Moscow. January 1st. INTERFAX - The Nauka module, which docked to the International Space Station (ISS) in the summer, will be able to work effectively until 2030, the state corporation Roscosmos reported on Saturday.
On the eve it became known that the US government approved the extension of the agreement on the use of the ISS until 2030.
"In 2021, the formation of the Russian segment of the ISS has been completed. The launch into orbit and the inclusion in the ISS of the multipurpose laboratory module "Science" on July 29 made it possible to significantly expand the possibilities for habitability and conducting space experiments. It is assumed that the module will be able to function effectively as part of the ISS until 2030," Roscosmos said in a statement.
On July 29, after the docking of the module, an abnormal activation of the Nauka engines occurred, due to which the ISS turned 45 degrees. To compensate for the impulse, the engines of the Zvezda module and the Progress cargo ship had to be used. Roscosmos explained the incident by working with fuel residues in the Nauka module. Later, the head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, said that the cause of the incident was a staff error.
On December 15, in an interview with Interfax, the head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, said that a decision of the Russian government on the extension of the ISS is expected.
"The final decision on the extension of the ISS and the continuation of Russia's participation in the program is made at the level of the government of the Russian Federation. What decision will be made, whether we will extend the operation of the station after 2024, we will see in the near future," Rogozin said then.
According to him, the key factor in making a decision will be the safety of the crew.
Rogozin then said that the state corporation is waiting for an official proposal from NASA to extend the work of the ISS until 2028-2030 in the near future. Roscosmos is also preparing relevant proposals.
On September 14, the head of NASA's manned program, Kathy Leaders, announced that the United States plans to use the ISS until 2030.
In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a possible extension of the ISS operation.
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 by Russia of a new orbital station, the first module of which is planned to be launched in 2025, and the deployment will be completed in 2035.
On September 4, 2021, Rogozin said that Russia needs to create its own station, since the ISS resource is limited. At the same time, the head of Roscosmos noted that the operation of the ISS will not create "big problems", but due to the depletion of the resource, "cosmonauts and astronauts will spend more and more time maintaining the viability of this station"
