These word-of-mouth statements are almost consistent with information from the US Senate hearing on a request to fund NASA with a figure of $ 585 million to invest in nuclear-powered propulsion technology in the fiscal year 2022. and other American efforts in this area. This means that Russia’s space nuclear energy program is not only for technical purposes, but also for geopolitical purposes. Russia’s current program has its roots in the Soviet era. The Soviet Union launched a total of 33 military satellites with the function of spying and targeting targets equipped with nuclear reactors into low orbit around the Earth from 1969 to 1988. Most of these satellites used reactors. Buk type nuclear power generation reactor, only 2 of them using advanced thermal electron furnace NPP Topaz with generating capacity from 4.5 to 5.5 kW, however, this project was suspended in 1986 . In the early 1990s, a Russian-American cooperation project aimed at continuing the development of the Topaz furnace, but this project was suspended in 1995. In the period 2000-2007, Russia also tried to find ways to cooperate with China. Nation in this field. Despite the economic decline for a long time, Moscow has been trying to continue its independent efforts in the field of the use of nuclear energy in space since 1998, and during the time of President Dmitry Medvedev in power, the This effort has been identified as a key priority for the Kremlin. The budget for this program of Russia for the period 2010-2018 is 17 billion rubles, divided between Roscosmos 9.8 billion rubles and Rosatom 7.2 billion rubles, equivalent to $560 million in 2010 exchange rates. However, the actual disbursement figure is much smaller. In 2010, only 500 million rubles ($16.5 million) were allocated for this purpose. Over the next decade, total disbursements reached nearly 10 billion rubles ($213 million), according to public information from Roscosmos and Rosatom. The results of these efforts have not been as successful as they initially suggested. For example, the technical requirements of the proposed product are an outer space nuclear reactor with a capacity of 1 MW of electricity and an ion thruster with a capacity of 50 kW. However, the reality shows that Russia is currently only developing nuclear power generation systems YaEU-25M, YaEU-25 and YaEU-50 with a generating capacity of 10-40 kW and propulsion using ionic force. 25 kW. At present, perhaps Russia is just stopping at the computational model run for more powerful reactors and engines. For comparison, NASA is still trying to design a 10 kW outer space nuclear reactor with a Stirling engine for the purpose of increasing efficiency, currently Russia is still revolving around the thermal electron model, and the problem of using Using engines or turbines in combination with reactors is still only a theory. It is hard to believe that Russia will design a nuclear reactor in space with a generating capacity of 1 MW or ion propulsion engines with a larger capacity in the near future. Anyway, Moscow is still trying to turn the results achieved into advanced applications in long-distance space travel or foreign politics. Due to a decline in space research activities in other sub-sectors, coupled with economic weakness, these problems have prompted the Kremlin to look for another trump card. While the development of nuclear reactors for space exploration is far from complete, the Russian government as well as industry is currently looking for the application of nuclear reactors to satellites. military. These satellites can be used for radar reconnaissance or electronic warfare (for example jamming) when they are deployed in low, mid or geostationary orbits. However, no tests of such satellites have yet been conducted, meaning Moscow is not ready to field such satellites in the near future. In addition, the promotion of nuclear-powered spacecraft could be used by Russian space and nuclear industry units as a tool to apply for funding, to promote a slow and risky research program. this. For its part, the Kremlin is still trying to blur its true purpose. They came up with the “Strategy for the development of nuclear energy in space by 2030 in 2019, and issued relevant policies for the first time in 1998. Even if Russian military satellites are used by Russian military satellites. Nuclear power appeared in 2030, it also did not bring about significant changes in the technical and military fields. However, Moscow is still trying to polish it as a tool to help shift political supremacy. First, Russia has consistently supported the ban on placing weapons in outer space. Second, Russia will not be able to stand in the forefront of space technology without cooperating with other countries in the field, so Russian leaders see nuclear technology in space as a way to develop. cooperation, even in times of growing hostility in the West. The Russian SPT-100 series Ion Thruster has been used on satellites since 1994.

