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Russia considers ditching International Space Station and building base with China sparking new multi-billion dollar race with NASA
BY STEPHEN JONES
Russia has dramatically hinted at plans to DITCH the International Space Station and build a rival base with the help of China - ushering in the dawn of a new 'Space Race'.
It's also considering replacing human cosmonauts in favour of robots.
The $100 billion (£80bn) ISS science and engineering laboratory orbits the earth at 250 miles (400 km) high.
Since 2000 it has been staffed by rotating crews of mostly US astronauts and Russian cosmonauts - although Brit Tim Peake came back down last year and plans another trip up next year.
While the Chinese have never stepped foot on the ISS, space is one area where the Russia and West have been able to work together in relative harmony compared to back on earth in recent years.
The last so-called 'Space Race' of the 1950s and 60s was arguably won when American Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon.
But it became a costly affair for both the USA and the former Soviet Union in their battle to prove their technological superiority which became symbolic of the Cold War era.
The suggestion that the Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, is thinking of throwing in with the Chinese will send shockwaves through the space exploration community.
Although many scientists in the US want the huge amount that is spent on maintaining it every year - $3 billion (£2.4 bn) - diverted to be spent on a mission to inhabit Mars.
Chief analyst of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics Andrei Ionin hinted today that China and Russia could join forces to construct a rival station.
The space chief told local media that "the Russian segment of the ISS may separate from the station after 2024".
That is the date when the ISS is due to be handed over to the private sector.
He continued: "Now is the time when one needs to make a decision about the ISS.
"For the time being, we are discussing different options, although one should have done it a lot earlier.
"The space station of the future must also be an international project.
"Such projects need to be discussed long in advance.
The key question here is not about the size of the station or its location in space – whether it is going to orbit the Earth or the Moon.
"The key question is about international cooperation. We need to understand who our partners are.
"All other questions are secondary.
"Clearly, Russia and China can build such stations, but this is not a question of technologies or finance.
"Russia solves secondary questions related to modules and their functions. I believe that Russia and China can be very good partners at this point."
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/new-space-race-russia-hints-10167510
BY STEPHEN JONES
- 21:59, 5 APR 2017
- UPDATED22:09, 5 APR 2017
Russia has dramatically hinted at plans to DITCH the International Space Station and build a rival base with the help of China - ushering in the dawn of a new 'Space Race'.
It's also considering replacing human cosmonauts in favour of robots.
The $100 billion (£80bn) ISS science and engineering laboratory orbits the earth at 250 miles (400 km) high.
Since 2000 it has been staffed by rotating crews of mostly US astronauts and Russian cosmonauts - although Brit Tim Peake came back down last year and plans another trip up next year.
While the Chinese have never stepped foot on the ISS, space is one area where the Russia and West have been able to work together in relative harmony compared to back on earth in recent years.
The last so-called 'Space Race' of the 1950s and 60s was arguably won when American Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon.
But it became a costly affair for both the USA and the former Soviet Union in their battle to prove their technological superiority which became symbolic of the Cold War era.
The suggestion that the Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, is thinking of throwing in with the Chinese will send shockwaves through the space exploration community.
Although many scientists in the US want the huge amount that is spent on maintaining it every year - $3 billion (£2.4 bn) - diverted to be spent on a mission to inhabit Mars.
Chief analyst of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics Andrei Ionin hinted today that China and Russia could join forces to construct a rival station.
The space chief told local media that "the Russian segment of the ISS may separate from the station after 2024".
That is the date when the ISS is due to be handed over to the private sector.
He continued: "Now is the time when one needs to make a decision about the ISS.
"For the time being, we are discussing different options, although one should have done it a lot earlier.
"The space station of the future must also be an international project.
"Such projects need to be discussed long in advance.
The key question here is not about the size of the station or its location in space – whether it is going to orbit the Earth or the Moon.
"The key question is about international cooperation. We need to understand who our partners are.
"All other questions are secondary.
"Clearly, Russia and China can build such stations, but this is not a question of technologies or finance.
"Russia solves secondary questions related to modules and their functions. I believe that Russia and China can be very good partners at this point."
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/new-space-race-russia-hints-10167510
