OPSEK Question

[JazzFan]

Russia announced this week about decommissioning the ISS at 2020 when the latest approve extension is over.  Whatever happened to Russia's OPSEK concept?

[Danderman]

With the extension of ISS from 2015 to 2020, it doesn't make much sense to try to build a new station on what will be old modules by 2020.

And, the Russians aren't planning to sink ISS, they are simply saying that if ISS is not extended, 2020 would be its end date. Everyone expects ISS to continue beyond then.

[hop]

Russia announced this week about decommissioning the ISS at 2020 when the latest approve extension is over.

As far as I can tell, they made no such announcement. The current news stories seem to be based on an interview where Vitaly Davydov described what will happen if no additional extension is made.

If there is a formal announcement that an extension is ruled out, please feel free to provide it.

Whatever happened to Russia's OPSEK concept?

Power point, and still nominally planned for "after ISS" whenever that might be ? That's what http://www.russianspaceweb.com/opsek.html suggests.

[fregate]

[fregate]

[Dmitry_V_home]

Early variants:

[Danderman]

Any idea as to which module would carry girodines?

[fregate]

IAC 2012 Moscow, Aug 2012
Open Architecture of the New Generation Russian Space Station report from TsNIIMash
АРХИТЕКТУРА ЭВОЛЮЦИОНИРУЮЩИХ ПО НАЗНАЧЕНИЮ ОРБИТАЛЬНЫХ ОБИТАЕМЫХ ОБЪЕКТОВ КАК СИСТЕМЫ ОСВОЕНИЯ КОСМОСА
Карабаджак Г.Ф., Сапрыкин О.А.   

[manboy]

IAC 2012 Moscow, Aug 2012
Open Architecture of the New Generation Russian Space Station report from TsNIIMash
АРХИТЕКТУРА ЭВОЛЮЦИОНИРУЮЩИХ ПО НАЗНАЧЕНИЮ ОРБИТАЛЬНЫХ ОБИТАЕМЫХ ОБЪЕКТОВ КАК СИСТЕМЫ ОСВОЕНИЯ КОСМОСА
Карабаджак Г.Ф., Сапрыкин О.А.   

Here's some slightly higher res pictures of the slides.
I found them here. http://users.livejournal.com/___lin___/224994.html

Космические станции будущего
Space stations of the future

[Danderman]

The good news is that more MLM and the Energy modules are delayed, the "fresher" they would be when OPSEK is separated from ISS.

The reality, however, is that after a few years, I don't think that an FGB class module would be suitable as the basis of a new space station.

NASA was ready to throw away Priroda and Spektr when they were just a few years old.

[manboy]

NASA was ready to throw away Priroda and Spektr when they were just a few years old.

That's a misleading statement. Russia's ISS models were behind schedule and their was concern that Russia was diverting its limited resources to support Mir. Not to mention Roscosmos' carelessness made Spektr unusable.

[Danderman]

I just noticed a small problem with this design for OPSEK.

First off, anyone looking at the image should consider that the MLM is to the left, so the frame of reference is not the standard view of the Russian segment of ISS. The Energy modules docked with the Node module are here shown horizontally, compared with the view we normally see.

The ball shaped object is based on the design of the proposed Commercial Space Station, which is a 3.3 meter diameter Node, with a 2.2 meter corridor.  At the far end of the Node is an airlock hatch, so this design does not use the Node module as a multiple docking adapter, but rather as an airlock.

Anyway, the problem is that there aren't a lot of available docking ports for visiting vehicles. The 2nd FGB class module below the Node has a docking port, and the Node has an available converted hybrid port, but the MLM, unfortunately, has a male hybrid adapter at its zenith port.  This limits visiting vehicles to one crew ship and one cargo ship at a time, which means that crew handovers cannot occur unless the cargo ship is separated.

I suspect that if anyone did serious planning for OPSEK that the first requirement would be to figure out a way to put some sort of converter node on top of the MLM to allow for a cone adapter for visiting vehicles. Or, change out the probe for a cone prior to separation from ISS. The fact that this has not been considered yet, or depicted in graphics, tells me that no one is really serious about OPSEK, at least not to the point of working out the concept of operations.

[Nicolas PILLET]

The 2nd FGB class module below the Node has a docking port, and the Node has an available converted hybrid port

I don't see any "2d FGB-class module on this picture. I see MLM, UM, NEM-1, NEM-2, airlock and a third NEM-class module. This module seems to have a spherical part with six docking ports. One of them connects it to UM, so the five other ports are available. On the picture, one of them is occupied by a PTK NP, the other four are free.

