MOSCOW: Russia may deploy its own service orbital station, manned by two to four cosmonauts, after 2024, said Vladimir Solovyov, the first deputy CEO of the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation, according to the Scientific Russia website.
The senior executive explained that the new station will be comprised of three to seven modules, and could be operated by a crew of two to four people. The station will also be able to operate autonomously. “The cosmonauts will work on the station in shifts, in order to reduce the crew’s radiation exposure and operation costs,” he said.
According to Solovyov, the ROSS will serve a number of purposes, including remote probing, research, experiments, communications, navigation, man-made disaster detection, geological survey, participation in educational projects, forestry monitoring and space tourism. The success of Russia’s priority goals in space depends on the orbital station programs, among other things, the official said. He added that this kind of stations enjoys such advantages as open architecture and an unlimited lifespan, thanks to replaceable modules. – PNP
