Commercial Russian Space Platform in 2016?

[Lars_J]

Neither, I'm guessing. But if they do, it will probably be based on whatever leftover spare hardware Energia might gave left lying around.

[sivodave]

one question: have they any customer yet? if you're going to invest money in building a space station (also if small) it's always a lot of money you're going to spend and therefore you have already to be sure that you'll have customers who need this service...otherwise they risk to put in orbit something that will  never be used.

[Stan Black]

http://www.rian.ru/video/20110119/323314411.html

[Danderman]

http://www.rian.ru/video/20110119/323314411.html

It looks like the plan was to use the partially developed Node module with a Progress PAO as a free flying space station IF ISS were abandoned in 2015. Now that ISS is slated to continue past 2015, the only way this plan will work is if somehow somebody comes up with lots of rubles.

The graphics are better now in that they provide some indication of the scale of the vehicle, but they are still showing interior mockups of Service module class vehicles rather than the very cramped volume provided by the 3.3 meter Hub and 2.2 meter extension.

BTW, the video is on YouTube right here:

[Danderman]

Here is another article and a video on this:
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/thinking-tech/vacation-aboard-planned-space-hotel-to-cost-1-million-video/8218

This is not entirely vaporware, as the basic structure is based on the ISS Node Module.

[corrodedNut]

Found some interior concept art:

http://orbitaltechnologies.ru/en/images-of-the-commercial-space-station.html

[Jim]

That interior is so atypical of Russian spacecraft

[Dmitry_V_home]

The big question concerning this design for the Node/Commercial Space Station is the origin of the hardware used as the central node. It looks to have a diameter greater than 3 meters, but less than 4 meters, probably even less than 3.8 meters - so where did this come from? Its probably a propellant tank from some rocket, but what rocket has spherical tanks of this size that Energia would utilize?

May be oxidizer tank from the DM Block?

[Joris]

That interior is so atypical of Russian spacecraft

Their is indeed a non-Russian distinction between the ceiling/floor and sidewalls, and it's way to smooth.

[baldusi]

There was an interview with a world class Russian designer that was contracted for many government designs. He's done the interior of the Sukhoi SuperJet 100, the PTK concept, and it looks a lot like this design.

[Danderman]

Here's the MAKS model of the Commercial Space Hotel, from the NK forum.

The entire mass of the hotel can't exceed 8 tons, even with the 3 ton PAO hanging off the back.  This model was presented by Orbital Technologies, the first I have heard of them since last year.

[Danderman]

It's back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sort of.


http://russianspaceweb.com/shm.html

[fregate]

It's back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sort of.


http://russianspaceweb.com/shm.html

Let's wait till MAKS-2015 in August, but I could not see a reason why they could not launch a more disent module on Proton-M LV (with mass up to 22.5 tones on LEO)

[Danderman]

The problem with using an airlock/docking module combination is if the airlock doors fail, the transport spacecraft is not available to the crew anymore.

Airlocks should not be placed between the return spacecraft and the main station, they should be located where if a hatch fails (as they have), there is no danger to the crew. This requires a secondary hatch, ie an inner compartment, as a backup, just like the Airlock module on the US segment.

Although there is discussion of this 8 ton design for some space expedition, it really isn't suitable for that function.