"The article, translated for Ars by Rob Mitchell, recalled comments from Orlov in 2022 about the dangerous bacteria and fungi that have accumulated on the International Space Station over its extended lifetime. Because of these microorganisms from hundreds of visiting astronauts, he said, there is danger to both humans and degraded electrical components. At the time, Orlov was seeking to justify funding for a new station."
"Russian cosmonauts on the space station currently spend about 50 percent of their time on station maintenance, given the aging infrastructure. So at a time when China will have its own Tiangong space station, NASA should have one or more privately operated space stations to visit, and India may also begin the construction of its own orbital outpost, Russian cosmonauts will be left with what, exactly?"
"Russia, meanwhile, will be left to carry on the legacy of the ISS, with all its problems," the New Izvestia article states. "We won't have a new orbital station with modern capabilities yet, and the Vostochny Cosmodrome is losing much of its significance, meaning investments in a launch pad for manned flights could go down the drain. But let's be happy for Kazakhstan-its authorities will continue to receive rent from Baikonur."
The Russian segment of the International Space Station will remain in orbit, with some elements exceeding thirty years of service. Dangerous bacteria and fungi have accumulated from hundreds of visiting astronauts, creating risks to crew health and to degraded electrical components. Cosmonauts currently spend about half their time on maintenance because of aging infrastructure, leaving limited time for new research. Russia faces constrained funding and cannot afford major civil space investments, and plans for a new station have been unreliable. Loss of launch-site significance and continued reliance on decades-old hardware create strategic and operational challenges.
Read at Ars Technica
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]