BRICS Orbital Station?? More like Rus-Chi-Ind Station

[johnxx9]

Russia could offer BRICS partners to create joint orbital station

Moscow could propose to China and India to create a joint manned orbital station at the summit of the BRICS emerging economies in Russia’s Ufa in July, a document drafted by the expert council at Russia’s military and industrial commission said on Tuesday.

The experts recommend “working out the possibilities of an international manned project with BRICS countries as part of a common strategy of creating technological alliances.”

“We can start this work now and include the issue in the agenda of the BRICS business council in Ufa,” the document reads.

In particular, Russia should make such a proposal to India and China, which have been actively developing their manned space programs, the experts suggest.

Other perspective areas for further research could be modular rockets using methane as fuel and also the creation of an aerospace vehicle, which could be used in the future to construct a fighter or a bomber of the sixth generation.

Seems an interesting proposal considering that the Russians would find it hard to single handedly fund an orbital station of their own. And any collaboration with the West in the near term willn't be acceptable.

But, the challenge is to get China and India onboard. (considering both have their own paths for humanspaceflight programs as of now without significant collaboration)

[Phillip Clark]

China and Russia would make sense.   I have never understood what the Indians plan to do apart from put Indian crews in orbit.   India could become a visiting member to such a Chinese-Russian station.

[Lars-J]

I just don't see it happening. The only realistic partner is China, and they have a historically distrusting relationship with Russia - I don't seem them wanting to partner with Russia if they can do it themselves. And they are in no hurry.

[baldusi]

Biggest issue I see is the 51.6deg of orbital inclination for Russian participation. Chinese also use an IDSS compatible standard, while Russians seems quite commited to the next evolutions of cone-and-probe. Then, there's the whole issue of navigation and approach systems' which are quite incompatible. And we know nothing but the Chinese modules might be already past PDR if they are to finish the station by 2020. I could see the Indian participation, though. They still have to define who and how will they train their astronauts corps. The don't have anywhere to go and haven't developed a docking nor and approach system. They would be more than happy to be able to go anywhere.