MOSCOW. Sept 24 (Interfax) - The Russian state space corporation Roscosmos has announced a tender to conduct research to determine the degree of the wear and tear of the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS), as follows from the online state procurement database.
The amount of money to be allocated for this work is over 1 billion rubles, and the research has to be completed by December 10, 2023.
A potential bidder will have to estimate the spent and residual service life of the Russian segment of the ISS, as well as the residual and impact strength of its structural materials and protective elements in 2022-2023, taking into account all planned configurations of the ISS, force impacts, and changes in the conditions of exposure to space debris and micrometeoroids during operation, it said.
The estimated residual service life is considered sufficient if it extends beyond the planned duration of the ISS mission, the document says.
The bidder will also have to estimate the possible consequences of a puncture of the containment shells of the Russian segment of the ISS in the presence and in the absence of protective shields, calculating the likelihood of disastrous effects on the segment and adjusting the methods and criteria applied, it said.
As reported earlier, Russia has decided to build its own space station and is considering withdrawing from the ISS project, as the technical condition of the Russian segment is deteriorating.
Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Rogozin has said about 80% of the equipment on the Russian segment of the ISS has outlived its service life, and the costs of its operation and maintenance will be comparable to that of building a new station after 2025.
As reported earlier, Russia might quit the ISS project in 2025, delegating the responsibility for its segment to partners in the project. It was said, however, that Russia might continue to maintain its segment if the United States provides the necessary funding.
The alternative for Russia would be to build a national space station, with its first module to be launched in 2025.