[Danderman]

The 2nd FGB class module below the Node has a docking port, and the Node has an available converted hybrid port

I don't see any "2d FGB-class module on this picture. I see MLM, UM, NEM-1, NEM-2, airlock and a third NEM-class module. This module seems to have a spherical part with six docking ports. One of them connects it to UM, so the five other ports are available. On the picture, one of them is occupied by a PTK NP, the other four are free.

You are correct, the third NEM class module was what I was referring to. It appears that there will be no more FGB class modules.

The NEM class module indeed has a node in place of solar arrays. However, because only the "bottom" docking port is along the center of gravity, nothing can directly dock with the lateral ports. The practice is for modules to dock with the nadir port, and then use some sort of arm to translate to the lateral ports.

However, visiting vehicles do not perform this maneuver, and are restricted to ports that are aligned with the center of gravity, or close to it.

If a vehicle tried to dock with a port not aligned to the center of gravity, bad things would happen.

[Nicolas PILLET]

If a vehicle tried to dock with a port not aligned to the center of gravity, bad things would happen.

They did this very often with Mir... Even the ISS was not symetric during the assembly of ITS.

http://www.kosmonavtika.com/vaisseaux/mir/missions/mireo05/photos/mireo05-20.jpg

[Danderman]

If a vehicle tried to dock with a port not aligned to the center of gravity, bad things would happen.

They did this very often with Mir... Even the ISS was not symetric during the assembly of ITS.

http://www.kosmonavtika.com/vaisseaux/mir/missions/mireo05/photos/mireo05-20.jpg

Not at all.

There were no dockings with Mir with ports that were not aligned with the station center of gravity, or at least with a port that was close to the c/g. The photo above represents the Kristall module after it had used an arm to translate to a radial port.

Even the Shuttle dockings with Kristall were with a port that aligned with 2 20 ton modules at the end of the base block.

In other words, docking operations require that there be significant mass behind the port so that it does not simply "bounce away". Among other issues, having significant mass behind the port provides for off-nominal situations where one of the parameters of the docking operation are mis-aligned. If the docking port is supported by truly massive structures, it won't move much at all, but if the docking port is not aligned correctly and not supported by mass in all directions, the momentum from a misaligned docking attempt will move the docking port where there is not much mass.




 

[B. Hendrickx]

The Kommersant newspaper is reporting today that Roskosmos is considering to begin assembly of an all-Russian space station in 2017 using elements originally intended for the Russian segment of the ISS.

http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/2612375

The station would initially consist of the Node Module, the MLM Multipurpose Laboratory and the OKA-T free-flyer. That configuration should be finished by 2019. In 2020-2024 the station may be expanded with a  power platform and an inflatable module. The latter modules will first be tested in Earth orbit before their later use in the piloted lunar programme (testing the technology for that programme is seen as an important objective of the station).

The station will be placed into a 64.8° inclination orbit to provide better remote sensing coverage of Russia (similar plans also circulated for Mir and Mir-2). Another reason given for the higher inclination is that it will make manned launches to the station from Vostochnyy safer because they will primarily fly over land rather than over the Pacific Ocean for launches into 51.6° orbits. The higher inclination will also make it possible for cargo ships to reach the station from Plesetsk. Clearly, Russia is looking at completely abandoning Baikonur for man-related launches in the not too distant future. It looks like the Soyuz pad at Vostochnyy will now also be used for piloted missions. The article does not mention the new-generation piloted vehicle (PTK NP). Judging from the recently announced tender for the Vostochnyy-based Angara, it may be a very long time before manned versions of the PTK NP begin flying from Vostochnyy.

The newspaper says that despite the assembly of the new station, Russia will continue to honour its ISS commitments until 2020. A decision on extending Russian participation in the ISS until 2024 will be made before the end of this year. Although not mentioned in the article, it would seem that if Russia commits to building its own space station in the coming years, it is unlikely to continue participation in the ISS beyond 2020.

[Danderman]

Pure fantasy.

Russia will not have a capability in 3 years to launch heavy modules to a 64 degree inclination, nor will crewed spacecraft will be ready for launch in 2017.

If Russia wants to waste OKA-T by launching it first to a 64 degree inclination, fine, but OKA-T was designed to fly to 51 degrees, which means that it would have to be redesigned to lose mass under this new scheme.

[Prober]

Pure fantasy.

Russia will not have a capability in 3 years to launch heavy modules to a 64 degree inclination, nor will crewed spacecraft will be ready for launch in 2017.

If Russia wants to waste OKA-T by launching it first to a 64 degree inclination, fine, but OKA-T was designed to fly to 51 degrees, which means that it would have to be redesigned to lose mass under this new scheme.

Who says it will be at that location?