Design of a space tug to carry Russia’s 500kW Zeus nuclear reactor. Russia’s federal space agency Roscosmo announced that a “space tug” – a term used to refer to a spacecraft that transports astronauts or equipment from one orbit to another – is expected to carry out an interplanetary mission. planet by 2030. Accordingly, the spacecraft’s power module called “Zeus” is designed to generate enough power to propel heavy cargo into deep space. It is essentially a mobile nuclear power plant. Several countries have been eyeing similar technology as a way to shorten trips in space. Currently, spacecraft still rely on solar energy or gravity to accelerate. But that means it could take more than three years for astronauts to make a trip around Mars. Meanwhile, NASA estimates a nuclear-powered spacecraft could shorten that timeline by a year. NASA’s Juno unmanned spacecraft uses solar batteries to make a journey to explore Jupiter. Photo: NASA The US hopes to put a nuclear power plant – a 10-kilowatt reactor integrated with a lander to be exact – on the Moon as early as 2027. However, NASA has only sent one so far. nuclear reactor into space, on a satellite in 1965. Other spacecraft, such as the Mars rovers Curiosity and Perseverance, also run on nuclear power, but they do not use a reactor. Meanwhile, Russia has sent more than 30 reactors into space. Those efforts will be further pushed as the “Zeus” module uses a 500 kilowatt nuclear reactor to propel itself from planet to planet. Watch a video of a Russian space tug model announced in 2020 (Source: ETF News): According to the plan announced on the Russian state news agency Sputnik, the Zeus spacecraft will approach the Moon first, then move towards Venus. From here it can use the planet’s gravity to redirect toward its final destination, Jupiter. That will help save propellant fuel. According to Alexander Bloshenko, Roscosmos Science and Long-Term Programs Executive Director, the entire mission will last 50 months (more than four years). During a presentation in Moscow on May 22, Bloshenko said that Roscosmos and the Russian Academy of Sciences are still working to calculate the trajectory of the flight, as well as the mass it can carry. Going further, this mission could be the precursor to a new frontier of Russian space. Sputnik reported that Russia is designing a space station using similar nuclear-powered technology. The Soyuz rocket launches the spacecraft to the International Orbital Station (ISS) from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Photo: Getty Images Nuclear power has advantages over solar energy Most spacecraft get their energy from some source: the sun, batteries, or unstable atoms called radioisotopes. For example, NASA’s Juno unmanned spacecraft at Jupiter uses solar panels to generate electricity. Solar energy can also be used to charge batteries in spacecraft, but this energy source becomes less efficient as the spacecraft gets further and further away from the Sun. In addition, lithium batteries can power shorter missions. For example, the Huygens probe used batteries to briefly land on Saturn’s moon Titan in 2005. Design of a NASA spacecraft using nuclear thermal propulsion. Photo: NASA NASA’s Voyager spacecraft uses radioactive isotopes (also known as “nuclear batteries”) to survive in the harsh environments outside the Solar System and interstellar space, but that’s not the same thing. bring a nuclear reactor on board. Putting nuclear reactors on spacecraft offers several advantages: They can survive in the dark, cold regions of the Solar System without sunlight. They are also stable, reliable in the long run. The Zeus nuclear reactor, for example, is designed to last 10 to 12 years. Plus, with their powerful energy, they can propel spacecraft to other planets in less time. But nuclear power also has its own set of challenges. Only certain fuels, like highly enriched uranium, can withstand the extreme heat of a reactor – and they may not be safe to use. In December 2020, the US banned the use of highly enriched uranium to propel objects into space if that mission was possible with other sources of nuclear fuel or non-nuclear energy. Russia prepares to build a nuclear-powered space station Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov returning from the ISS landed in a remote area in Kazakhstan on April 17, 2021. Photo: Reuters Russian engineers began developing the Zeus module in 2010 with the goal of getting it into Earth orbit within two decades. And they’re on track to get there. This technology could help Russia develop a new space station by 2025. In April, the BBC reported that Russia plans to stop cooperating with the International Space Station (ISS), which it currently shares with the International Space Station (ISS). America, Japan, Europe and Canada – in that year. Russia cooperated with the United States to launch the ISS in 1998. However, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov told Russia 1 state television last month that the status of the ISS “a lot of things are not yet achieved”. . Even recently, this orbiting station has experienced air leaks and oxygen supply system failures. NASA has announced that the ISS will operate until at least 2028, however, the agency will probably maintain the station for the next 10-15 years.

