Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has confirmed plans to launch a Russian space station by 2027, to ensure the nation’s consistent presence in space. This announcement comes amid the country’s ongoing efforts to remain a key player in manned space flight.
What Happened: As detailed in a Reuters report on Thursday, Putin stated that the initial segment of the new orbital station should be operational by 2027. During a meeting with space industry executives, he expressed that Russia’s decision to continue its involvement in the International Space Station (ISS) up until 2028 is just a temporary measure.
“As the resources of the International Space Station run out, we need not just one segment, but the entire station to be brought into service,” Putin remarked.
Yuri Borisov, the leader of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, expressed agreement with Putin’s viewpoint. He emphasized the importance of commencing large-scale work on the Russian orbital station by 2024 to prevent a capability gap, given that the ISS is nearing its lifespan’s end and might be decommissioned around 2030.
Despite the unsuccessful moonshot in August — the first in 47 years — Putin reassured that Russia’s lunar program would persist. He noted that the setbacks that led to the Luna-25 craft’s crash landing on the moon’s south pole are valuable learning experiences for future ventures.
Russian agencies have reported that the next moon launch may be rescheduled to 2026 from the initially planned 2027, according to Borisov.
Why It Matters: These recent developments build upon previous moves by Russia in the space exploration sector. In July 2022, Russia announced its withdrawal from the ISS after 2024, opting to focus on constructing its own orbiting outpost.
Furthermore, Putin’s reshuffling of the Russian space agency’s leadership, replacing Dmitry Rogozin with Yuri Borisov, occurred just before Roscosmos confirmed a landmark deal with NASA about integrated flights and crews on the ISS. This signaled a rare instance of collaboration amid tense US-Russia relations over Ukraine’s invasion.
Lastly, Russia’s return to the Moon after nearly half a century, with the Luna-25 mission in August, demonstrated its commitment to technology advancement, resource exploration, and the reassertion of its power in space exploration.
Photo by ID1974 on Shutterstock
Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.
Engineered by Benzinga Neuro, Edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal
The GPT-4-based Benzinga Neuro content generation system exploits the extensive Benzinga Ecosystem, including native data, APIs, and more to create comprehensive and timely stories for you. Learn more.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
