Roscosmos Updates Timeline for Launching Russian Space Station ROS

We have recently published an update regarding the Russian robotic missions directed towards the Moon, with delays concerning those after Luna-27. In the meantime, Roscosmos has released new plans for the Russian space station ROS (Russian Orbital Station, formerly ROSS, Russian Orbital Space Station) that would allow Russia to anticipate the end of the operational life of the International Space Station.

According to Vladimir Kozhevnikov (RSC Energia, part of Roscosmos), the new low Earth orbit space station could be completed by 2034. The general director of Roscosmos, Dmitry Bakanov, stated that the first module of the ROS space station will be operational starting in 2028. A first phase will see the replacement of the Prichal module (currently connected to the ISS) with the UUM solution, which will have similar functions but will be more updated. The Prichal module was connected to the International Space Station in 2021, while in 2028, it will undergo undocking from the ISS and will be deorbited along with a Progress cargo spacecraft to allow the UUM module to be inserted.

Subsequently, the NEM module of the future ROS space station will be connected to the UUM, and shortly before the ISS is deorbited (around 2030), NEM and UUM will undock to become the base of the future space structure. To these two modules, the ShM module (an airlock) will be added. Three other modules will then join this operational base by 2034, which will form the body of the ROS space station. According to the latest information, it seems that Roscosmos does not initially foresee the use of the new spacecraft, relying still on Soyuz and Progress. The launches will take place from the Baikonur Cosmodrome due to the chosen inclination (similar to that of the ISS), while the Vostochny Cosmodrome will not be involved.

It is interesting to note that Russia is also aiming to create an orbiting lunar station that could be connected for testing to the ROS space station before being pushed towards lunar orbit. The technical and engineering base will be that of NEM and Orel (allowing for savings in design and production costs) and could have a mass of 22 tons. These are ambitious projects considering that Roscosmos currently does not seem capable of ensuring a reliable program, while it remains important for the nation to have its independence after the end of the ISS.