Russia’s federal space agency Roscosmos has said that a “space tug” – a term used to refer to a spacecraft that transports astronauts or equipment from one orbit to another, is expected to be launched into space. to perform an interplanetary mission in 2030. This spacecraft is powered by a power module called Zeus. Basically, Zeus is like a mobile nuclear power plant, able to generate enough energy to operate spacecraft, transport equipment and goods in space. Currently, several countries are interested in similar technology as a way to shorten journeys in space. Design of the space tug. Photo: Roscosmos. Traditionally, spacecraft have relied on solar power or gravity to accelerate. This means that it takes astronauts more than 3 years to make the trip around Mars. NASA estimates that a nuclear-powered spacecraft could make that journey in a year. The US hopes to put a 10-kilowatt nuclear reactor integrated with the lunar lander, on the Moon as early as 2027. However, so far, NASA has only put one nuclear reactor. launched into space for the SNAP-10A satellite in 1965. Other spacecraft such as the Mars Curiosity and Perseverance probes are also nuclear-powered, but they do not use a reactor. Meanwhile, Russia has sent more than 30 nuclear reactors into space. The Zeus module is expected to further Russia’s space efforts by using a 500 kilowatt nuclear reactor to power spacecraft to travel from planet to planet. other planets, Sputnik quoted information from Roscosmos said. According to the Russian plan, the nuclear spacecraft will approach the Moon first, then head towards Venus, where it can use the planet’s gravity to move to its final destination, Jupiter. This will help save propellant. The entire mission will take 50 months (more than four years), said Alexander Bloshenko, executive director of development programs and advanced science at Roscosmos. According to the official, Roscosmos and the Russian Academy of Sciences are still working to calculate the trajectory of the flight, as well as the payload the spacecraft can carry. Ultimately, this mission could lay the groundwork for a new strategy for the Russian aerospace industry. Sputnik reported that Moscow is designing a space station using similar nuclear energy technology. The advantage of nuclear energy in the universe Most spacecraft get their energy from some source: the sun, batteries, or radioactive atoms (also called radioisotopes). For example, NASA’s Juno spacecraft at Jupiter uses solar panels to generate electricity. Solar energy can also be used to charge spacecraft batteries, however, it becomes less efficient if the spacecraft is far from the Sun. In other cases, lithium batteries could help power spacecraft for short journeys. Earlier in 2005, the Huygens probe used batteries to make a lightning landing on Saturn’s moon Titan. NASA’s Voyager spacecraft uses radioactive isotope (sometimes called a nuclear battery) to survive in the harsh environments of the solar system and interstellar space, but this is not the same thing. integrate a nuclear reactor into the spacecraft. Nuclear reactors offer several advantages as they can survive in dark and cold areas of the solar system without sunlight. They are also quite useful and quite reliable for long-term activities. The Zeus nuclear reactor is designed to last 10 to 12 years. In addition, they can propel spacecraft to other planets in less time. But nuclear power also presents some challenges of its own. Only certain fuels, such as highly enriched uranium, can withstand the extreme heat of the reactor. Furthermore, they may not be safe to use. In December 2020, the United States banned the use of highly enriched uranium to send objects into space if the operation could be made possible by other alternative sources of nuclear or non-nuclear fuel. Russia is about to build a space station in space Russian engineers began developing the “Zeus” module in 2010 with the goal of putting it into orbit within two decades, and they are on track to accomplish this goal. Production and testing commenced in 2018. By 2020, Roscosmos has signed a contract worth 4.2 billion rubles ($57.5 million) with St. Petersburg for the preliminary design of the space station. This will help Russia accelerate its efforts to develop a new space station by 2025. Earlier in April 2021, the BBC said that Russia plans to withdraw from the International Space Station (ISS) by 2025 and is ready to build its own space station. The International Space Station was established in 1998. This is an international cooperation project of 16 countries including the US and Russia, Japan, Canada, European Space Agency member states and Brazil. with a total investment capital of more than 100 billion USD.

According to the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper, the project to build Russia’s own domestic space station was approved by President Vladimir Putin during a closed-door meeting on the development of the space industry. Work on creating a national orbital station is scheduled to launch in the near future. Experts are faced with the task of building the space object as soon as possible, in order to prevent the long-term absence of Russian cosmonauts in orbit. The publication Moskovsky Komsomolets reminds that the estimated service life of the Russian segment on the International Space Station will end in 2025. After that, the module will be destroyed. The proposal to abandon the ISS was previously announced by the Russian National Space Corporation – Roscosmos. The experts of the above enterprise believe that serious system problems of the orbiting station in operation may begin soon, as its useful life is about to end. According to preliminary estimates, maintaining the Russian segment on the ISS in the coming years will cost 10-15 billion rubles, which is very expensive compared to building a completely new one. The International Space Station has been in use since 1998, its life will end in 2024. Currently, the countries participating in the project are considering options to prolong the existence of the multi-space space research complex. capacity until 2030. In the meantime, it is known that some components for the International Space Station ISS will be utilized by Russia. The first basic module for the future Russian national orbital station could be a component previously designed for the ISS. Experts from RSC Energia are currently working on the Science and Energy module (NEM) and it will be ready for launch in 2025. The head of the Roscosmos Group – Mr. Dmitry Rogozin wrote about this on the Telegram channel of the company. myself. Mr. Rogozin also reiterated that Russia intends to withdraw from the ISS after 2025. By that time, Moscow plans to build its own orbiting station for scientific research purposes. Earlier, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said that the situation related to the “aging” of the ISS structure could lead to dire consequences. So Moscow should create an alternative as soon as possible and not put the astronauts at risk. In addition, Borisov also revealed that the future national orbiting station could become “high-orbit” (located above the ISS), which would not only be used for scientific research, but also serve as a “transshipment base” in the mission to conquer the Moon. As for the NEM module, work on its creation began in 2012. According to the plan, by 2015 the device should have ensured energy independence for the Russian subdivision on the ISS. However, at that time only the preliminary design was completed. NEM’s ground tests only really started in 2018. While its launch date has been repeatedly postponed. In the coming time, Russian scientists will certainly have to be more active, because progress is increasingly urgent. In addition to the NEM that will become the main module, according to Dmitry Rogozin, two permanent working modules named Nauca and Prichal may also become part of the Russian space station in the future, both modules will be sent to the ISS in the future. this year.