[B. Hendrickx]

Interfax quotes a source within the Russian Space Agency as saying that today's report in Kommersant is wrong and that Russia is not planning to assemble its own space station between 2017 and 2019.

http://www.interfax.ru/russia/407557

[fregate]

Bart, I suspect that somebody tried to use a trial balloon (aka feeler) - concept that came from diplomacy and meteorology  

[Bob Shaw]

The obvious answer to Russia's will-we or won't-we policy making is to abandon the current ISS project and instead to join a second ISS with China and India. Russia has a great deal to bring to that particular party, and not much to the (old) ISS. This fits well with the general policy (even in Soviet times) of treating their space stations as international projects, a full decade before the US managed such a policy commitment (apart from the excrutiatingly drawn out discussions with ESA over SpaceLab and the Polar Flier etc). And, of course, there's actually little doubt that Mir was indeed the first International Space Station...

[Phillip Clark]

NASA essentially forced the Russians into ditching the Mir Complex, even though the Russians were hoping to finance missions to both The Zarya Complex (aka ISS) and the Mir Complex.

So, if the Russians pull out of The Zarya Complex and leave NASA holding the baby then it will be rather poetic justice.

[savuporo]

Interfax quotes a source within the Russian Space Agency as saying that today's report in Kommersant is wrong and that Russia is not planning to assemble its own space station between 2017 and 2019.

One aspect to remember here is that "Russia" is not one single person, speaking in unison ( as much as batja wants it, there is still dissent )
They have their own fiefdoms within the industry all airing their own ideas and plans and proposals, which at any given time will likely diverge from official policy but sometimes also become the policy.

EDIT: but in this case, Kommersant article is clearly nuts. The "remote observation" part is sort of the dead giveaway.

[Danderman]

NASA essentially forced the Russians into ditching the Mir Complex, even though the Russians were hoping to finance missions to both The Zarya Complex (aka ISS) and the Mir Complex.

So, if the Russians pull out of The Zarya Complex and leave NASA holding the baby then it will be rather poetic justice.

No chance. Russia does not have the funds to operate its own space station.

Either Russia stays with ISS or ends its station program.

[Prober]

NASA essentially forced the Russians into ditching the Mir Complex, even though the Russians were hoping to finance missions to both The Zarya Complex (aka ISS) and the Mir Complex.

So, if the Russians pull out of The Zarya Complex and leave NASA holding the baby then it will be rather poetic justice.

No chance. Russia does not have the funds to operate its own space station.

Either Russia stays with ISS or ends its station program.

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=26240.msg1299269#msg1299269

this is closer, only don't see India yet in the picture.

Just start thinking the MLM, and ISS components not as yet launched with the Chinese parts not as yet launched and you have a workable station.
 

[Danderman]

You are ignoring the technical issues. Russia's station program requires an orbit of at least 51 degrees, preferably 65 degrees inclination. Neither China nor India want to lose that much performance in developing a new station.

Moreover, China's program is not very robust, and India's is almost non-existent, so there is an element of a "wish upon a wish" there.

Lastly, the US could always offer these two nations a better deal.

[fregate]

Phillip, AFAIK Zarya module is build by Russians but owned by Boeing

[B. Hendrickx]

Roskosmos chief Oleg Ostapenko confirmed today that Russia is considering to assemble a "high-latitude" space station using the three Russian modules currently being prepared for launch to the ISS. He said that if Russia decides not to extend its participation in ISS beyond 2020, it would make no sense to launch the remaining Russian modules to ISS. Ostapenko reportedly described the Russian space station as a stepping stone to Russia's manned lunar program. The new space station may be included in Russia's Federal Space Program (FSP) for 2016-2025.

http://tass.ru/kosmos/1647047
http://ria.ru/space/20141215/1038293602.htm

Ostapenko also said today that the FSP 2016-2025 may be put forward to the government later than planned.  He attributes the delay to the need to make adjustments to plans for Russia's participation in the ISS as well as to the country's space science projects. ITAR-TASS quotes another source as saying that approval of the FSP will be delayed about half a year (to the late spring or early summer next year rather than before the end of this year as originally planned). The source links the decision both to Russia's financial crisis and the need to make final changes to the FSP. Ostapenko denied today that the financial crisis will have an impact on Roskosmos' budget, stressing there are no plans to cancel or cut back any projects.

http://tass.ru/kosmos/1647033

According to the Kommersant newspaper, vice premier Dmitriy Rogozin also put forward a plan to deploy a Russian national space station at a meeting of top space program officials at the Baikonur cosmodrome in late November following the launch of Soyuz TMA-15M. He is expected to convene a "council of chief designers" shortly to discuss the plan and has also ordered Roskosmos to work out the details (including financial ones) and present them to the government. He is also reported to have said at the meeting that the future of Russia's piloted space program is no longer in the hands of the industry, but has become a political matter. According to Kommersant, Russia will make a final decision on its future role in the ISS before the end of the year.

http://www.kommersant.ru/Doc/2618229

[Danderman]

Without a real hab module, this is a very questionable design.

