS and ROSS will fly in orbits with different inclinations and it will not be possible to fly from one station to another, we can ensure the efficient operation of both the Russian segment of the ISS and the ROSS.
The second stage will begin in 2030 with the shipment of two modules for research, as well as a pressurized platform for servicing spacecraft. According to the chief designer of Energia, using this platform they could tow satellites or stranded ships to refuel them and return to orbit.
ROSS will become a “bridgehead” for manned flights to the Moon and Mars
Vladimir Solovyov, who is also the flight director of the Russian segment of the International Space Station, assured that building your new space station is a necessary step before a lunar mission. While NASA and others are aiming for the Moon, Russia believes they should do research with robotic devices first.
“It’s unwise to just hang the Russian flag on the moon, spending huge amounts of money on it,” he said. Solovyov believes that with political will and sufficient fundingROSS can be used as a base for building a space complex on the Moon or Mars.
Station would allow to implement schemes of two launches, where the crew will wait for the arrival of the upper stage to make a trip to the moon. This will reduce the need for super-heavy rockets or more expensive launch vehicles. Russia is considering the use of reusable ships and even ROSS becomes a kind of spaceport.
So far, everything is on paper, and we will have to wait a few years to confirm whether Russia’s plans in space will materialize.
Source: Hiper Textual