Due to the presence of minerals and other resources on the Red Planet, in the future, Mars could be an abundant source. All in all, the initiatives in this direction are impressive, but as always, there are nuances attached to them. Traveling to Mars on 1,000 rockets and creating land for 1 million earthlings as Elon Musk suggests is an extremely expensive and technologically difficult task. It is not necessary to list all the problems that arise when massive scientific works are devoted to this, just to mention the main “knots”. First, There is no technology that allows the creation of spacecraft with the ability to send people into distant space without having to receive a lethal dose of cosmic radiation. This problem could be solved by wrapping lead plates, but would lead to a proportional increase in the mass of the ship and a decrease in its carrying capacity. New engines were needed, but they are now beyond production. Monday, Solar radiation will remain a problem on the Martian surface. The Red Planet, unlike Earth, does not have a magnetic field that protects us from ionizing radiation. Astronauts will not have to walk on red sand dunes like in the movie “Total Recall”, but have to hide in bases hidden deep below the surface. Tuesday, Mars on Mars is cold and has practically no atmosphere, but the radiation background is 2.5 times higher than what astronauts on the ISS can tolerate. It is impossible to live in such conditions without a special space suit. There are also many other problems, but it is clear that expanding living space is an extremely important task for all of humanity, requiring accumulation and huge investments in technology. For this reason, scientists are seriously skeptical of Elon Musk’s initiative, especially when he proposes to carry out thermonuclear bombardments at both poles of the Red Planet. This will lead to higher temperatures, melting glaciers, the formation of liquid water and the release of greenhouse gases, which will create the atmosphere on Mars. After that, the settlers could walk on the surface without the spacesuit. But there is another way of looking at this “terrain” approach. Mathematician Robert Walker calculates that in order to carry out the first part of the plan, which would require at least 1 million nuclear bombs with a capacity of 100 megatons, they would have to be sent to Mars 3,500 a day for seven weeks to achieve. desired results. There are no such large numbers of nuclear weapons on Earth and the lack of means to deliver them to another planet. This is the first thing. Carbon dioxide reserves on Mars would not be enough to create a suitable atmosphere, even if the first problem were solved. Since the Red Planet has no magnetic field, solar radiation will gradually “suck” in the already formed magnetic field. This is the second thing. And finally, for some reason, Elon Musk doesn’t take into account that after so many nuclear explosions, the surface of the planet will be radioactive for a long time, you can’t walk there with a mask oxygen and plant trees. “Nuke Mars” is just a cover for the US to send nuclear weapons into space? In general, Elon Musk’s initiative is a nonsense and he himself cannot help but understand this. But why is this smart man promoting it? The head of Roscosmos – Mr. Dmitry Rogozin tried to answer the question: Anyone who calls for the “terrain” of Mars or other planets is well aware that this is just an excuse for launching nuclear weapons into space, which, if useful, is just to “terrain”. our “Earth. But it’s true, you can’t just send nuclear warheads to Mars. First, they will need to be put into orbit and accumulate somewhere along with the means to send them in large batches. Where is that? Suppose that a circular orbit station, which the United States and its allies are building, will be adapted for this case, with China and Russia as targets. But will the nuclear bomb then make its way to the Red Planet? It’s long been no secret that Elon Musk is working closely with the Pentagon on the space program and satellites. So why not try with the best cause, Mars exploration, to advocate for the idea of ​​​​putting a US nuclear arsenal in space, Mr. Rogozin concluded.