The maximum diameter of MLM is 2.9 meters (external) making it basically a tunnel inside. The Node is 3.3 meters, but is not a place where the crew is going to spend a lot of time.

That means that the inflatable section has to be the major crew station, and I don't see Russia betting their manned space program on an inflatable any time soon.

[Prober]

Roskosmos chief Oleg Ostapenko confirmed today that Russia is considering to assemble a "high-latitude" space station using the three Russian modules currently being prepared for launch to the ISS. He said that if Russia decides not to extend its participation in ISS beyond 2020, it would make no sense to launch the remaining Russian modules to ISS. Ostapenko reportedly described the Russian space station as a stepping stone to Russia's manned lunar program. The new space station may be included in Russia's Federal Space Program (FSP) for 2016-2025.

http://tass.ru/kosmos/1647047
http://ria.ru/space/20141215/1038293602.htm

Ostapenko also said today that the FSP 2016-2025 may be put forward to the government later than planned.  He attributes the delay to the need to make adjustments to plans for Russia's participation in the ISS as well as to the country's space science projects. ITAR-TASS quotes another source as saying that approval of the FSP will be delayed about half a year (to the late spring or early summer next year rather than before the end of this year as originally planned). The source links the decision both to Russia's financial crisis and the need to make final changes to the FSP. Ostapenko denied today that the financial crisis will have an impact on Roskosmos' budget, stressing there are no plans to cancel or cut back any projects.

http://tass.ru/kosmos/1647033

According to the Kommersant newspaper, vice premier Dmitriy Rogozin also put forward a plan to deploy a Russian national space station at a meeting of top space program officials at the Baikonur cosmodrome in late November following the launch of Soyuz TMA-15M. He is expected to convene a "council of chief designers" shortly to discuss the plan and has also ordered Roskosmos to work out the details (including financial ones) and present them to the government. He is also reported to have said at the meeting that the future of Russia's piloted space program is no longer in the hands of the industry, but has become a political matter. According to Kommersant, Russia will make a final decision on its future role in the ISS before the end of the year.

http://www.kommersant.ru/Doc/2618229

Think I should prepare a new crystal ball as a holiday gift for Woods170, as his is broken beyond repair 

[savuporo]

Without a real hab module, this is a very questionable design.

The maximum diameter of MLM is 2.9 meters (external) making it basically a tunnel inside. The Node is 3.3 meters, but is not a place where the crew is going to spend a lot of time.

That means that the inflatable section has to be the major crew station, and I don't see Russia betting their manned space program on an inflatable any time soon.

From what i have read about OPSEK is that it is not aimed to become a comfortable orbital habitat for long-term research and science. It is aimed to become a staging post for more complex sorties, spacecraft checkout and potentially assembly. So the crew comfort might be not the top priority.

[fregate]

Without a real hab module, this is a very questionable design.

The maximum diameter of MLM is 2.9 meters (external) making it basically a tunnel inside. The Node is 3.3 meters, but is not a place where the crew is going to spend a lot of time.

That means that the inflatable section has to be the major crew station, and I don't see Russia betting their manned space program on an inflatable any time soon.

From what i have read about OPSEK is that it is not aimed to become a comfortable orbital habitat for long-term research and science. It is aimed to become a staging post for more complex sorties, spacecraft checkout and potentially assembly. So the crew comfort might be not the top priority.

"The maximum diameter of MLM is 2.9 meters (external)" = are you sure? Even Salyut modules had 4.1 metres!

All info about OPSEK is here. In 2009 nobody took it's announcement seriously.
The good news - a brand new Russian national station would have at least one docking unit in a node module that would be compatible with Orion docking unit. 

[Danderman]

Without a real hab module, this is a very questionable design.

The maximum diameter of MLM is 2.9 meters (external) making it basically a tunnel inside. The Node is 3.3 meters, but is not a place where the crew is going to spend a lot of time.

That means that the inflatable section has to be the major crew station, and I don't see Russia betting their manned space program on an inflatable any time soon.

From what i have read about OPSEK is that it is not aimed to become a comfortable orbital habitat for long-term research and science. It is aimed to become a staging post for more complex sorties, spacecraft checkout and potentially assembly. So the crew comfort might be not the top priority.

