"Cascade of Opportunities". Scientist appreciates the launch of the module "Science" to the ISS
20:05 07/21/2021
The Nauka laboratory module has been successfully launched into orbit; its docking with the ISS is scheduled for July 29. Nathan Eismont, a leading researcher at the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, spoke on Sputnik radio about the significance of this event for Russian science.
The Nauka multifunctional laboratory module has been successfully launched by the Proton-M carrier rocket into near-earth orbit, RIA Novosti reported .
Docking of Nauka with the ISS is scheduled for July 29.
The construction of the module began in 1995, the launch was scheduled for 2007, but it was not possible to complete the production on time and the start was postponed for many years.
Nathan Eismont, a leading researcher at the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, assessed the significance of the launch of the Russian scientific module of the ISS on the air of Sputnik radio.
"The significance of this launch, it seems to me, is even greater than many people think ... The presence of such a module will make it possible to carry out observations, experiments are much more effective than if it would have had to launch separate automatic spacecraft for this," said Nathan Eismont.
According to him, we are talking about both applied science and fundamental research.
"For example, observations related to the search and study of exoplanets (planets outside the solar system - ed.). This has now received tremendous development in the world, but we are lagging behind here, because there were no appropriate instruments. Now such opportunities appear. This is only one example, and here is a whole cascade of such opportunities that the Science module will provide, "said Nathan Eismont.
The module "Science" has a sleeping place for an astronaut, a toilet, oxygen and water regeneration systems, workplaces for conducting experiments. The module is equipped with an airlock and an ERA European remote manipulator.
Currently, the Russian segment of the ISS includes five modules: the Zarya functional cargo block (launched in 1998), the Zvezda service module (2000), the Pirs docking compartment (2001), and Poisk small research modules (2009 ) and "Dawn" (2010).
Радио Sputnik, 21.07.2021
radiosputnik.ria.ru