Russia will withdraw from the International Space Station (ISS) project in 2025 and notify the decision to its foreign partners, a senior government official told the state media. saying.
The ISS, which was launched in 1998 by Russian and US space agencies, has been 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 retire by 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 development strategy over the next decade.
But in the unassessed comments that were aired Sunday on state broadcaster Rossia 1, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov revealed plans to “honestly notify [foreign partners] of our withdrawal from the ISS from 2025 “.
“We need a technical inspection at the station to avoid any risk in case of emergency,” Borisov’s office said. he said the state news agency TASS.
“We will make a results-based decision and honestly notify our partners,” he added.
Russian space agency Roscosmos said it plans to form its own orbiting advantage 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 on the work of the ISS. Then, decisions will be made based on the technical condition of the station’s modules, which have mostly worn out their useful life. , as well as our plans to deploy a next-generation national orbital service station, “Roscosmos said.
Citing an unnamed industry source, Interfax reported that Russia’s new space station would cost $ 6 billion.
The new plans, according to which Interfax reports have not yet been approved, will follow years of corruption scandals and other setbacks in Russia’s space program.
Russia previously rejected participation in the “too-focused United States” station orbiting the moon called the Gateway and announced plans to launch a joint lunar space station with China.