MOSCOW, July 28. /TASS/. The Russian and US space agencies, Roscosmos and NASA, agree on the need to continue using the International Space Station (ISS) at least until 2028, but the orbital outpost is likely to remain relevant until 2030, Roscosmos chief Dmitry Bakanov said.
In an interview with RBC TV, he pointed out that the decision to terminate the ISS could only be made together by Russia and the United States. "The current consolidated decision by Roscosmos and NASA is that the need for the station will remain at least until 2028, and perhaps even until 2030," Bakanov noted.
In April, the Roscosmos chief said that the two countries’ space agencies had decided to agree on the duration of the ISS mission.
The ISS has been in orbit since November 20, 1998. The station has a mass of roughly 435 tons. With docked spacecraft, the mass can reach 470 tons. Keeping the project going are Russia, Canada, the United States, Japan and ten member states of the European Space Agency (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland).