The launch of the Russian module "Science" to the International space station planned in the second quarter of 2021, told RIA Novosti source in the space industry.
"the plans to send to the ISS module "Science" is the second quarter of next year," – said the Agency interlocutor.
In early April, General Director of "Roskosmos" Dmitry Rogozin said that the launch of the module is deferred from 2020 to 2021 due to the need to eliminate discrepancies and reduce the number of employees coming to work in the Khrunichev Centre, pandemic coronavirus. In mid-April, he reported that "Science" went to the test in a vacuum chamber, which will last about a month, after which the module will be ready to ship to the Baikonur cosmodrome.
Module "Science" was started in 1995 as a ground-based alternate first module of the ISS "dawn". In 2004 it was decided to save on the creation of a new compartment of the Russian segment of the station and to convert the "understudy" in full flight the module. Its launch was appointed on 2007, however the deadline to complete the manufacture did not, delaying the launch of the year.
In 2013, after the transfer of the module from the manufacturer- the Khrunichev Center – in Rocket-space Corporation "Energy" for the provision of internal equipment, during testing it turned out that the fuel system contains foreign particles. This threatens to damage the whole propulsion system of the ISS when pumping fuel, so it was decided to return the module to the manufacturer for revision.
In the module "Science" will be located berth for the third Russian cosmonaut (cabins for two astronauts are in the module "Star"), and also a second toilet in the Russian segment of the station (one toilet is in the module "Star").
