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Roscosmos vows to keep ISS on orbit if NASA withdraws from the project

Fourteen countries participate in the ISS project

MOSCOW, March 25. /TASS/. The Roscosmos state corporation will preserve the International Space Station (ISS) on the orbit even if the American side withdraws from the project, Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin told journalists.

"This is Roscosmos’ proposal. We believe that we can keep the station in case the Americans decide to withdraw from this project, through other countries and partners. We have technological and technical capabilities to keep the station on the orbit and fully provide both electric energy and water there," Rogozin said.

Special project on topic

ISS: Iconic Service to Science How the ISS grew to the size of a football field and more in this TASS special project

Roscosmos’ director general explained that the Russian section may add new modules on the basis of the Science-Power Module (SPM), the first version of which will be launched to the station in 2022. "Here the Russian Federation has a unique opportunity. We can duplicate the SPM. Its design makes it possible to turn into home for other states - there can be the SPM-2, SPM-3, SPM-4, they may grow further, extending the international part of the station. We formulated this proposal, and we suggest our new partners doing it," Rogozin said.

Fourteen countries participate in the ISS project: Russia, Canada, the US, Japan and 10 member states of the European Space Agency (Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, France, Switzerland and Sweden). The station’s operation was initially planned to end in 2015-2016. However, the ISS’ operation term was prolonged until 2020 at the meeting of the ISS member states in Paris on November 4, 2014. Then they agreed to run it until at least 2024.

Scientists raise concerns over Fukushima radiation spreading to Kuril waters

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Musk concurs that civil war looming in West

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Russia, Africa united by common vision on global issues — senior diplomat

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Stockmann company to buy Russian business of Hugo Boss — Industry Ministry

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Annual inflation in Russia gearing down to 7.82% over week — Economy Ministry

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Drone crashes in industrial zone in Russian city of Lipetsk

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Ukraine’s EU accession to require 20% increase in union’s budget — European Commissioner

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US waging hybrid war against Serbs to snuff them out for good — Republika Srpska head

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US arms supplies unable to change situation in Kiev's favor — Kremlin

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Radioactive cloud from Ukraine’s eliminated munitions drifts to Europe — Security Council

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Russian tourists flock to North Korea — embassy

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Ukrainian army strikes own surrendering soldiers — POW

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Russian children’s commissioner holds first face-to-face talks with Ukrainian counterparts

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Ukraine exhausted, needs constant money flow from outside — defense official

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Russia vetoes US-backed UNSC resolution on banning nuclear weapons in outer space

The resolution gained 13 votes

Top Russian security official meets with counterparts at international security meeting

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Russian deputy defense minister detained on suspicion of bribe-taking

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Putin informed about detention of Deputy Defense Minister Ivanov

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Radicals, intel services behind terror attacks in various countries, says Putin

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Putin stays in daily contact with Sergey Shoigu, Kremlin spokesman says

Timur Ivanov was arrested by Moscow’s Basmanny Court

Russian diplomat thanks Tajik authorities for help in probe into Crocus terrorist attack

The sides also exchanged views on the progress in the implementation of large-scale tasks set by the heads of the two states and heads of government along the political, trade, economic and migration trajectories, the implementation of projects on the cultural and humanitarian fronts