"The maximum diameter of MLM is 2.9 meters (external)" = are you sure? Even Salyut modules had 4.1 metres!

All info about OPSEK is here. In 2009 nobody took it's announcement seriously.
 

MLM is based on the FGB, which is a 2.9 meter diameter structure, except for a short frustrum, which does extend out to 4.1 meters at the base.  But basically, the interior is a tunnel.

[woods170]

Moreover, China's program is not very robust,

The CNSA representative we currently have over here as a guest just had a very good laugh over your post.

Lastly, the US could always offer these two nations a better deal.

Oh really? So far the US has declined to ever invite either India, let alone, China, to join ISS. And Russia is far from eager to go beyond 2020 on ISS.

No, China will stay the course and do it's own thing. Don't see them joining the Russians in a combined station. And India is very eager to prove itself. With China as their example they will eventually do their own station.

[woods170]

Think I should prepare a new crystal ball as a holiday gift for Woods170, as his is broken beyond repair 

You did notice the part stating that Russia will honor it's ISS obligations to 2020. I don't need mentioning that the only ISS partner committing to 2024 is the USA. Neither ESA, nor Japan, or Russia, has committed to 2024, only 2020 at best. So, currently, EOM for ISS is still 2020.

Your crystal ball is the one that is broken. It was you claiming that Russia was ready to get out of ISS asap thanks to the Ukraine crisis. Turns out they will be on ISS for another 5 years at least (as I pointed out to you earlier). Thus no need for your ATV emergency rescue scenario (as I pointed out to you earlier). ISS is save until 2020. After that, all options are open (as I pointed out to you earlier).

Barring Putin doing something really stupid (way more stupid than what he's doing in Ukraine now) the ISS will be harboring folks from ESA, USA, Japan, Brazil AND Russia until 2020. But Putin doing something really stupid won't happen. Putin may be a royal pain in the behind, but he's also smart enough to recognize that throwing Russia back to the 1990's chaos over a land-dispute is simply not worth it.

[Prober]

Think I should prepare a new crystal ball as a holiday gift for Woods170, as his is broken beyond repair 

You did notice the part stating that Russia will honor it's ISS obligations to 2020. I don't need mentioning that the only ISS partner committing to 2024 is the USA. Neither ESA, nor Japan, or Russia, has committed to 2024, only 2020 at best. So, currently, EOM for ISS is still 2020.

Your crystal ball is the one that is broken. It was you claiming that Russia was ready to get out of ISS asap thanks to the Ukraine crisis. Turns out they will be on ISS for another 5 years at least (as I pointed out to you earlier). Thus no need for your ATV emergency rescue scenario (as I pointed out to you earlier). ISS is save until 2020. After that, all options are open (as I pointed out to you earlier).

Barring Putin doing something really stupid (way more stupid than what he's doing in Ukraine now) the ISS will be harboring folks from ESA, USA, Japan, Brazil AND Russia until 2020. But Putin doing something really stupid won't happen. Putin may be a royal pain in the behind, but he's also smart enough to recognize that throwing Russia back to the 1990's chaos over a land-dispute is simply not worth it.

excuse me...but my crystal ball was correct....it placed this info correctly before it hit any news.  Stop looking at paper agreements, as the commitments are easy break, just like your crystal ball.

Roskosmos chief Oleg Ostapenko confirmed today that Russia is considering to assemble a "high-latitude" space station using the three Russian modules currently being prepared for launch to the ISS. He said that if Russia decides not to extend its participation in ISS beyond 2020, it would make no sense to launch the remaining Russian modules to ISS. Ostapenko reportedly described the Russian space station as a stepping stone to Russia's manned lunar program. The new space station may be included in Russia's Federal Space Program (FSP) for 2016-2025.

http://tass.ru/kosmos/1647047
http://ria.ru/space/20141215/1038293602.htm

[woods170]

excuse me...but my crystal ball was correct....it placed this info correctly before it hit any news.  Stop looking at paper agreements, as the commitments are easy break, just like your crystal ball.

Roskosmos chief Oleg Ostapenko confirmed today that Russia is considering to assemble a "high-latitude" space station using the three Russian modules currently being prepared for launch to the ISS. He said that if Russia decides not to extend its participation in ISS beyond 2020, it would make no sense to launch the remaining Russian modules to ISS. Ostapenko reportedly described the Russian space station as a stepping stone to Russia's manned lunar program. The new space station may be included in Russia's Federal Space Program (FSP) for 2016-2025.

http://tass.ru/kosmos/1647047
http://ria.ru/space/20141215/1038293602.htm

II'm referring to our discussion about a scenario where Russia would leave ISS almost immediately as a result of worsening USA - Russia relationship. It is that scenario that is not coming to reality despite you urging ESA to consider keeping ATV-5 at ISS indefinitely to provide emergency orbit-raising capacity in case Russia would bug out asap. Your crystal ball panicked at the time and came up with a silly scenario. And that is now confirmed by the Roscosmos statement that they will honor their ISS obligations until 2020.
Your failure to acknowledge this epic fail of your crystal ball is much telling.

