Russia To Launch 34 Rockets To Build New Space Station

Russia will launch 34 rockets between 2027 and 2033 to build its new space station, the project's general director, Vladimir Kozhevnikov, announced today.

According to Kozhevnikov, the first manned flight to the new orbital station will take place in 2028 on a new spacecraft that will replace the Soyuz, which Russia currently uses to transport cosmonauts to the International Space Station.

During the first stage of construction of the Russian space station, which will last until 2030, a base module will be launched, to which two specialised modules will be added in the following three years.

The Russian space agency (Roscosmos) estimates that the project will cost around six billion euros.

According to the general director of Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov, the new space station will be open to international cooperation and its architecture will even allow the incorporation of modules from other countries.

Last year, Russia announced that it would extend its participation in the International Space Station, the astronauts' "home" and laboratory in Earth orbit, until 2028.

In contrast, Europe, the United States and Japan have already expressed their intention to maintain activity at the station until 2030.

The International Space Station, which is the result of cooperation between the United States, Europe, Russia, Canada and Japan, succeeded Mir, the Russian orbital station that operated in low Earth orbit between 1986 and 2001.