DUBAI, Nov 17The commercial module of the Russian orbital station (ROS) can be launched into space in 2031, Vladimir Volik, deputy general director of the Energia rocket and space corporation for programs and strategy, said during the Dubai Airshow.
““We expect that if we start making it in 2025, we will be able to launch it in 2030-2031,” he said.
Speaking about the main differences between the commercial module and others, Volik noted that it will be more autonomous.
“We see requirements for microgravity; accordingly, it must be undocked and visited, that is, astronauts will not be there constantly. It must be possible to test equipment independently of the station,” the agency’s interlocutor said.
The first ROS module is planned to be launched in 2027, and five years later the construction of the station in orbit will be completed. It will consist of scientific and energy, hub, gateway, base and target modules. Previously, Russia extended its participation in the International Space Station project until 2028.
Earlier, Roscosmos General Director Yuri Borisov said that following a meeting that Russian President Vladimir Putin held at RSC Energia, instructions were given to approve a federal project to create ROS.
As Vladimir Solovyov, General Designer for Manned Complexes and Systems of Russia, noted, the station’s operational life should be 50 years.