Moscow. December, 31st. INTERFAX-The United States is going to curtail cooperation with Russia in space, the only joint project is the International Space Station (ISS), said the head of the state corporation "Roscosmos" Dmitry Rogozin.
"I have the impression that our American colleagues have taken a course to curtail international programs, "Rogozin said in an interview with the Rossiya 24 TV channel (VGTRK).
"In this regard, we see that the ISS will continue to cooperate as long as it is operational. In other areas, I see something, things have gone to the point of curtailing this cooperation, unfortunately," the head of Roscosmos said.
On December 28, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said that a decision on the future fate of the ISS is planned to be made in the first quarter of 2021.
"The fate of the ISS has not yet been fully decided, it will be determined somewhere in the first quarter of next year, "Borisov said in an interview with Rossiya 24 TV channel. According to him, the module "Science", which is planned to be launched next year to the ISS, can "subsequently become the base for the Russian station."
The lifetime of the ISS will expire in 2024. Previously, it was repeatedly reported about the possible extension of the station's operation until 2030.
On November 26, Roscosmos reported that in early 2021 it is planned to start consultations with NASA and other partners on the future of the station.
Vladimir Solovyov, First Deputy General Director of the Rocket and Space Corporation Energia, said at a meeting of the Space Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences that the corporation's specialists predict "an avalanche-like failure of numerous elements on board the ISS" after 2025. According to him, due to the increased costs, experts consider it necessary to "review the terms of further participation in the program and focus on the implementation of orbital station programs."
Earlier, Rogozin said that Russia is preparing to create a new orbital station.
According to him, its Foundation could become the new Russian modules of the node and the energy that is being developed for the ISS. "We plan to add several modules to it: in fact, after 2030, the Russian Federation will be the country that will create a new station," Rogozin said.
In mid-May, he said that the Rocket and Space Corporation "Energia" under the leadership of Igor Ozar, who took the position of acting General Director, will develop the concept of a new orbital station.
The general designer of Energia, Yevgeny Mikrin (who died of coronavirus in May), previously called it expedient to create a Russian orbital station after the completion of the ISS project, while not excluding international participation in the project.