You might have heard that Russia will be leaving the International Space Station, thanks to a variety of ongoing tensions. Well, while the country is on a break, it could well set up ROSS. That’s the name of a proposed Russia-operated space station the country revealed at Army-2022.

Army-2022 is a military event held in Moscow, and ROSS is only a model for the moment. But it could well be the future of Russia in space. Based on its initial design, it’s also rather ambitious.

ROSS looks… Friend-ly

Don’t get the wrong idea, the station isn’t inspired by the Friends TV show. At all. ROSS is just a nickname given to the planned station by Russian media. It’s probably got more to do with Roskosmos, the Russian space agency, than Monica Geller’s brother.

All told, the Russian space station would consist of six different modules and a service platform. This would provide enough space for four astronauts (cosmonauts? Are we doing that now?) as well as all the gear they’d need for orbital science. The initial phase of development would see four modules set up before occupancy takes place. The rest could come later.

Assuming it’s actually built. There’s talk of Russia leaving the International Space Station by 2024, though nothing official has been heard. Russian media suggests that the Roskosmos station could begin launching between 2025 and 2030 — which sounds about right. It wouldn’t be staffed all year, the way the International Space Station is, however. Russians would occupy the facility twice a year for experiments.

Source: Reuters