The station will consist of an inflatable living module, a docking module, an engine compartment, a robotic manipulator and a laboratory
NEW YORK, October 21. /tass/. The first independent commercial space station can be created by 2027. The corresponding statement was published on Thursday on the website of the American corporation Lockheed Martin.
It is expected that Lockheed Martin will work on the station project together with private American companies Nanoracks and Voyager Space in cooperation with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
The project, dubbed Starlab, aims to "conduct important scientific research, stimulate production and maintain the American presence in low Earth orbit." "It is expected that the initial operational readiness of Starlab will be achieved by 2027," the document states.
It is planned that the station will consist of an inflatable living module, a docking module, an engine compartment, a robotic manipulator and a laboratory. The station will be able to accommodate four astronauts on a long-term basis. In addition, Starlab will be able to receive space tourists and participate in the implementation of various commercial and business projects.
In April, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said that the state of the International Space Station (ISS) leaves much to be desired, so Russia can focus on creating its own orbital station. The rocket and space corporation Energia was tasked with ensuring the readiness of the first module for the new Russian orbital station in 2025, it will be a scientific and energy module, which was previously supposed to be launched to the ISS in 2024. The Scientific and Technical Council of Roscosmos recommended that work on the creation of a technical project for a new orbital station be included in the Federal Space Program - 2025.