Chinese Truong Chinh 5B missile leaves its launch pad. According to this map, anywhere between 41 degrees North and 41 degrees South can be affected by the rocket’s debris. He said the boosters will enter Earth’s atmosphere as early as May 8. According to ROSCOSMOS, “a portion of the rocket will no longer exist in the dense gas layers of the atmosphere” but “individual non-flammable structural elements can reach the surface of the Earth”. Meanwhile, the Aerospace Corporation non-profit aerospace organization predicts, the time of the Chinese missile crashes to Earth will occur at dawn on 9/5 (international time), the error plus – minus in 28 hours. They also published a map of the potential impact area – relevant to the area provided by ROSCOSMOS. The Chinese missile’s orbital tilt is currently 41.5 degrees, meaning it could fall anywhere from the north relative to New York, Madrid and Beijing and as far south as southern Chile and Wellington. New Zealand, these are all regions with the highest population densities in the world. The ROSCOSMOS map shows the drop zone of the Chinese missile’s center. Speaking to the press, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed his hope that the Chinese missile will fall into the ocean and it is estimated that it will fall between May 8 and 9. On May 6, Mr. Austin said at this time, the US has no plans to shoot Chinese missile debris that is expected to fall back into the atmosphere this weekend. Since the missile is traveling at an average speed of 7 km / s, it is difficult to predict where it will hit. US Department of Defense spokesman Mike Howard said the US Space Command was monitoring the missile’s trajectory. However, the US was only able to determine the exact point within a few hours before it fell. According to Howard, the 18th Space Control Squadron will provide daily updates on the missile’s position on the Space Track website. Ted Muelhaupt, an expert in space debris at the US-based nonprofit Aerospace Corporation, told ABC News that the central floor of the Truong Chinh 5B rocket was probably among 10 large objects. can fall to the planet into 1 piece. The bulldog has a central floor weighing 22 tons. China’s Long March 5B missile hull areas are likely to fall over the next few days. Photo: Aerospace Corporation According to SpaceNews, the 22-ton central deck of the Truong Chinh 5B missile is in a state of out of control and could fall to Earth. Instead of falling to the intended location at sea like the previous rockets, the central stage of the Truong Chinh 5B boosters began to rotate around the globe in China’s helplessness. On April 28, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) launched a Long March 5B booster rocket carrying a core module called “Thien Hoa” weighing 22.5 tons into space (part of the space station. Heavenly Palace). The launch went quite smoothly until the core of the missile suddenly deviated from its intended flight trajectory. It is known that the core layer of the body (weighing 19.6 tons, 30m long and 5m in diameter) is currently flying around in the LEO orbit at an extremely fast speed. According to a SPACECOM representative, the Chinese missile is currently flying at 162-306km above the ground, indicating that it has begun to gradually decrease altitude from 170-372km. Essentially the drag of the Earth’s atmosphere sooner or later pulls the upper missile body out of the LEO orbit, but with its erratic speed and trajectory it makes it possible to accurately predict the location and The moment the rocket will hit the ground becomes difficult.

With headquarters in London, UK, the OneWeb company intends to deploy a total of more than 650 satellites in the lower orbit of the Earth, in order to provide users on the ground with high-speed Internet 24 hours a day. day through contact satellites. The company is also competing with billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos in the race to cover high-speed internet via satellite to anywhere in the world, especially in remote areas. This is the third time the Russian side has launched the OneWeb satellite beam into Earth orbit after the previous two missions took place in December 2020 and March respectively at Vostochny space airport with 36 satellites per launch. The first six satellites of OneWeb were launched from the Guiana launch site in France in February 2019, and last year, the company launched 68 more satellites from Baikonur launch site, Kazakhstan.

Currently, there are 15 members participating in the ISS project, of which 5 main members are: Russia, the US, Canada, Japan and the European Space Agency. Construction of the station began in 1998, the first permanent expedition commenced operations in 2000. It was previously announced that, during a meeting with President Putin on Astronaut Day (April 12), Russia decided to withdraw from the ISS project from 2025 and start building its own Orbit Station. The first module for it will be the SEM, which was originally designed for the ISS. Roscosmos notes that the ISS modules have reached the end of their useful life. Usually IS structures are used for only 15 years, but most ISS modules, not only Russian ones, are more than two decades old. Ong Vladimir Soloviev, the leader of the flight division, spoke of the need to create the new station due to technical problems on the Russian segment on the ISS, namely detecting cracks that allow the air to escape. Although the cracks have been sealed, there are still small leaks. Russia decided to leave the ISS and build its own Space Station Mr. Soloviev predicts, after 2025 there will be mass technical problems with the parts of the station. Carrying out repairs and maintenance is extremely costly and downright dangerous. In October, Mr. Soloviev revealed the appearance of a new Russian orbital service station. Under the plan, it will include at least five modules: Basic part, target production, logistics warehouse, platform (slide) for spacecraft assembly, launch, reception and servicing, as well as one The commercial module can accommodate four travelers. According to the documents, for the purpose of being used in the Russian Orbital Station component, this module needs to be adapted to accommodate the “Angara-A5M” boosters from Vostochny aerospace, instead of missile “Proton-M” from Baikonur airport. In addition, on the module will have to replace the assembly from active to passive, place two cabin compartments for astronauts and adjust the systems in charge of movement and navigation, telemetry, communication. and heat guarantee. According to published documents, the plan to build Russia’s Orbital Station will be divided into two phases. Energy Science (NEM) modular model on the Russian Space Station In the first phase between 2025 and 2030, NEM, node, base, and entrance modules are expected to launch. In the second phase, from 2030 to 2035, Roscosmos will produce the target modules as well as the foundation for the maintenance of space apparatus. The Russian orbit station will fly in a Sun synchronous orbit – at an angle of 97 degrees from the equator, on which its solar panels will always receive light. Such orbits also allow the crew to see the North Pole every hour and a half, and every two days they see any point on our planet. In this connection, it is planned to have the part of the Earth-facing Station within the range of the observation system in various spectral bands – from optical to radar, and on the opposite side a device. are intended for monitoring outside of open spaces. To board the New Station in the first phase will be the manned transport “Progress” and the “Soyuz” manned, while in the second stage the manned train “Oriol”.

