Nauka’ module of Russia

In news- Russia’s new ‘Nauka’ laboratory module meant for the International Space Station(ISS) blasted off recently aboard the Proton rocket.

More information-

Nauka is a 42-feet-long module weighing 20 tonnes.
It was set to launch in 2007 but was reportedly delayed due to technical issues.
‘Nauka’ in Russian means Science.
It is Russia’s most ambitious research facility in space and is fitted with an oxygen generator, robotic cargo crane, a toilet and a bed for Russian astronauts.
The Russian module will initially be used as a docking facility and for conducting experiments as the crew works in it.
The multipurpose laboratory’s active docking port and airlock which will be handled by the European Robotic Arm.
It will also provide astronauts with additional cargo storage space including oxygen regeneration equipment.
The high-tech research lab is attached to the Zvezda module and the lab will serve the Russian segment of the space station.
It replaced the Pirs module after the latter got detached from the ISS.

About Pirs module-

Pirs, a Russian module on the ISS was launched in 2001.
It was used as a docking port for spacecraft and as a door for cosmonauts to go out on spacewalks.
It is the biggest space laboratory Russia has launched to date.
It was pulled away from the ISS using a Progress MS-16/77P cargo ship, which had remained docked to the module since February.

It is the first permanent ISS module to be decommissioned, and burned up and disintegrated during atmospheric re-entry over the Southern Pacific.