And mind you: the current Russian obligations to ISS, to 2020, have never included adding MLM and Node Module. Those have always been optional. The obligations consist (amongst others) of continued cargo delivery thru Progress, continued crew delivery on Soyuz, continued orbit maintenance thru propulsion and continued station housekeeping by providing the services of the existing (and present) Russian segment.

You see, the Russians are smart cookies. Had they included MLM and node module as obligated elements of the RS, then they never would have been able to plan OPSEK around those modules. From the very beginning of OPSEK, the idea was that MLM and node module would possibly NOT go to ISS.
That is also the reason why the agreement between ESA and Roscosmos on the use of the ERA robotic arm is not on getting ERA to ISS, but on launching ERA to orbit, mounted on MLM. That agreement can be honored even when MLM does not go to ISS, but becomes the first building block of OPSEK.

Oh, btw. I don't have a crystal ball. I use something much better: common sense, and well documented facts. You should try it sometime. It will seriously improve your predicting capabilities.

[Prober]

http://tass.ru/kosmos/1647047
http://ria.ru/space/20141215/1038293602.htm

Oh, btw. I don't have a crystal ball. I use something much better: common sense, and well documented facts. You should try it sometime. It will seriously improve your predicting capabilities.

Some interesting info in your last post however your faith in "paper" agreements in light of world events (common sense,documented facts) is misguided in European history, and the current big picture.

btw: a proper crystal ball digests paths, time is fluid, it doesn't need to predict.   

[fregate]

@woods170 Ostapenko did not said that. Final decision would be made BEFORE end of March 2015 - so far Roskosmos keeps all options open    

[B. Hendrickx]

Latest developments on the new Russian space station (and perhaps it would be better to change the title of this thread to "new Russian space station") :

12 January :

http://www.rg.ru/2015/01/13/roskosmos.html

In an interview for “Rossiyskaya Gazeta”, Roskosmos deputy chief Sergei Savelyev says  the agency is still in the process of deciding whether to extend its participation in ISS beyond 2020. The creation of a Russian national space station is “possible in principle” and could also involve foreign partners, including China. However, no such plans have so far been included in the draft version of the Federal Space Program for 2016-2025 and they may hinge on how long the ISS will continue to be operated. 

Savelyev does not rule out the possibility of conducting joint Russian-Chinese experiments on the ISS Russian segment and on the OKA-T free-flyers.  However, he considers the chances of Shenzhou vehicles flying to ISS very low because of the need to make modifications to the vehicle and also because of the station’s relatively high inclination.

13 January :

http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/2644884

The Kommersant newspaper quotes a source within Roskosmos as saying that a decision on continued Russian participation in ISS is expected in May, the same month that the agency is to present the Federal Space Program for 2016-2025 to the government.  Everything depends on the funding that the Russian government can promise for this period, the source says.

As reported earlier by Kommersant, completion of the draft Federal Space Program was delayed from December until May because it did not take into account new plans for a Russian space station that began surfacing in late 2014. Roskosmos is expected to present proposals for the Russian space station to the Putin Administration in January or February. If these receive political support, Kommersant says, Russia will extend its ISS operations only for commercial purposes, such as sending tourists to the Russian segment or leasing the segment to other nations.   

19 January :

http://itar-tass.com/kosmos/1705555

ITAR-TASS says that Roskosmos’ “think tank” TsNIIMash has finished work on a concept for a Russian high-latitude space station which is expected to be reviewed by the nation’s Military Industrial Commission (VPK) in the first quarter of this year. TsNIIMash deputy general director Aleksandr Danilyuk says that approval by the VPK could pave the way to including the new space station in the Federal Space Program for 2016-2025. Danilyuk says the creation of such a space station should not present any technical problems.

19 January :

http://itar-tass.com/kosmos/1706259

In a paper to be presented at the Korolyov readings in Moscow later this month it is said that the Scientific Energy Module (NEM) may become the central module of the new Russian space station. The on-board control systems have been designed such that they allow the NEM to operate as part of the ISS or “as the [first element] of a new Russian space station”. They include “digital control systems developed by RKK Energiya, a central on-board computer developed by NII Argon, Glonass and GPS sensors and a broadband communication system using the Luch relay satellites”.

