Sochi. September 29. INTERFAX - Russian specialists are developing the idea of creating a service orbital station, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
During the meeting on the development of the space industry, he recalled that in accordance with the current agreements, the flight of the International Space Station should be completed in 2024.
"Despite the possible extension of this period, we must look beyond the horizon of the current decade, taking into account new challenges in deep space exploration, as well as national plans for infrastructure development and development of our vast territories, including the Arctic zone. Our specialists are already working on the idea of creating a Russian service orbital station," Putin said.
He noted that Russia is now actively participating in the activities of the ISS. In particular, large research works are being carried out in its Russian segment.
Russia, as reported, has decided to build its own orbital station, an exit from the ISS project is being considered, and this is due to the deterioration of the technical condition of the Russian segment of the station.
The head of ROSCOSMOS, Dmitry Rogozin, reported that about 80% of the equipment of the Russian segment of the ISS has exhausted its resource and the cost of maintaining it after 2025 will be comparable to the cost of creating a new station.
It was reported that Russia may withdraw from the ISS project from 2025, transferring responsibility for its segment to station partners. At the same time, it was noted that Russia can continue to support its segment with the financial participation of the United States.
An alternative would be the creation of a national orbital station, the first module of which is planned to be launched in 2025, and the deployment will be completed in 2035.
On July 31, the Scientific and Technical Council of ROSCOSMOS approved the creation of a new Russian orbital station.
The ISS is scheduled to be completed in 2028, by which time ROSCOSMOS should launch a new Russian orbital station.
On September 21, the Scientific and Technical Council of ROSCOSMOS and the Space Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences approved the concept of the new station and recommended submitting it to the Government of the Russian Federation.
Russia will be able to finance the construction of a new orbital station itself, but it is also ready for cooperation, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said on April 19, noting that the station could be "a kind of intermediate point for flights and exploration of the Moon, lunar space."