In April alone, ISS has been busy with flights up and down. On April 9, the Russian Soyuz rocket sent 1 American astronaut and 2 Russian astronauts to the ISS laboratory 420km from the Earth’s surface. Eight days later, another Soyuz rocket carried another trio of American and Russian astronauts back to Earth. On April 23, the US spacecraft SpaceX brought two more Americans, one Japanese and one French to connect to the ISS. However, such bustling scene on ISS is about to come to an end. Last week, Russia announced it would withdraw from the ISS by 2025. Despite the growing tensions between Russia and the US over the past decade, the two countries ‘space agencies continue to work closely with each other, along with 13 countries’ space agencies. According to the US Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), since 2000, ISS has welcomed 243 people from 19 countries. According to the Financial Times, Professor Anu Ojha, director of the UK National Aerospace Institute and an advisor to the European Space Agency (ESA), said: “I only hear positive things about astronauts and astronauts as they work together “. In the early years of building and assembling modules of ISS, since 1998, Russia and Western partners cooperated closely. “NASA and ESA cannot build a space station without Russian experts,” said Ojha. The Russians are masters of building modular space stations ”. The ISS station once welcomed astronauts from many countries Western countries need Russian rockets to carry materials and people to and from the ISS. This reliance increased when NASA decommissioned the space shuttle fleet in 2011 and Soyuz became the only passenger vehicle that could put astronauts in orbit. Only in 2020, NASA will begin to use the SpaceX spacecraft system of billionaire Elon Musk. For the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos), cooperation with the West through the ISS also adds to the financial resources. NASA spent $ 3.9 billion to hire Soyuz to transport astronauts to the ISS from 2011 to 2019. Although astronaut Mark Vande Hei’s trip to the ISS in April may not be the last of an American on Russian rockets, the majority of non-Russian astronauts will travel on SpaceX or on Boeing’s Starliner, expected to go into service from 2022. During the first 15 years, the ISS crew focused on assembly and engineering work, which meant that the zero gravity work environment was only just being established. Recently, NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, who just returned to Earth in mid-April, recounted her hundreds of hours on the ISS to do biological experiments, from decoding DNA on a space station to growing human heart tissue and vegetables. . ISS’s most important area of ​​research is its attempt to understand the long-term effects of space travel on human health, in preparation for planned attempts at the Moon or travel to Mars. Other direction of cooperation For Russia, the decision to end ISS participation is expected to lead to more spatial cooperation with China. It is also part of the Kremlin’s broader pivot to Beijing. Since Western sanctions were first imposed on Moscow in connection with Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russia has doubled down on its efforts to strengthen ties with China. The two countries reached agreements on defense and space cooperation while bilateral trade nearly doubled compared to 2010, reaching $ 110 billion in 2019. In 2020, Roscosmos rejected an offer from the US to join NASA-led Artemis program, aimed at bringing people to stay longer on the Moon. In March, Russia and China agreed to jointly develop a base on the Moon to “promote the peaceful discovery and use of space for all mankind” (according to a memorandum of understanding between the two. country). Roscosmos last week also said it aims to set up its own Russian space station by 2030, using modules designed like the ISS. The Interfax news agency quoted Roscosmos Director, Dmitry Rogozin, as saying: “It is likely that by 2030, we can put a space station into orbit, that will be a huge breakthrough.” On Russian television, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said that in the future, on the Russian space station, in addition to astronauts, there will be the participation of artificial intelligence and robotics. He stressed that Russia is ready to consider for foreign crews to visit, but definitely the Russian space station must be national. Interfax quoted an unnamed source as saying that Russia planned to spend up to $ 6 billion to put this project into operation. China will also soon introduce the module to build the China Space Station (CSS). The ship carrying this module is scheduled to take off at the end of April. This is the culmination of the project that the Chinese government launched in 1992. After this module goes into space, China plans to launch at least 10 more times. Another launcher carries the remaining modules and cargo to complete the CSS assembly by the end of 2022. The 100-ton, T-shaped CSS will consist of three main modules: the 18-meter core module, called Tianhe, and two 14.4-meter lab modules, called Wentian, that are permanently attached to the sides. of the core module. As the station’s control and control center, Tianhe can accommodate 3 astronauts with a stay of up to 6 months. CSS has volume less than 1/4 the volume of ISS. Instead, configure 3 modules based on China’s need in doing the necessary scientific experiments. The 440-ton ISS with a construction cost of $ 150 billion will end its lifespan and should be returned to Earth expected by 2025. The future of the ISS is still under negotiation after the current cooperation agreements expire. by the end of 2024. According to NASA, from a technical point of view, the ISS can operate until the end of 2028. Of course, the ISS will be upgraded if it wants to last longer, especially electrical and communication systems. .