[B. Hendrickx]

http://itar-tass.com/kosmos/1731690

Speaking at the Korolyov Readings in Moscow yesterday, RKK Energiya deputy general designer Nikolai Bryukhanov said his company is against launching the new Russian space station into a high-inclination orbit, preferring instead to use the traditional 51.6° orbit. Bryukhanov counters the arguments in favor of a 65° inclination orbit (namely the better remote sensing coverage of Russian territory and the possibility to launch over land from Vostochnyy, obviating the need to deploy costly recovery forces in the Pacific) :

- remote sensing of Russian territory should be primarily entrusted to unmanned satellites
- when launching into a 65° orbit from Vostochnyy, rockets will pass over mountainous terrain, which would also hamper recovery operations in case of an abort   
- launching into a 65° rather than a 51.6° orbit will result in a 5 percent decrease in payload capacity
- the high-inclination orbit would make it difficult for potential international partners to launch missions to the station (for instance, range safety restrictions would make it impossible to launch missions to the station from Cape Canaveral)
- the high inclination would make it impossible to use the station as a staging point for piloted lunar missions (which, according to Bryukahnov, is the main argument against the high-inclination space station). Lunar missions need to be launched into the lowest possible inclination attainable from Vostochnyy (51.6°) and will make it necessary to develop an ocean search & rescue infrastructure anyway. 

[B. Hendrickx]

From the Roskosmos website :
http://www.federalspace.ru/21321/

There was a meeting today of the Scientific Technical Council of Roskosmos (chaired by former Russian Space Agency chief Yuri Koptev) that discussed plans for Russia's piloted space program until 2030. The idea is to continue participation in the ISS until 2024 and subsequently establish a Russian space station consisting of elements detached from the ISS (the MLM Multipurpose Module, the UM Node Module and the NEM Scientific Power Module).

Piloted flights to the Moon would take place by the year 2030 and would be preceded by unmanned lunar orbiters and landers.

Koptev is quoted as saying that the Council today approved the basic elements of the plan until 2025. Final decisions will be made during subsequent meetings of the Council, taking into account recommendations from the Russian space industry.

So it would seem Russia is sticking to plans to build a Russian space station using elements of the ISS Russian segment, but is shying away from an early withdrawal from the ISS, electing instead to deploy the new station after the ISS finishes its mission.   

[baldusi]

Well, let's be frank, I doubt they have any money for actually developing and operating their own station. Besides, ISS means a lot of flexibility, redundancies and even revenue opportunities. I believe that by 2020 they'll agree with NASA to extend to 2028. Which, incidentally, I believe it will be needed to develop the experience on 500 days in space lessons on physiology that will be needed for anything beyond the Moon.

[Lars-J]

From the Roskosmos website :
http://www.federalspace.ru/21321/

There was a meeting today of the Scientific Technical Council of Roskosmos (chaired by former Russian Space Agency chief Yuri Koptev) that discussed plans for Russia's piloted space program until 2030. The idea is to continue participation in the ISS until 2024 and subsequently establish a Russian space station consisting of elements detached from the ISS (the MLM Multipurpose Module, the UM Node Module and the NEM Scientific Power Module).

Piloted flights to the Moon would take place by the year 2030 and would be preceded by unmanned lunar orbiters and landers.

Koptev is quoted as saying that the Council today approved the basic elements of the plan until 2025. Final decisions will be made during subsequent meetings of the Council, taking into account recommendations from the Russian space industry.

So it would seem Russia is sticking to plans to build a Russian space station using elements of the ISS Russian segment, but is shying away from an early withdrawal from the ISS, electing instead to deploy the new station after the ISS finishes its mission.

It makes a lot of sense to do that. They likely cannot really afford to run their own station in the immediate future, so it makes more sense to defer a new station until at least 2024. I don't think anyone really is expecting any new Russian ISS components at this point anyway.

[fregate]

From the Roskosmos website :
http://www.federalspace.ru/21321/

There was a meeting today of the Scientific Technical Council of Roskosmos (chaired by former Russian Space Agency chief Yuri Koptev) that discussed plans for Russia's piloted space program until 2030. The idea is to continue participation in the ISS until 2024 and subsequently establish a Russian space station consisting of elements detached from the ISS (the MLM Multipurpose Module, the UM Node Module and the NEM Scientific Power Module).

Piloted flights to the Moon would take place by the year 2030 and would be preceded by unmanned lunar orbiters and landers.

Koptev is quoted as saying that the Council today approved the basic elements of the plan until 2025. Final decisions will be made during subsequent meetings of the Council, taking into account recommendations from the Russian space industry.

