Russia Builds a Digital Twin for Its Future Orbital Station
Roscosmos is designing a virtual replica of its next space station to test systems on Earth long before they fly.
Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, has begun work on a “digital twin” of the Russian Orbital Station (ROS), a next-generation outpost that the country plans to deploy in the early 2030s. Engineers are creating the virtual model in parallel with the actual station’s design, using domestic software as the backbone.
Dmitry Bakanov, CEO of the state corporation, noted that the full design cycle will be digitized to create an exact virtual copy of the station.
The lead contractor is Energia, Russia’s historic spacecraft manufacturer.
The ROS itself is slated to launch in stages. Six modules are scheduled to begin deployment in 2027, with the full station expected in orbit by 2033. Unlike the International Space Station, the ROS will fly in a polar orbit tilted at 97 degrees. That unusual trajectory will give it a complete view of Russian territory and the Northern Sea Route — geopolitically valuable real estate in a warming Arctic.
Roscosmos officials say the digital twin is a crucial step for the future of Russian crewed spaceflight, which faces both technical and political pressure as the ISS nears retirement.