Illustration. TASS. Igor Pshenichnikov, responsible for the Amur-LNG project, said Russian experts are developing a reusable methane rocket engine for the Amur boosters that can redirect carriers. off the launch pad in the event of take-off malfunction. “We are planning to deploy a hot backup and guidance system in the Amur boosters,” he said. If one of the motors fails, it will be turned off while the operation of the other thrusters will be accelerated. The lead expert explained: “In this situation, the quest continuation option would be considered.” If damage occurs during takeoff or near the ground, the missile will not be able to launch due to its large mass. That is why the missile is diverted to a safe distance so as not to damage the launcher. Russian State Space Corporation Roscosmos and Progressive Space Missile Center signed a contract in October 2020 for the design of a space missile system concept with reusable methane-fueled rockets. The first Russian Amur application. The missile will be launched from Vostochny aerospace in the Russian Far East at a stage of reuse. In February, Dmitry Baranov – Director of the Advanced Space Rocket Center (a division of Roscosmos) said work on the conceptual design of the methane Amur fuel missile will be completed by the third quarter of 2021. . Amur is a commercial missile carrier. With the reuse phase, it will be able to put the payload of up to 10.5 tons into orbit as low as Earth, compared with the 8.5 tons carried by the Soyuz-2 rocket.

“We cannot risk the lives (of the astronauts) … The structures and metals on the ISS (are) getting old, possibly leading to irreversible consequences,” Borisov said. Disaster is waiting to happen. Borisov announced that Russia would withdraw from the ISS by 2025. However, he later delayed the time because the country needed to check the technique, decide and inform partners of the plan to build a new space station. A module of a new space station is under development in Russia. Photo: Roscosmos. The Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) also confirmed that it is developing a successor space station for Salyut and Mir, two space stations launched into low-Earth orbit by Russia in the 1970s and 1980s. know that agreements with international partners related to ISS will expire in 2024. Share on television, Borisov said that the new Russian space station will orbit the Earth at high latitudes, helping to see the polar regions better. He leaves open the possibility of inviting foreign countries to participate in the construction of the space station. In the video posted to the Internet, Dmitry Rogozin, the director of Roscosmos, said that the first module of the space station is under development, possibly in 2025. Interfax Modules assembled by Energia cost about US $ 5 billion. Still, the prospect of a complete Russian space station is far from over. Andrey Ionin, a member of the Russian Space Academy, said that the new space station would be “a step backwards”. “ISS’s greatest achievement is not technology, but international cooperation,” said Ionin. Before building the new space station, Roscosmos still has to bring the Nauka scientific module to the ISS at the end of the year. Rogozin said Russia will not withdraw from the ISS until the completion of the new space station. However, the announcement from Deputy Prime Minister Borisov will put great pressure on the US Aerospace Agency (NASA) and its partners. Russia believes the ISS is degrading. Photo: Roscosmos. Space stations over 20 years old have regularly recorded incidents in recent times. In March, Russian astronauts patched a gas leak on the ISS that has existed since 2020. This is not the first time Russia has complained about the ISS. Speaking at the Russian Academy of Sciences in October 2020, Vladimir Solovyov, who is in charge of Russian flights at the ISS, thinks the space station will deteriorate rapidly in the next five years, advising the country to prioritize building. new universe. “The ISS partners will have difficulty maintaining the space station without Russia,” said Vitaly Egorov, the space industry watcher. Science . The magazine says SpaceX’s astronaut transportation services can fill the void left by Russia. Two astronauts installed the support frame outside the ISS station Two NASA astronauts step outside of the International Space Station (ISS) to install supports for new solar panels.

International space station. Photo: Getty The Russian Deputy Prime Minister’s office also said that “information on operational incidents is being recorded more frequently than in recent times” and that an examination of the ISS is required to avoid possible emergency situations out. Astronauts have had to find a way to fix the leak due to cracks in some modules. Mr. Vladimir Solovyev, Deputy Director of Energia in charge of ISS of Russia in November 2020, said that some components of the ISS station were damaged, could not be replaced and would stop working after 2025. Energia is currently researching. to build a space station named Russia Orbital to replace ISS. The ISS was commissioned in 1998. The life cycle of this space station has been extended to 2020 and then to 2024. Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency, said after the ISS was shut down, the Progress cargo spacecraft would pull it out of orbit. Then, the ISS will fall into the ocean like the Russian Mir space station when decommissioned in 2001./.

The International Space Station (ISS). Photo: Wiki

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a plan to start building manned orbital satellites to replace the International Space Station (ISS), which appears to be nearing its end of life.

In recent years, the ISS has started to degrade, astronauts are now regularly detecting cracks, according to RT. Last week, it was revealed that Russian astronauts are still working to seal the leak that was first discovered in 2019. The ongoing problems with the International Space Station have prompted Russia began creating an alternative device.

