The International Space Station (ISS). Photo: NASA/AP
Russia believes it is possible to extend its operations on the International Space Station (ISS) by several years, Russia’s Industry Minister Denis Manturov said on Sunday.
Speaking to the press during his visit to the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Russian Far East, Manturov explained that it was a decision the country’s top priority in space exploration: the creation of the Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS).
“We believe that it is possible to extend the operation of the ISS while the Russian orbital station is deployed in its minimum configuration, that is, until 2028,” he specified.
Manturov, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister, assured that the extension is being negotiated with the national space agencies and the governments of the other 13 countries participating in the international project, such as the US, Japan, Canada and several European nations.
He also reported that RSC Energia, a Russian manufacturer of components for spacecraft and space stations, has not identified any unsolvable technical problem preventing the extension of the service life of the Russian segment of the ISS beyond 2024.
Last July, Russia announced its withdrawal from the International Space Station project after 2024, with the fulfillment of all commitments to its partners.
The Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos, announced at the time that it would focus on its plans to create the ROSS and beyond Providing the Russian economy with essential space servicessuch as, but not limited to, navigation, communications, data transmission, and meteorological and geodetic information.
In December 2021, Joe Biden announced his commitment to extending the ISS to 2030shortly after NASA announced its plans to replace the ISS with “commercial space targets” and anticipate their retirement by 2024 according to calculations.
(Taken from RT in Spanish)
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