ISS is no longer relevant?

This morning has presented another surprise from the «Роскосмоса»: According to the «Kommersant» , 2017 Russia may start building its own space station, in fact the alternative МКС. Information was received from an unnamed source in the Центральном Scientific Research Institute of Machine Building , who explained that this initiative is a key step in the development of manned spaceflight project until 2050. This document is developed directly "Roskosmos" and its specialized institutions.

Disclaimer: despite the fact that this news has managed to disperse over the set of relevant and not so sites, I believe that it is necessary to publish it here for the purpose of the community have the opportunity to express their opinions and discuss, so to speak, in the "small circle" . i>

Terms unfolding station assumed within 2017-2019 years., Where, according to the same source, the initial configuration of the station will be formed on the basis of multi-autonomous process module « OKA-T », and delivery of cargo to orbit should provide ships «Союз-МС» and «Прогресс-МС». In the future we plan to supplement the base station energy functional and transformable modules, the use of which is intended for use in the lunar program.

International Space Station, 2011. Source: NASA

Among the objective reasons that led to the need to build a private, national, space station, called, first of all, the big risks when starting manned spacecraft "Soyuz-MS" from the Baikonur «Восточный» on the inclination of 51, 6 degrees (for docking with the ISS). At the stage of removing the ship in orbit, in the case of emergency situation, the astronauts will have emergency evacuation over the open sea. At the same time, in deriving the spacecraft into orbit a new station flight path (inclination 64 degrees 8) will run over land that, according to the logic of the authors, will increase the safety of the flight.

An additional advantage is the ability to use two space centers in the country (Plesetsk and Eastern) without having to use within the territory of Kazakhstan "Baikonur". Explaining the advantages of the location of the station in orbit, the source notes that it will have a much more "profitable" geometric position to review the country: if now the ISS can be seen only 5% of the territory of Russia, the orbit of the new station will see up to 90%, and strategically important Arctic shelf.

The expected configuration "national" space station. Source: «Kommersant» . I>

Speaking about the prospects of Russian lunar program, it is assumed that the station in the future can become a kind of springboard for the development of the satellite.

Naturally, any project of this magnitude requires significant funding, but it is expected that there will be possible to save through the use of modules and devices that are planned for launch to the ISS. Here it is worth recalling that in May of this year, Rogozin said the possible decommissioning Russian ISS after 2020 year. However, the final decision will be known by the end of this year.

The orbital complex "Mir", 1998. Source: NASA . I>

Confirmation or refutation of the information may appear after 24 November, when Astana will host the meeting of the Russian-Kazakh intergovernmental commission, where a separate meeting may be devoted to the development of Russian manned space flight and the further construction of the cosmodrome "East". Do you think it possible to maintain its own modern Russian space program?
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Source: geektimes.ru/post/241518/

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