The first flight of a Russian cosmonaut to the moon is likely to be carried out with the help of the American spacecraft Orion. Tentatively it will happen in 2024. In the framework of this mission, he will participate in the installation of the Russian airlock on the international lunar station Lunar Orbital Platform — Gateway. This was reported by RIA Agency “news” referring to an anonymous source in the space industry.
In April, Houston hosted a meeting of an international group, where he discussed features of the new space station near the moon, as well as the future prospects of its use.
“During the negotiations made an outline of future manned missions to the lunar station. Including discussed the possibility of the flight of a Russian cosmonaut in the crew vehicle Orion, which will tow the Russian airlock to the moon”, — said the Agency interlocutor.
The source also added that at the moment four are planning a manned mission on the lunar station. The Russian cosmonaut will go into the first manned mission to the moon, will accompany the gateway module and will conduct its installation.
“In addition, negotiations for the inclusion of even one Russian cosmonaut to another crew, but they are in a very early stage,” added the source.
Time of flight for the second Russian cosmonaut to the source Agency did not specify, and in the press center of RSC Energia (the company, as previously reported, ready to engage in the Assembly of the module), this information, the Agency has not commented.
The first flight crews on the lunar station will be held on us ships Orion, which will launch heavy missiles SLS. The crew for missions to the moon will consist of up to four people. In the future, after creating lunar versions of the ship Federation Russian cosmonauts will fly to the lunar orbital station is already in the domestic technology.
Now Russia’s participation in the project, Lunar Orbital Platform — Gateway not yet been fully determined. Before it was reported that the United States and its partners are forcing Russia to build a gateway module for the outputs of crews into space by American technical standards and to use a U.S. spacesuit instead of a Russian. In turn, Russia has offered to build a rotary module for the money of the United States or to share the cost of creating it with the European space Agency. However, there is still no approved at the level of “Roscosmos” or government program participation.
Based on the text of the Memorandum published on the website space Agency NASA, the appearance of a lunar orbital station Lunar Orbital Platform — Gateway, as well as the role of participation in its creation from different countries, including Russia, will become clear in the coming months.
“The goal for the summer of 2018 to the extent to determine the distribution of responsibilities among all partners (local and international) to be able to start developing other elements of the station, except for the PPE (Power&Propulsion Element, the first module of the station that must be sent to orbit the moon in 2022)”, — stated in the published document.
Earlier it was reported that the project, in addition to NASA, involved 14 space agencies. Currently the Agency is exploring various options possible of the composition and equipment of the station.
“Because the Assembly and creating the hardware to support manned space flight is a long process, NASA will determine the shape and basic features of Gateway in the summer of 2018,” — said in the Memorandum.
To the moon, Russian cosmonaut would fly on an American space ship Orion
Nikolai Khizhnyak