Article Posted on : - Mar 14, 2011

International Space Station

MOSCOW (BNS): Russia plans to launch a new lab module for the International Space Station (ISS) in 2012, Roscosmos Head Anatoly Perminov has said.

“We are in process preparing new Russian lab module for launch in 2012”, Perminov said.

The first ISS element, the Russian Zarya module, was put into orbit in November 1998.

Other modules in the Russian segment of the ISS include, Zvezda Service Module (SM), Docking Compartment (SO)/Mini-Research Module-2 (MIM2), Mini-Research Module (MIM1), FGB-2/Multipurpose Laboratory Module, Node Module and Stowage and Docking Module (MSS).

The space station is a joint project between Russia, Europe, Canada, Japan and the United States. It is likely to remain in operation until 2020.