Turn space station into a spacecraft launcher

The International Space Station (ISS) partner countries are studying the daring idea of ​​using this station as a manned shuttle launch pad around the Moon.

ISS International Space Station may soon become a spacecraft launch base. (Photo: NASA)

The idea is being discussed officially by Russian, European and American agencies. They want ISS to have more applications than just a high-altitude flight station for experiments in non-gravity environments.

Accordingly international space agencies have the ambition to turn ISS into an experimental place for technologies and techniques that people will need when leaving Earth orbit to explore the Moon, small planets or Mars. In particular, the use of ISS as a base for astronauts to start their trip is part of this space station's new operating philosophy.

BBC quoted the director of European manned space flights Simonetta Di Pippo, what the space agencies are considering is a small spacecraft that can depart from the ISS station and fly. circling the Moon then flying straight to Earth. However, this project needs more technical and technological research.

All five partners who are operating ISS, including the US, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada, maintain the view that maintaining this space station operates until at least 2020. Experts also believe that many modules of The station will still be able to serve until the end of 2020.