The Russian space agency has unveiled a physical model of what a planned Russian-built space station will look like, suggesting Moscow is serious about abandoning the International Space Station (ISS) and going it alone.
Russia wants to reduce its dependency on western countries and forge ahead on its own, or cooperate with countries such as China and Iran, after sanctions were imposed by the west as a result of the invasion of Ukraine.
Roscosmos presented a model of the space station, nicknamed “Ross” by Russian state media, on Monday at a military-industrial exhibition outside Moscow.
Yuri Borisov, whom President Vladimir Putin appointed last month to head Roscosmos, has said Russia will quit the ISS after 2024 and is working to develop its own orbital station.
Launched in 1998, the ISS has been continuously occupied since November 2000 under a US-Russian-led partnership that also includes Canada, Japan and 11 European countries.
Nasa, which wants to keep the ISS operating until 2030, says it has not yet received official confirmation of Russia’s planned withdrawal and had previously understood that Moscow would continue to participate until 2028.
Roscosmos said its space station would be launched in two phases, without giving dates.
For the first phase a four-module space station would start operating. That would be followed by two more modules and a service platform, it said. That would be enough, when completed, to accommodate up to four cosmonauts and scientific equipment.
Roscosmos has said the station would afford Russian cosmonauts a much wider view by which to monitor Earth than their current segment.
Although designs for some of the station exist, design work is still under way on other segments.
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Russian state media have suggested the launch of the first stage is planned for 2025-26 and no later than 2030. Launch of the second and final stage is planned for 2030-35, they have reported.
The space station, as currently conceived, would not have a permanent human presence but would be staffed twice a year for extended periods.
Dmitry Rogozin, the previous head of Roscosmos and a hardliner known for his tough statements against the west, has suggested the new space station could fulfil a military purpose if necessary.