Russia is finally ready to install the long-awaited science module on the International Space Station.
The new module is a 12-meter-long cylinder called Nauka (meaning “science” in Russian), currently orbiting the earth and heading for the space station. It will provide the Russian side of the International Space Station with expanded scientific facilities, crew quarters and new airlocks for space walks. Nauka also provided a new docking port for Russian spacecraft.
The module was originally scheduled to be launched in 2007, but technical problems and unexpected repairs caused years of delays.
In order to clear a port for Nauka, Russia’s 20-year-old Pirs docking station was separated from the International Space Station on Saturday. Pierce first arrived at the space station in 2001. It was used as a receiving station for the Progress capsule for cargo and the Soyuz spacecraft for astronauts.
After Pirs left the dock, a Progress spacecraft dragged it into the earth’s atmosphere. When gravity pulls down the old module, most of it burns in the atmosphere. The surviving part fell into the Pacific Ocean.
Now that the old port of Pirs is open, Nauka plans to stop there at 13:30 on Thursday. The high-risk operations must be performed perfectly: the spacecraft must be perfectly aligned with the port in order to lock in place and form a seal so that the astronauts can open the hatch and enter their new facility.
If all goes well, astronauts on the International Space Station will need to perform approximately 11 spacewalks to install electronic equipment on the outside of the new module. Space flight now.
Nauka encountered a problem during the flight on his way to the International Space Station
Nauka is also known as the Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM), and its journey to the International Space Station was not smooth.
Soon after launch on July 21, Nauka began to malfunction. It did not complete the first engine combustion that should push it into a higher orbit above the earth. The module needs to be increased in height so that gravity will not pull it into the atmosphere, where it will burn. Therefore, the Russian mission controller instructed the module to launch its backup thrusters to push itself higher.
In the past few days, it has launched thrusters many times to get into the correct orbit.
Roscosmos, Russian Space Agency Announce On Wednesday morning, Nauka successfully executed its “final correction operation,” putting it on orbit to the International Space Station.
Watch the live broadcast from Nauka Pier to the Space Station
NASA plans to broadcast live footage of Nauka docking with the International Space Station at 13:30 on Thursday morning. Watch the live broadcast via the embed below.
