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Russian space firm to assist in creating new national orbital station

Earlier, Russia’s Energia Space Rocket Corporation was assigned the task of making the first basic module for a new Russian orbital station ready in 2025

MOSCOW, May 4. /TASS/. The Khrunichev Center (part of Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos) is ready to take part in creating a new Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS), Company CEO Alexey Varochko told TASS on Wednesday.

"If there is the need for our participation, we will, of course, offer with pleasure our capabilities for creating a new Russian station within the shortest time possible," the chief executive said.

The Khrunichev Center took part in creating actually all the modules for Soviet orbital stations and subsequently for the International Space Station, he recalled.

"The modules produced by our colleagues from the Energia Space Rocket Corporation, large-size structures were also finally assembled at our enterprise. We have retained both equipment and competences," the chief executive stressed.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov announced in April 2021 that the condition of the International Space Station (ISS) left much to be desired and Russia might focus on creating its own orbital outpost. Russia’s Energia Space Rocket Corporation was assigned the task of making the first basic module for a new Russian orbital station ready in 2025. The new module will be based on a research and power unit that was previously intended for launch to the International Space Station in 2024.

The Roscosmos Scientific and Technical Council recommended that the work on creating the technical project of Russia’s new orbital station be included in the 2025 federal space program. In late February this year, Roscosmos Chief Dmitry Rogozin said that it would be hard to simultaneously implement the ISS project and the project of building a new national orbital outpost due to financial constraints. He also said it was necessary to stipulate some "overlapping period" when the ISS and the ROSS would operate simultaneously for some time.