Russia will withdraw from the International Space Station (ISS) project in 2025 and notify its foreign partners of the decision. saying.
The ISS, launched in 1998 by Russian and US space agencies, was a rare area of cooperation between Moscow and Washington amid a sharp deterioration in relations. But the ISS, which has been continuously occupied for more than 20 years, is expected to be withdrawn around 2030.
Last Monday, as Russia celebrated the 60th anniversary of the launch that made Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin the first man in space, President Vladimir Putin called for a new space development strategy over the next decade.
However, in previously unaccompanied comments that were broadcast on Sunday at the Rossia 1 state station, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov revealed plans to “notify honestly [foreign partners] of our withdrawal from the ISS from 2025. ”
“We need a technical inspection at the station to avoid any risks in case of emergency,” Borisov’s office said. said state-run TASS news agency.
“We will make a decision based on the results and honestly notify our partners,” she added.
Russia’s Roscosmos has said it intends to form its own orbiting outpost after international agreements on the use of the ISS expire in 2024, according to Interfax.
“We have 2024 as the time limit agreed with our partners regarding the ISS activity. After that, decisions will be made based on the technical condition of the station’s modules, which have largely exhausted their lifespan, as well as our plans to implement a next-generation national orbital service station. ” said Roscosmos.
Citing an unnamed industrial source, Interfax reported that Russia’s new space station would cost $ 6 billion.
The new plans, which Interfax reports have not yet been approved, will be followed by years of corruption scandals and other failures in Russia’s space program.
Earlier, Russia refused to participate in the “too US-centered” lunar orbiting station called Gateway and announced plans to launch a joint lunar space station with China.