Russia to Build International Space Station

Russia says it will withdraw from the International Space Station, ISS after 2024 and build its own station instead.

The US and Russia, along with other partners, have successfully worked together on the ISS since 1998.

But relations have soured since Russia invaded Ukraine, and Russia previously threatened to quit the project because of Western sanctions against it.

NASA said it had not yet received any official notice of Russia’s intention to withdraw from the programme.

The ISS a joint project involving five space agencies has been in orbit around Earth since 1998 and has been used to conduct thousands of scientific experiments.

It is approved to operate until 2024, but the US wants to extend that for six more years with the agreement of all partners.

At a meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, the CEO of Roscosmos Mr. Yury Borisov said they would fulfil its obligations to its partners, but the decision had been taken to quit the project after 2024.

“I think that by this time we will start putting together a Russian orbital station,” Mr. Borisov said, adding that the new station was his agency’s top priority.

Former ISS commander and retired US astronaut Dr. Leroy Chiao believes it is unlikely Russia will decide to leave the project.

“I think this is posturing by the Russians. They don’t have the money to build their own station and it would take several years to do it. They’ve got nothing else if they go this route,” he said.

BBC/CO