MOSCOW: The International Space Station (ISS) is expected to remain operational until at least 2030, past the agreement between the United States (US) and Russia, which expires in 2028, Xinhua reported.
Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Bakanov said on Monday in an interview with Russia’s RBC TV that any decision to end the station’s operation must be made jointly by Russia and the US.
“At this stage, the consolidated decision of Roscosmos and NASA is that the station is needed at least until 2028, and most likely, perhaps even until 2030,” he said.
Launched in 1998, the ISS weighs about 435 tonnes and attains 470 tonnes when docked with a spacecraft.
It is a multinational project involving Russia, the US, Canada, Japan, and 10 European Space Agency member states – Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, France, Sweden, and Switzerland.
– Bernama-Xinhua
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