Russia this week announced it would leave the International Space Station 'after 2024', raising questions about the outpost's future viability.
Since the Space Shuttle was retired, the ISS has relied on Russian propulsion systems for periodic boosts to maintain its orbit, which is about 400km above sea level.Recently, the United States has taken strides towards gaining an independent propulsion system through Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft, which successfully carried out a re-boost test in late June.
Russia has two propulsion systems: progress spaceships that dock to the station and the Zvezda service module. All of the control systems are handled out of Moscow. "If it's still there, and we wanted to use it, would there be some sort of rental arrangement? I don't know," he said."We're running and gunning. We're gonna go to 2030, full up," NASA's ISS program manager Joel Montalbano said on the morning of the Russian announcement.However, while Russia's withdrawal could present a new opportunity for the private sector, Mr McDowell is not so certain.
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