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Russia to quit International Space Station 'after 2024'
The confirmation of the long-mooted move comes as ties unravel between the Kremlin and the West over Moscow's military intervention in Ukraine and several rounds of devastating sanctions against Russia, including its space sector.
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In this file photo taken on March 07, 2011 this NASA handout image shows a close-up view of the International Space Station is featured in this image photographed by an STS-133 crew member on space shuttle Discovery after the station and shuttle began their post-undocking relative separation. The United States said Monday it was investigating a (AFP/NASA)
M
oscow said Tuesday it was leaving the International Space Station "after 2024" amid tensions with the West, in a move analysts warned could lead to a halt of Russian-crewed flights.
The confirmation of the long-mooted move comes as ties unravel between the Kremlin and the West over Moscow's military intervention in Ukraine and several rounds of devastating sanctions against Russia, including its space sector.
Space experts said Russia's departure from the International Space Station would seriously affect the country's space sector and deal a significant blow to its programme of crewed flights, a major source of Russian pride.
"Of course, we will fulfil all our obligations to our partners, but the decision to leave this station after 2024 has been made," Yury Borisov, the new head of Russian space agency Roscosmos, told President Vladimir Putin, according to a Kremlin account of their meeting.
"I think that by this time we will start putting together a Russian orbital station," Borisov added, calling it the domestic space programme's main "priority".
"Good," Putin replied.
The ISS is due to be retired after 2024, although US space agency NASA says it can remain operational until at least 2030.
