Russia Adjusts Space Station Plans, Eyes Lunar Gateway Collaboration

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 03:36:00 +0200

Russia is significantly altering its plans for the Russian Orbital Station (ROS), a fully Russian space station initially intended to replace its involvement in the International Space Station (ISS). Originally slated to launch its first module (NEM) in 2026 and achieve basic habitability in 2029, the ROS project has been reshaped due to Russia’s decision to remain on the ISS until its planned end in 2032, an extension supported by NASA. The key change involves relocating ROS to the same orbit as the ISS (51.6 degrees inclination) rather than a polar orbit. This adjustment addresses issues with Soyuz rocket payload capacity and safety concerns associated with polar launches.

Roscosmos’ revised plan involves integrating ROS with the existing Russian segment of the ISS, essentially a reverse of a 2014 project concept. The UUM (Universalni Uzlovoi Modul) will replace the current Prichal node in 2028, followed by the NEM module's launch in 2029. In 2030, this combined Nauka-UUM-NEM unit