London. Russia’s space agency unveiled for the first time yesterday a physical model of what the new station Russia will build will look like, suggesting that Moscow is serious about abandoning the International Space Station (ISS) and going it alone.
Russia, mired in what some Kremlin hardliners see as a historic break with the West, triggered by sanctions imposed for what Moscow calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine, is rushing to reduce its dependence on Western nations already. go ahead on their own or to cooperate with countries like China and Iran.
The West, which has accused Russia of launching an unprovoked imperialist war of aggression against Ukraine, has hit the Russian economy with sanctions designed to deprive Moscow of technology, know-how and funds.
The Russian national space agency Roscosmos unveiled a mock-up of the station, called ROSS by state media, in Army-2022, a military-industrial exhibition on the outskirts of Moscow.
Yuri Borisov, whom President Vladimir Putin appointed last month to lead Roscosmos, has said Russia will leave the ISS after 2024 and is working to develop its own orbital station.
Launched in 1998, the plant has been continuously occupied since November 2000 in the framework of a partnership led by the United States and Russia, in which Canada, Japan and 11 European countries also participate.
NASA, which wants to keep the ISS operational until 2030, says it has not yet received official confirmation of Russia’s planned withdrawal and had previously understood Moscow would remain involved until 2028.
Roscosmos has claimed that the new station will offer cosmonauts a much broader view of Earth for surveillance purposes than they enjoy in their current segment.
Russian state media have suggested the first stage is scheduled for launch in 2025-26 and the second and final stage in 2030-35, they reported.
The space station, as it is conceived, would not have a permanent human presence, but would instead be staffed twice a year for long periods.
Dmitri Rogozin, a former Roscosmos chief and hardliner known for his strong anti-Western statements, has suggested that the new space station could serve a military purpose if necessary.
#Russia #unveils #model #space #station #plans #launch #stage