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anzha said:

The second reason is the increasing issues between America and Russia. The two have kept their space relationship as far as the ISS, etc. in great shape, whatever else may be happening. However, within the last year or two, even the ISS/manned space flight cooperation has become more and more strained. There are several reasons. Russia is really unhappy with SpaceX (challenging their revenue through access to ISS and the launch customers shifting more to SpaceX than the Soyuz), US sanctions, the situation in Ukraine, and US reactions to anything Russian these days. The US is really unhappy with the asat test, the stupid accusation the American astronaut drilled a hole in the Soyuz capsule[1], and the reverse of the above save spacex. There's a WaPo article, but it is more "ooooo, Russia bad" rather than actually helpful in how cooperation has deteriorated.

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I hope Space X has introduced something that is more cheaper than Amur because it would suck to get sidelined, still hearing about alot of one web satellite launches dont know why they would be unhappy when they are still profitting and have plenty of space projects that offer cheaper launch costs while nothing still heard yet from Space X. Its like thinking a temporary stop to NS2 will prevent Russia's growth while I am just beginning to hear about Power to Siberia 2 project coming along.

anzha said:

So an American astronaut is going to go into the Russian segment, remove the toilet, drill a hole and then replace the toilet while in orbit...and not get caught while doing it?

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uhmmm I am able to get some stuff in and out behind my toilet without removing it? is there a bigger picture?

Russia's progress in space might seem glacial in comparison with SpaceX or China but they are getting things done.

The Angara launcher did have a mishap still: the upper stage was supposed to burn to Geo orbit after attaining LEO, but failed to do so. Instead the upper stage reentered over the Pacific:


So, not a complete success.

The first stage worked as usual but the second stage failed to reignite. This second stage is supposed to be capable of multiple firings to insert more than one satellite, each into a different orbit, but it failed this test.

A few bits:

JSWT major deployments are done. It's now onto aligning the mirrors. FWIW, the Ariane 5/ESA team did such a good job with putting the JSWT on course, it has saved a large amount of fuel allocated for course corrections and should extend the life of the telescope.


Russia claims it will be launching its own mega constellation for communications like Starlink. It will have 264 comsats:


India's Ganganyaan capsule launch is delayed to 2023. I know there is a temptation to snark about this, given the nationalists online, but let's set that aside. India has been hit both with a bad covid outbreak and is crippled by its...structural issues:


Speaking of bad delays, Boeing's Starliner is pushed to May 2022. This is a definite fall from grace story for a company. During the 90s, when still in university, I was constantly told how Boeing had an amazing software development cycle and was held up as a paragon. It's become clear, in retrospect, the rigidity and extreme documentation culture made its employees take unofficial shortcuts and falsify data to get anything done. Talk about a demise of your own making:


Speaking of Boeing related projects, the SLS is delayed to at least March 2022 for its launch due to an engine controller problem. The whole program is 4 years behind schedule, about half of that due to mismanagement. The others were due to a hurricane that hit the tank production facilities at Michaud and, plus, our glorious (note: snark) friend covid:


The ESA program for the Themis reusable first stage rocket continues. The fuel tanks were fully fueled about a month ago:

anzha said:

JSWT major deployments are done. It's now onto aligning the mirrors. FWIW, the Ariane 5/ESA team did such a good job with putting the JSWT on course, it has saved a large amount of fuel allocated for course corrections and should extend the life of the telescope.

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Huge.
Have heard that first pictures will be coming on Summer
Hope everything goes well

The US announcement of the extension of ISS operations to 2030 has triggered the other participating space agencies to start their process for approval on their end. ESA, CSA and JAXA all welcomed the announcement. They will begin their process for formal approval.


Russia, on the other hand, has not said anything after the American announcement. Previously, Rogozin had stated Russia would only participate in the ISS if the US removed sanctions from 2 companies. That has not happened.

The biggest problem with maintaining ISS is the Russian modules of Zvezda and Zarya. Particularly the former. It’s power and life support. They are increasingly breaking down. The American segments are modular meaning that when equipment stops working they can pull it out chuck it into a disposable supply ship and swap in a replacement.
The Russians didn’t design their modules like that. It was all integrated. When the computers failed they had to bypass them with laptops. The modules in the Russian Segment ISS are direct descendants of the Mir which in turn was modified from Syalut which in turn was modified from a Almaz Spy station which was derived from a cargo ship. The whole thing was conceived with use until disposed of.
To retain ISS is possible, but only with investment in replacement modules overland structure over time. I am worried that much like with the shuttle program. ISS will come at the cost of any future more ambitious missions. Could ISS be retained without affecting Artemus? I don’t know, but I guarantee it if the program is run the way SLS is.

The ISS was supposed to have more US made life support modules but they cut them out supposedly to reduce cost.
With regards to modularity vs integrated systems you have to see that using an integrated system typically has an advantage when you want to cut down on used space and mass. The Russian modules are typically smaller and the Proton could carry smaller modules than the Space Shuttle in the first place. The Russian modules also typically are more redundant in terms of functionality so some of them can serve as temporary life support and have their own power unlike the US ones.

True, they were sacrificed. Then again like how the ROS was originally built from Mir 2. The IS was built based on work established for the Freedom station that was much more ambitious. Funding was cut from US sections to basically bankroll the Russian Space program.
Farther to a point yes yet the cost is reduced potential life cycle. With ISS as proof of that. However the American modules do have supplemental life support of their own. And ISS does have additional power supply.