Russia might pull out of the ISS
Discussion
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/04/22/europe/russia-s...
Not sure if this is political posturing before thier current contracts expire, or serious. Talking about launching thier own space station instead. It will be a shame as the ISS, and manned space flight in general, have been best bit of US/Russia relations for years.
They also signed up to a joint moon program with the Chinese a while back, are we going to see a new space race?
Not sure if this is political posturing before thier current contracts expire, or serious. Talking about launching thier own space station instead. It will be a shame as the ISS, and manned space flight in general, have been best bit of US/Russia relations for years.
They also signed up to a joint moon program with the Chinese a while back, are we going to see a new space race?
The future of the ISS is up for debate as it's funding is only secure for a few more years I think. The Americans have murmured about not continuing with it as well recently.
I do find it slightly amazing that an international effort ever worked really, but I think the reality up there is half is international half is Russian and they are like neighbours with a big fence between them.
I do find it slightly amazing that an international effort ever worked really, but I think the reality up there is half is international half is Russian and they are like neighbours with a big fence between them.
2fast748 said:
I do find it slightly amazing that an international effort ever worked really, but I think the reality up there is half is international half is Russian and they are like neighbours with a big fence between them.
It's not quite as simple as that. The Russians and everybody else all work together and mingle freely on the ISS. They eat and socialise together too.The station is funded up to 2030. The Russians have talked in the past about pulling their segments of the station away to operate as stand alone stations but that would be extremely difficult. Although the station was built on a modular basis, it is a fully integrated functioning entity so trying to detach one module to allow it to run independently would not be easy and might not even be possible at this advanced stage.
By the time 2030 comes, the oldest segment of the station (which is the Russian Zarya module) will be 32 years old - so may be beyond salvaging as a stand alone station.
There's also a lot of cooperation in training thanks to the launches on Soyuz.
NASA always said they wanted to continue using some Soyuz launches even when the commercial crew program was up and running, but I don't they currently have any on contract. When Starliner eventually gets certified they'll have even less desire to continue using Soyuz launches.
NASA always said they wanted to continue using some Soyuz launches even when the commercial crew program was up and running, but I don't they currently have any on contract. When Starliner eventually gets certified they'll have even less desire to continue using Soyuz launches.
It's useful to have Soyuz available as a contingency. The long term arrangement to use Soyuz is now over but NASA has already had a couple of additional flights to the ISS on Soyuz post the end of the formal contract. They are basically buying seats on an ad-hoc basis - which the Russians (for the moment) are happy to go along with.
Every time there is a bit of tension between the USA and Russia, the Russians raise the spectre of not allowing Americans (or other Westerners) use Soyuz or, more drastically, leave the ISS programme altogether.
So far, nothing has ever come of these threats and, by and large, the co-operation between Russia, NASA, ESA and JAXA (Japanese Space Agency) has been very good over the 23 year history of the ISS.
Every time there is a bit of tension between the USA and Russia, the Russians raise the spectre of not allowing Americans (or other Westerners) use Soyuz or, more drastically, leave the ISS programme altogether.
So far, nothing has ever come of these threats and, by and large, the co-operation between Russia, NASA, ESA and JAXA (Japanese Space Agency) has been very good over the 23 year history of the ISS.
Beati Dogu said:
The ISS relies on Russian fuel deliveries and reboosts in orbit from the Russian module.
They also use Russian Progress supply capsules to boost the orbit as well.
I don't believe any of the other supply capsules, including Dragon, can do that.
Isn't Starliner supposed to be capable of ISS reboost?They also use Russian Progress supply capsules to boost the orbit as well.
I don't believe any of the other supply capsules, including Dragon, can do that.
Obviously, in light of Boeing's record so far, whether or not you'd trust it to work is another matter - it has all the hallmarks of being the Chip the Deaf Stuntman of the space world - when sent the "ISS Reboost" command it replies "Smash up the solar arrays, crash into the main trunk, de-orbit the ISS, and land what remains of the burning wreckage on a donkey sanctuary in Fresno. Got it"
Interesting comment from Scott Manley in his YouTube vid re the launch of the first element of China's space station that Russia approached China to request that China revise their proposed orbit inclination in order to permit launches to the station from Russia, but China refused. That would suggest that any partnership Russia was seeking a with China - be that as a legitimate effort or as a bargaining position re the ISS - isn't going to come to anything.
The latest Russian shenanigans can only really bring forward their date of departure.
One of the US resupply capsules, Cygnus, launches out of Wallops, Virginia. The latest launch was a few days ago actually. Problem is that they normally launch on a Northrop Grumman Antares rocket and the first stage is built by Yuzhmash in Dnipro, Ukraine. (Who also built the SS-4 rockets of Cuban Missile Crisis infamy as it happens).
Antares’ 2x RD-181 engines are built by NPO Energomash, a state owned Russian company. They also build the RD-180 engine for ULA’s Atlas V, so they also better hope they have sufficient stock already in the US. They’ve got enough headaches with the American built BE-4 engine as it is.
One of the US resupply capsules, Cygnus, launches out of Wallops, Virginia. The latest launch was a few days ago actually. Problem is that they normally launch on a Northrop Grumman Antares rocket and the first stage is built by Yuzhmash in Dnipro, Ukraine. (Who also built the SS-4 rockets of Cuban Missile Crisis infamy as it happens).
Antares’ 2x RD-181 engines are built by NPO Energomash, a state owned Russian company. They also build the RD-180 engine for ULA’s Atlas V, so they also better hope they have sufficient stock already in the US. They’ve got enough headaches with the American built BE-4 engine as it is.
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