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Keystone / UNIVERSITY OF LUCERNE
It’s a shameful firm that put an end to Russian pioneering work in space for the time being. Exactly 20 years ago (5.1.) The end of the Mir space station was officially sealed.
The then head of government Mikhail Kasyanov signed the resolution “On the suspension of work in the Mir orbital complex” in the capital Moscow, which ordered the sinking of the nearly 15-year-old space station in the Pacific. This fate could be repeated: two decades after the end of “Mir”, the future of the International Space Station ISS is more uncertain than ever.
Like its predecessor, the ISS is advancing in years. It has been floating 400 kilometers above the earth for almost 22 years. For weeks it has been making headlines for its mishaps, least of all for the scientific work. The station will officially remain in operation until 2024. It is not yet clear how it will continue after that.
The Russian space agency Roskosmos informs the German Press Agency in Moscow that talks are now taking place. Consultations with the US space agency Nasa and other partners on these issues should begin in the new year. “An extension of the operating time depends on technical and political issues that are discussed with the partners.”
A few months ago, the head of Roskosmos, Dmitri Rogozin, believed that the future of the ISS by 2030 was realistic. Now his choice of words has become much more cautious. The station let them know that it was time for them to “retire,” it said a few days ago. The wounds would continue to “heal.” But the end is near.
He’s dealing with the many incidents at the station in recent months: In the fall, space travelers spent weeks searching for an air leak they found with a tea bag. Then air came out of the ISS again and the search began again. The oxygen production system fails over and over again. Even the toilet in the space was broken. Roskosmos always emphasizes that there is no immediate danger to space travelers.
Astronomer Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics sees the days of the ISS numbered. “As for 2030, I am skeptical. The systems are aging. “Of course, the ISS could function for another ten years, but then with a high level of maintenance, says the astrophysicist. However, he expects the ISS to be abandoned in 2026, but no later than 2028.
According to previous estimates, the total construction and operating costs of the station already amount to more than 100,000 million euros. Based on previous information, the US bears the majority of operating costs of several billion euros annually. Space tourists should now provide additional income. And Russia has long been planning to expand the station with a new research module.
Some experts consider an extension of operational life realistic simply because the countries involved in the project want to get the most out of this huge investment. However, how long the ISS will continue to fly around Earth depends on whether the costs of repair work get out of hand.
The “Mir” also plagued countless breakdowns at that time. The ground station numbered over 1,500 at the time, a bitter record for the proud space nation Russia. Since its commissioning on February 20, 1986, 104 Russian and foreign astronauts have worked at the station. But in the end Moscow did not have the money to continue operating. Russia was already involved in the ISS at that time.
After Prime Minister Kasyanov sealed the end of the “Mir”, it was only three months before it finally disappeared. On March 23, 2001, the sickly Soviet heritage made its way to Earth, burned up in the atmosphere and fell like a shower of debris in the South Pacific east of New Zealand. After some 86,300 orbits around the world, its remains are still at the bottom of the sea.
“Mir” did an important job for Roscosmos. She started the turning point in space research and made it possible for people to stay in space for a long time. It will be remembered in 2021, he said. Due to the corona pandemic, there will likely only be commemorative events in online format in the spring.
It is unclear if there will be a decision on the future of the ISS by then. Perhaps, however, Roskosmos chief Rogozin is more specific as to whether Russia will build its own space station after the ISS. He had considered it.
For practical reasons, astrophysicist McDowell could gain something from the longer life of the ISS. “Then we learn things about what factors limit the life of a space station.” This knowledge could benefit a new station if the lights on the ISS go out at some point.
