Russia will opt out of the International Space Station after 2024 and focus on building its own orbiting outpost, the country’s newly appointed space chief said Tuesday.
This photo released by Roscosmos Space Agency Press Service shows the International Space Station on March 30, 2022, photographed by the crew of a Russian Soyuz MS-19 spaceship after undocking from the station.
The space station has long been a symbol of post-Cold War international teamwork in the name of science but is now one of the last areas of cooperation between the U.S. and the Kremlin. Russian space officials have long talked about their desire to launch the country’s own space station and have complained that the wear and tear on the aging International Space Station is compromising safety and could make it difficult to extend its lifespan.
It typically has a crew of seven, who spend months at a time aboard the station as it orbits about 260 miles above Earth. Three Russians, three Americans and one Italian are now on board. Kelly said the design of the station makes it difficult but not impossible for the remaining nations to operate it if Russia were to withdraw.
If the Russian components of the station were detached or inoperable, the most immediate problem would be how to boost the complex periodically to maintain its orbit, he said. Russian spacecraft that arrive at the station with cargo and crew members are used to help align the station and raise its orbit.
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