The director of the Russian space agency, Dmitry Rogozin, questioned the continuity of the country’s investments for the maintenance of the International Space Station (ISS). The research unit, which has been in orbit since 1998, is expected to receive money from Russia no later than 2024.
According to Rogozin, the ISS should have operated for only 15 years, before being abandoned afterwards. However, the member countries of the consortium felt that the base could be kept in orbit for longer. A new deadline has been set for the end of the mission, which would be in 2024, but the US government plans to keep the site until 2030.
Rogozin says it takes “colossal investments” to keep the ISS in orbit for so long. He says the station is experiencing many problems, which endanger the lives of astronauts who fly missions there.
For him, with the international situation, it is difficult to consider that the investments are worth it. “Massive investments will have to be made in the repairs of the ISS. But does it make sense, when the United States, the British and the Europeans are behaving this way?” asked Rogozin.
Russian station
Economic restrictions imposed by the West, so far, have not affected Russia’s space plans. The country plans to send its own research station into space. The first module should take off in 2025. The flight will be carried out in partnership with the company Energia, like NASA, which uses the services of SpaceX to make new trips outside the Earth.
The ISS, Russia and Brazil
The only Brazilian to have been in space was the current Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Marcos Pontes. The astronaut traveled to the ISS in 2006. The transfer was made possible thanks to an agreement signed by President Lula with the Russian government.
Marcos Pontes trip cost the country US$ 10 million, half of what Russia charged to send astronauts from other countries who wanted to conduct research on the ISS. The mission lasted 10 days, eight of which were inside the station.
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