Russia will withdraw from the International Space Station (ISS) project in 2025 and notify its foreign partners of the decision, state media dubbed a senior government official like saying
Launched in 1998 by the Russian and US space agencies, the ISS was a rare area of cooperation between Moscow and Washington amid deteriorating relations. But the ISS, which has been continuously occupied for more than 20 years, is expected to retire around 2030.
Last Monday, as Russia celebrated the 60th anniversary of the launch that made Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin the first human in space, President Vladimir Putin called for a new space strategy for the next decade.
But in previously un-aired comments aired Sunday on the state-run Rossia 1 broadcaster, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov announced plans to [foreign partners] of our withdrawal from the ISS from 2025. “
“We need a technical inspection at the station to avoid risks in an emergency,” said Borisov’s office told the state-run news agency TASS.
“We will make a decision based on the results and inform our partners fairly,” he added.
The Russian space agency Roscosmos said it plans to form its own outpost in orbit after international agreements on the use of ISS expire in 2024, Interfax said.
“We have 2024 as an agreed time limit with our partners for the work of the ISS. After that, decisions will be made based on the technical condition of the station’s modules, which have largely worn out their life, as well as our plans to deploy a next-generation national orbital service station, ”said Roscosmos.
Citing an unnamed industry resource, Interfax reported that Russia’s new space station would cost $ 6 billion.
The new plans, which Interfax reports have not yet been approved, will follow years of corruption scandals and other setbacks in Russia’s space program.
Russia previously declined participation in the “too US-centric” lunar orbiting station called the Gateway and announced plans to launch a joint lunar space station with China.