NASA ISS program manager Joel Montalbano says at #ISSRDC this morning that while (most of the) the international partners have approved ISS operations through 2030, willing to go longer "if the agencies want us to." (Rocsosmos is only through 2028; they go in 4-yr increments.)
Mulholland also underscored the need for increasing the budget for the United States Deorbit Vehicle (USDV), a spacecraft expected to dock on the ISS before performing a safe deorbit and re-entry sequence back to Earth. (NASA is expected to award the contract for the design and production of this vehicle in March 2024).The new funds are also likely to be used for an upgrade that significantly improves the science capability of a physics instrument on the ISS that hunts for dark matter, cosmic rays and antimatter galaxies. The detector, known as the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), was installed as an external module on the ISS in 2011. Its upgrade is expected to take an entire cargo flight, which "deserves a plus-up in the budget ahead," Mulholland said.
The head of Roscosmos,said at the conference at GCTC today, that Roscosmos will extend the operation of the #ISS as long as it is possible. Which means probably that he doesn't believe ROS will be build in the near future, even as a visited one-module station.
Russia appears ready to commit to the International Space Station to NASA's desired timeline of 2030.
Can The International Space Station Make It Until 2030?NASASpaceflight27 Dec 2024#ISS #SpaceStation #NASASince 2000, the International Space Station has been continuously inhabited, orbiting Earth as a symbol of international collaboration and human innovation. But after 25 years in space, the ISS is showing its age with leaks, outdated hardware, and operational challenges. From Zvezda’s pressure loss to spacewalk delays and cutting-edge IROSA solar arrays, we explore how the ISS is being maintained and upgraded to ensure it can last until its planned deorbit in 2030. Can the station hold on for another five years? Let’s dive into the details.
