The Nauka spacecraft has arrived safely at the space station

You have finally arrived! Very late in the initial schedule which stipulated the launch in 2007, the Russian unit Nauka is anchored today in International Space Station (ISS), on the Zvezda unit. He has taken the place of the Pirs, which had been sucked up by a Progress-class freighter a few days earlier (see article below). More than a week into the flight, Nauka joined the International Space Station in automatic mode. To avoid any collision risks or last minute technical issues that automatic mode was not able to solve in a very short time, astronaut Oleg Novitsky dominated Nauka to do his test for the last few meters before docking at Zvezda. Roscosmos confirmed that the two maneuvers, automatic and manual, went well.

Nauka holds the ERA arm of the European Space Agency that will be dedicated to the Russian part of complex orbit In addition to the arm robotic Canadarm2 who can’t access all this part of l’ISS.

Nauka’s operation will be gradual. In fact, several months will be necessary before it is fully operational. From space walk It was also planned to put some of its external components into service and to ensure the correct connection of the module to the orbital collector.

A small space station in itself!

Weighing more than 20 tons, this unit offers an internal volume of 70 meters³. It’s been designed for a variety of uses both indoors and outdoors, so it can look like a small space station. Although designed for the experiment and a living and working area for astronauts, this unit will also serve as a docking port for Russian ships, whether it be Progress ships or Soyuz manned missions. Its tanks will be able to store fuel brought in by Progress shipping companies, and divert it to the Zvezda unit that will use it for corrective operations.orbiting فيThe position and stability of the International Space Station. Nauka will also serve as a storage location for goods delivered to the Russian part of the terminal.

This unit also has the peculiarity of being equipped with the CNG steering and steering control system as well as the attitude control system. It could be used as a backup by the International Space Station and if the Russians decide to separate the Russian part of the International Space Station, as they expected, Nauka could be the heart of their future space station. It will also be able to produceOxygen To meet the needs of a crew of up to six people. It is equipped with a collection system for waste As well as a water renewal system.

The Pirs module left the space station and disintegrated in the atmosphere under the watchful eye of Thomas Bisquet

Article by Remy Decor Posted on 07/28/2012

It was successfully launched on July 21 by A launcher The Proton module, the Russian Nauka module, on which the European Space Agency’s robotic ERA arm is installed, is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station on July 29. Nauka will replace Pierce. The latter, which served as a docking port and an airlock exiting space, left the International Space Station and was then sucked up by the Progress cargo ship under sight Thomas Bisket.

Russia’s Nauka unit, launched on July 21 aboard a Cosmodrome Proton launcher BaikonurIt is scheduled to join the International Space Station (ISS) and dock there on July 29. Avant d’arriver à destination du complexe orbital, plusieurs corrections de trajectoire sont nécessaires pour le mettre sur une orbite de rendez-vous et surtout s’assurer de sa manœuvrabilité afin d’éviter tout risque de collision aveerac l’ISS next to. Finally, with 15 years behind its initial schedule — the unit was supposed to launch in 2007 — making sure it works properly in orbit isn’t a waste of time. Nauka holds the ERA arm, installed outside the unit.

As explained in a previous article, the squeezing arm entrusted to Russian part the complex orbit Plus the Canadarm2 robotic arm that can’t reach all of this part of the International Space Station. Naoka is a small space station. Although this unit is designed for experimentation and a living and working area for the astronauts, it will also serve as a docking port. It also has the peculiarity of being equipped with the CNG navigation and guidance control system in addition to the position control system. It will be used in particular to control the roll of the space station. So it could be a backup solution for the ISS, and if the Russians decide to separate the Russian part of the ISS, as they expected, Naoka could be the heart of their future space station.

The Pirs’ devastating re-entry tied to a progressive cargo ship

The Russian Nauka unit will be docked at the Zvezda unit, at the site occupied by the Pirs unit a few days ago. After more than 20 years of service (launched in September 2001), this docking port and air lock for the space exit has been separated from the International Space Station. The Pirs were attached to a Progress cargo ship, and both vehicles landed inAtmosphereIt was destroyed and burned under the influence friction.

To facilitate the maneuvering of undocking and leaving the two vehicles. The space station was tilted 90 degrees “, specific Thomas Bisket. This explains why A few hours later, we were in the front row observing the end of the ball During the devastating return to Joe Pirs and Progress.

The launch of Nauka, the Russian multifunctional laboratory has been postponed

Article by Remy Decor published on 07/25/2012

The new Russian Multifunctional Laboratory (MLM) and the European robotic arm of the space station will have to wait before being launched and integrated into the orbital complex. delay in Construction From this unit the Russian Space Agency is forced to postpone its launch until the end of 2013.

the Khrunichev Spatial Center, one of the designers of the MLM unit, called Nauka (“the flag”, in Russian), with RKK . energy, just confirmed significant delays in its completion. This unit will be integrated into the Russian sector of the International Space Station (IS). It’s also a blow toEuropean Space Agency Because the robotic arm that I designed specifically for the International Space Station must be installed on Nauka.

To explain this setback, the Khrunichev Space Center invokes ” Technological and organizational problems We may not have come to the end of our surprises because once Khrunitchev finishes his work at Nauka, he will be handed over to RKK Energia where various systems will be installed before his design is finalised.

If Russia gave shooting When this unit was created in 2006, you should know that they weren’t starting from scratch at the time. The idea was that Recycler Already existing unit which was produced on order Roscosmos in a Support by Zarya. In other words, it had to be built quickly, especially since it was scheduled for launch in 2009 before being delayed first in 2011 and then, as we just learned, towards the end of 2013.

ERA, the robotic arm of Europe, is on Earth

Nauka will be launched by a proton It was installed in the Russian sector of the International Space Station, integrated into the Zvezda module to replace the docking port of Pirs to be absorbed. One of the advantages of Nauka is that it can be used for commercial purposes. It will also be used to improve the station’s orbit, or even correct its course if necessary, to avoid this debris, for example.

Regarding ER . robotic arma (European robotic arm)This is one of the three main components of European participation in the construction of the International Space Station. The other two are the automatic transmission vehicle (ATV) and the scientific laboratoryختبر Columbus.

Although it is very different from Canadarm 2 (The robotic arm of the mobile maintenance system is currently in service on a large scale packet from the terminal), the ERA will be complementary. It will be installed on the Nauka, and will cover the Russian part of the station, which Canadarm2 cannot fully achieve.