Russia to Set up Own Orbital Space Station to Gain Edge Over ISS

The Soyuz TMA-14M spacecraft carrying the International Space Station crew of Barry Wilmore of the US Alexander Samokutyaev and Elena Serova of Russia blasts off from the launch pad at the Baikonur cosmodromeShamil Zhumatov/Reuters

Russia is said to be planning to set up its own orbital space station in 2017 which would allow Moscow to have an edge over the International Space Station (ISS).

Moscow earlier announced that it would not be using the ISS after 2020.

The Russian daily Kommersant quoted a space engineering source as saying: "The new station will be located geometrically more advantageous, allowing an extended field of view of the earth's surface. As much as 90 percent of Russia's territory and the Arctic offshore are will be visible from the station."

The source added that only 5% of the region is presently visible from the ISS.

As part of the mission, a manned spacecraft would be dispatched to the lunar infrastructure which would first reach the station and eventually the moon.

"In fact, we are talking about the creation of a bridgehead first vehicles will be delivered to the station, and then to the moon," said the source.

The initial deployment for the new space station would involve the modules and devices stationed by the Russian side in the ISS as Moscow withdraws its resources.

The cost of the mission has not been estimated as yet, but Russian officials have hinted at an early exit from the ISS.

Amidst the West-Russia political tensions, Russia had announced in May 2014 that it would not allow the US to use the Russian segment of the ISS after 2020 and placed a ban on Russia-made rocket engines for American military satellites.

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Russia to Set up Own Orbital Space Station to Gain Edge Over ISS