A huge disc-shaped fan of solar modules is a key feature of this space-station design by some of 32 students at Germany’s Stuttgart University.
By Marco Krefting
Design your very own space station! One group of students came up with a model where solar modules fan out to form a huge disc. Another proposed attaching orange-and-white sausage balloons to relieve the lack of space in the orbiter.
The 32 students at Stuttgart University’s Space Station Design Workshop, all budding experts in space engineering, had been working for a week on these two possible concepts for a future space station.
Interestingly, both groups labelled some of their modules Russian. They envisage European Union space researchers teaming up with other nations, something which Stefanos Fasoulas, head of the Institute for Space Systems at the university, believes is essential.
“In the future, these type of projects will only be feasible if they are funded in international co-operation,” says Fasoulas.
However, the official view from Moscow is different. A quarter of a century after the controlled crash of its all-Russian Mir space station, Russia is now planning for a new era of space exploration.
Moscow has worked closely with Europe and the United States on the International Space Station (ISS) since 1998. But its space agency Roskosmos intends pushing ahead with ambitious space exploration plans all by itself again from 2024.
Russia’s deputy chairman for defence industries, Dmitry Rogozin, has suggested the ISS could be disassembled and the Russian-built parts used for the construction of the Kremlin’s own outpost of humanity.
President Vladimir Putin has already announced plans for a Russian space station that will orbit the Earth differently, as only 5 per cent of Russia can be observed from the ISS.
“We need a station from where we are able to inspect our entire country,” said Putin.
Relations with the West are currently tense, not least because of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, which has led to questions about the viability of any future joint manned space exploration projects between Russia, the European Union and the United States.
Hanjoerg Dittus, responsible for space research and technology at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) believes it is mostly a question of finance.
The annual running costs for the ISS alone are in the region of 2.2 billion euros (2.4 billion dollars), 280 million of which is funded by Europe.
“If we are serious about sending astronauts to the Moon or Mars within the next 30 to 50 years, or want to have space stations in a long-range orbit around the Earth, then Europe’s space exploration budget will have to increase to two or three times its present level.”
The next generation of researchers believe that instead of orbiting the Earth, any future space station should be stationed at the so-called Lagrange point between the Earth and Moon where it would remain in stable position and other parts of space would be more accessible.
Such a space station could serve as a base point for any manned mission to Mars or the Moon. Dittus feels that if these missions are to be realised, a successor to the ISS is essential.
“It is only possible to consider multi-generational projects like missions to Mars when we have people in low orbit. We want to prevent the advent of an era without manned space missions,” he says.
DLR chairman Dittus believes that another station orbiting the Earth at a range of 400 kilometres, the same as the ISS, is the best solution.
The involvement of private investors is also preferable so countries could simply rent the research modules they need from the investors.
Dittus sees high demand for space-based data-gathering in the future, especially in recording climate change and food supply.
“These can be observed well from space, but satellites aren’t always good enough for the job.”
Russia is planning the construction of a five-segment space station made up of a laboratory module, energy module, connection module, as well as a transformation and scientific energy module.
It remains to be seen if such an ambitious project is realisable, as resource-rich Russia is currently in the throes of an economic crisis, while the ongoing construction of a satellite launch site near the Chinese border is incurring huge costs.
“We now have to look and see what is achievable for the West,” says Dittus.
A meeting of ministers from the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2016 will have to reach a decision about which direction space exploration in Europe is going to take.
“Unlike 25 years ago, the idea of space exploration is popular again,” says Dittus.
“It is important to fuel interest. It’s the best way to ensure financing.” —DPA
