Meanwhile, the Russian core will fly onward. Some elements will have been in orbit for more than 30 years.
In a scathing article on the decision, the Russian newspaper New Izvestia explored its consequences. The article, translated for Ars by Rob Mitchell, recalled comments from Orlov in 2022 about the dangerous bacteria and fungi that have accumulated on the International Space Station over its extended lifetime. Because of these microorganisms from hundreds of visiting astronauts, he said, there is danger to both humans and degraded electrical components. At the time, Orlov was seeking to justify funding for a new station. “Have bacteria and fungi suddenly become less dangerous over the past three years?” the Russian article asks.
There also may not be much time for new research. Russian cosmonauts on the space station currently spend about 50 percent of their time on station maintenance, given the aging infrastructure.
So at a time when China will have its own Tiangong space station, NASA should have one or more privately operated space stations to visit, and India may also begin the construction of its own orbital outpost, Russian cosmonauts will be left with what, exactly?
“Russia, meanwhile, will be left to carry on the legacy of the ISS, with all its problems,” the New Izvestia article states. “We won’t have a new orbital station with modern capabilities yet, and the Vostochny Cosmodrome is losing much of its significance, meaning investments in a launch pad for manned flights could go down the drain. But let’s be happy for Kazakhstan—its authorities will continue to receive rent from Baikonur.”
This is clearly a money-saving move for Russia. Given its war-strapped economy, the country cannot afford major investments in civil space projects. It has been clear for some time that ROS was largely a vaporware project. However, basing a new station on decades-old elements of the space station, which have shown signs of cracking and leaking, is remarkable even for Russia’s threadbare space program.
Russia’s justification for the change is amusing. Manturov and the chief of Roscosmos, Dmitry Bakanov, have said that putting ROS at an inclination of 51.6 degrees would enable interaction with an Indian station, which may fly in a similar orbit. So maybe there can be some collaboration in the time before Russia’s station falls apart and India’s begins to fly?
That is thin gruel, indeed, upon which to justify such a monumental decision.