So it would seem Russia is sticking to plans to build a Russian space station using elements of the ISS Russian segment, but is shying away from an early withdrawal from the ISS, electing instead to deploy the new station after the ISS finishes its mission.

It makes a lot of sense to do that. They likely cannot really afford to run their own station in the immediate future, so it makes more sense to defer a new station until at least 2024. I don't think anyone really is expecting any new Russian ISS components at this point anyway.

FYI MLM Module would be completed by Khrunichev in Feb 2016

Центр Хруничева завершит сборку модуля для МКС в феврале 2016 года
25 Feb 2015 RIA Novosti, Science section

И.о. гендиректора Центра Андрей Калиновский заявил, что дооснащение модуля МЛМ "Наука" планируется завершить в феврале 2016 года. Далее модуль будет перевезен в РКК "Энергия" для финишной доводки.
МОСКВА, 25 фев — РИА Новости. Центр имени Хруничева завершит сборку нового модуля МЛМ для МКС в феврале 2016 года, далее готовое изделие передадут в РКК "Энергия" для последующего запуска, сообщил журналистам и.о. гендиректора Центра Андрей Калиновский.
"Дооснащение модуля планируется завершить в феврале 2016 года. Далее модуль будет перевезен в РКК "Энергия" для финишной доводки, после чего его можно будет запускать и включать в состав международной космической станции", — сказал Калиновский.
Модуль МЛМ "Наука" должен обеспечить развитие российского сегмента МКС и проведение полноценных научных исследований. В новом модуле будет размещено дополнительное оборудование, пространство для хранения грузов.
Кроме того, с помощью МЛМ можно будет обеспечивать поддержание функций жизнеобеспечения станции, управлять МКС по крену с помощью двигателей. Также с включением "Науки" в состав станции на МКС появится дополнительный порт для транспортных кораблей и исследовательских модулей.

Acting Khrunichev Centre General Director Andrey Kalinoskiy announced in front of journalists that his company would complete furnishing of the Module MLM (aka "Nauka") in Feb 2016 and after that module would be transferred to RSC ENERGIA for final furnishing before it will be launched into space and will be docked with ISS.
Module MLM Nauka would extend Russian segment of ISS and would allow to perform scientific studies. New module would bring an additional hardware and spare space for cargo storage, On top of that new module would provide life support system, and alos would provide station roll control via on-board RCS thrusters. Module woudl also provide an addtional docking port for cargo spacecrafts and reaseach module [I presume for servicing autonomous Oka-T Module]

[K-P]

Acting Khrunichev Centre General Director Andrey Kalinoskiy announced that his company would complete furnishing of the Module MLM (aka "Nauka") in Feb 2016 and after that module would be transferred to RSC ENERGIA for final furnishing.

And after that module would be transferred to a storage unit for final rest.
 

[Danderman]

Acting Khrunichev Centre General Director Andrey Kalinoskiy announced that his company would complete furnishing of the Module MLM (aka "Nauka") in Feb 2016 and after that module would be transferred to RSC ENERGIA for final furnishing.

And after that module would be transferred to a storage unit for final rest.
 

as noted elsewhere, 18 months is the normal processing time for Energia to receive the model, perform all necessary tasks, transfer to Baikonur, and launch.

[baldusi]

Acting Khrunichev Centre General Director Andrey Kalinoskiy announced that his company would complete furnishing of the Module MLM (aka "Nauka") in Feb 2016 and after that module would be transferred to RSC ENERGIA for final furnishing.

And after that module would be transferred to a storage unit for final rest.
 

as noted elsewhere, 18 months is the normal processing time for Energia to receive the model, perform all necessary tasks, transfer to Baikonur, and launch.

So, we could expect an August 2017 launch?

[Danderman]

Barring political turmoil, new engineering problems, or some accident, look for MLM to be ready to launch mid-2017.

YMMV.

[fregate]

Barring political turmoil, new engineering problems, or some accident, look for MLM to be ready to launch mid-2017.

YMMV.

It would be a maiden launch of Proton-M LV with LEO payload.   

[Prober]

Barring political turmoil, new engineering problems, or some accident, look for MLM to be ready to launch mid-2017.

YMMV.

It would be a maiden launch of Proton-M LV with LEO payload.

don't wish to hijack this thread but do wonder as the norm is around 10 Protons per year produced.  Has production stopped? 

[Stan Black]

Barring political turmoil, new engineering problems, or some accident, look for MLM to be ready to launch mid-2017.

YMMV.

It would be a maiden launch of Proton-M LV with LEO payload.

don't wish to hijack this thread but do wonder as the norm is around 10 Protons per year produced.  Has production stopped? 

Still in production this year:-
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=17568.msg1323688#msg1323688