The International Space Station has become a real global project, it has proved that despite political contradictions, economic difficulties and social changes, different countries can work effectively and harmoniously, share experience, overcome difficulties and find a compromise, but they cannot even predict the future of the ISS after 2024 chapters and presented by world space agencies, gathered at the world conference on space exploration - GLEX-2017.
For representatives of the space agencies of most countries, this question is "very difficult and delicate", because there is no alternative to the ISS yet, and all research in low Earth orbit cannot be interrupted overnight. And even though China declares the availability of its future space station for the international community, the construction of which is planned to be completed by 2022, ISS participants hope for another, albeit short-lived, extension of its operation.
The ISS manned space station, construction of which began on November 20, 1998, is used as a multipurpose space research facility and is regularly visited by cosmonauts and astronauts. 14 countries are participating in its creation: the USA, Russia, Japan, Canada, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, France, Spain, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland.
ISS flight control is carried out from two centers: the Russian one in the city of Korolev near Moscow and the American one in the city of Houston, Texas. Over the years of its existence, the ISS has been visited by over 200 people from 15 countries of the world. In 2015, Roscosmos and NASA agreed to extend the life of the ISS until 2024.
Salvation in transformation
Space contributes to the strengthening of international cooperation, which should not be underestimated, this is exactly what the successful project of joint construction of the ISS reminds us of, says the head of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) Roberto Battiston.
He reported on one of the possibilities for the further use of the station, which provides for the transformation of the ISS or some of its separate compartment into a center for the simulation of life on Mars. On the one hand, this will extend the stay of the ISS in orbit, and on the other, it will create almost ideal conditions for preparing astronauts for future Martian missions.
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Battison believes that "the agreement on the operation of the ISS has been extended until 2024, but no one knows for sure what will happen next, there are ideas for commercialization, but many say that due to the high cost, it is not being implemented."
According to him, today the technical condition of the station is quite good, and this makes it possible for the next extension of its flight, but here the question of the expediency of further financial costs already arises.
“The service life can be extended, it is in good condition, but the question is that when the service life of the station is extended every year, billions of dollars are frozen for its operation. And then a dilemma arises as to how long it is possible to leave this money frozen instead of using it to create a new station, all of this is currently being thoroughly discussed,”the head of ASI told RIA Novosti.
According to him, NASA has already begun to analyze how long the station can survive at a certain level of service, and "they want to extend the life until 2028."
Reduce costs and continue flying
Japan also does not yet see a clear future for the ISS, but it is among those who advocate the extension of this international project in connection with the need to continue research in low-earth orbit, but at the same time, the cost of its operation, according to the Japanese side, must certainly be reduced …
“This is a very difficult question, and we are still discussing what should happen after 2024 … There are many possible options, we can take the ISS out of orbit after 2024, but there is also the possibility of continuing to use it, in which case we need to reduce costs to operate the station, JAXA spokesman Naoki Sato said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
According to him, the international community "should continue to carry out activities in low-earth orbit, for this it is not necessary to use the ISS, it could be another space station or a shortened version of the ISS or something like that."
The station will go into private hands
Another option for a possible future for the ISS was voiced by the executive director of the manned programs of Roscosmos, Sergei Krikalev, noting that the ISS flight will continue, but with the participation of private companies, and not just government agencies.
“I think that the ISS flight will continue for the time being, after all, it is such an expensive and well-made structure. Perhaps the role of the state will decrease, there will be more and more private companies to enter it, I think that the station will fly for some time, the only thing is that the role of the state will decrease,”Krikalev told RIA Novosti.
Krikalev stressed the importance of the ISS as an example of a major successful project that could become truly international.
Search for new opportunities
The head of the European Space Agency, Johann-Dietrich Werner, in turn, spoke in favor of creating a new project for researching low-earth orbit.
“I think the ISS will probably last until 2029. But we're really coming to an end. And after that we will need something new. I think that for a low orbit, we need something where we could have frequent access, from where we could quickly return, faster, easier,”Werner told RIA Novosti.
Senior Advisor for Research and Space Operations at NASA Kathleen Lourini, in turn, noted that the ISS, according to technical criteria, can successfully operate for at least 10 more years.
"At the moment, we are confident that the equipment will be able to serve until 2028, this is a formal confidence, and the station partners will make a decision based on certain criteria," she said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
According to her, the development of low Earth orbit is a growing area of the economy, and before the closure of the ISS project, it is necessary to ensure the existence of commercial platforms in orbit for further research.
“We will keep the ISS in orbit until we find really effective ways to make the transition smooth for all low orbit users,” concluded Lourini.
The head of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Pascal Ehrenfreund called the ISS the most successful space cooperation project with so many countries working together. “They (members of the ISS - a number.) Are currently conducting various studies and it is obvious that we plan that the ISS will operate until 2024. Also, at the last ministerial meeting, Europe decided to conduct research on the ISS until 2024,”the head of DLR told RIA Novosti. She stressed that Germany is one of the main European participants in the project and makes a significant contribution to the scientific research of the station.
Anna Ratkoglo, Zhanna Manukyan