New ISS Nauka module sent back to testing and assembly unit - Roscosmos
MOSCOW. July 1 (Interfax) - The Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) Nauka, due to be sent to the International Space Station (ISS) in July, has been returned to the testing and assembly unit of the Rocket Space Corporation (RSC) Energia to address shortcomings, Roscosmos told Interfax on Thursday.
"MLM Nauka has been returned to the RSC Energia's assembly-testing corpus for the removal of a defect," the press service said
The launch of the Nauka module is planned for July 15, 2021. The launch of this module has been postponed repeatedly.
At first, there were plans to launch Nauka in 2017, but the launch was moved to 2018, reportedly due to clogging of the fuel system. The clog could have led to a breakdown of the ISS's propulsion system, so the module was sent back to the manufacturing plant. Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin said later that the main problem with Nauka's fuel system was not a clog, but a defect and added that the module's fuel tanks might be replaced with those of the Fregat upper stage.