Called ROSS, the Russian orbital satellite will consist of three to seven modules and can carry up to four people. Although only approved by President Putin on April 12, on the 60th anniversary of the landmark first flight into space by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the project has been underway for some time.

Last November, the first deputy design general of space contractor RSC Energia expressed confidence that Russia needs to start building a new station, saying that the ISS has collapsed.

“Until 2025, Russia has an obligation to participate in the ISS program” – Mr. Vladimir Solovyov told the Russian Academy of Sciences. “There were some parts that were severely damaged and no longer working. Many parts are irreplaceable. After 2025, we predict a series of failures on the ISS ”.

Russia has a long history of building its own satellites, with Sputnik 1 being the first satellite launched into low earth orbit in 1957. In 1986, the Soviet Union launched a manufactured space station. in the country called Mir – was the largest artificial satellite in orbit at the time.

Last May, the Russian Space Agency Roscomos revealed, ROSS could be ready for deployment after 2024.

Despite Russia’s willingness to do it alone, Roscosmos has reaffirmed its commitment to international cooperation in recent months. Earlier this month, Russia signed a plan to continue cooperation with the US in space and the two countries would use each other’s rockets to enter space.

Roscosmos also signed a moon exploration agreement with China in March, and agreed to share a moon station with Beijing.

While space is often a place for international competition, both Washington and Moscow often help each other when needed. For example, earlier this year, American astronauts donated food to their Russian partners when supplies from the earth were delayed.

The International Space Station is the only laboratory in the world that allows researchers to perform long-term experiments in microgravity. The ISS has been in the presence of humans continuously since November 2000. The ISS is 109 meters long, 75 meters wide – the equivalent of a football field – and weighs 420 tons. The ISS flies at an altitude of about 400km above earth. The ISS moves at a speed of about 8km / sec, or around the earth about 90 minutes / round. The travel from the launch site in Baikonur, Kazakhstan to ISS by Russian Soyuz can take anywhere from 6 to 48 hours, depending on the launch procedure and the station’s position in orbit.

Images of Yuri Gagarin present everywhere in Russia – Photo: AFP

Russian astronaut Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, who is currently working on the International Space Station (ISS), said in a video clip released by the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) on April 12 – in celebration 60 years of human astronaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first person to fly into space.

60 years ago, on April 12, 1961, the Vostok spacecraft carrying astronaut Gagarin was launched from Baikonour Space Airport in Kazakhstan, then part of the Soviet Union. The flight lasted just 108 minutes when the ship completed one orbit of the Earth and returned.

Since then, astronaut Gagarin has also become a legend. The historian Alexander Zheleznyakov called this a moment that gave humanity a firm conviction that discovering another world outside of the vast universe was entirely within reach.

The event has made such a deep impression that the 27-year-old astronaut’s “Poekhali” has become a symbolic catchphrase for the Russian people throughout the years to come.

After 60 years, astronaut Yuri Gagarin is still mentioned as a national hero. Every year, many Russian people still come to place flowers at his memorial sites across the country on April 12.

While Gagarin was honored, the Vostok spacecraft was also put on display at the Space Travel Foundation in Moscow. Up to now, Gagarin’s flight has always been referred to as national pride for each Russian, a symbol of the power of the Soviet Union in the field of aerospace.

Every year, Russia celebrates the first flight of astronaut Gagarin into space and April 12 becomes Russia’s Astronaut Day.

In 2011, the United Nations General Assembly declared April 12 to become the International Day of Flight to put people into space.

On this occasion, Russian President Vladimir Putin went to Engels, a city on the banks of the Volga River in the south of the country, the landing point of the spacecraft carrying the Gagarin astronaut on a historic flight.

Four years before Gagarin’s flight, on October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union was also the first country in the world to put a satellite in orbit on Earth – the Sputnik satellite. Until now, the world still considered the first two “beep-beep” signals Sputnik sent to Earth triggered a race between the Soviet Union and the United States in the space field. pillar.

In the years that followed, Russia always took the lead when Gagarin successfully flew his flight, or the fact that the astronaut Alexei Leonov became the first person to step into space and the fact that Russia was the first country to launch. The Moon probe was launched in 1966. However, three years later, the US became the first country to send a man to the Moon.

Competition is fierce

Over the past 60 years, Russia has maintained a leading position in space exploration, steadily bringing astronauts to the ISS. However, observers assess that Russia is currently competing with strong competitors such as the US and China in the race to develop space technology.

In 2020, Russia loses its monopoly on human launchers on the ISS when US tech billionaire Elon Musk’s Space X Company develops and successfully put into use reusable missile systems, bring the NASA astronauts to the ISS successfully.

Although Roscosmos Director Dmitry Rogozin insists the agency is pursuing ambitious projects such as a mission to Venus, Mars or setting up a space station on the Moon, industry insiders still consider this time to be full. difficult for Russia as rivals emerge increasingly powerful.

However, the Russian people still believe in future success when looking at the historical fact that this country always appears at memorable times in human history.