Russia confirms to quit International Space Station by 2024, blames it on the sanctions
President Vladimir Putin was informed on Tuesday by the newly appointed head of Moscow’s space agency that Russia has made the decision to leave the International Space Station “after 2024.”
The declaration comes amid heightened hostilities between Moscow and the West over Moscow’s military action in Ukraine and several rounds of previously unheard-of sanctions against Russia.
The International Space Station (ISS), which has been in orbit since 1998, has been jointly developed by Russia and the United States.
Yury Borisov, who was named Roscosmos chief in mid-July, said to Putin, “Of course, we will fulfil all our responsibilities to our partners, but the decision to leave this station after 2024 has been made.
Borisov continued, “I think that by this time we will start putting together a Russian orbital station,” describing it as the “primary goal” of the space programme.
Putin responded, “Good,” in remarks made public by the Kremlin.
One of the few areas where cooperation between Russia, the United States, and its allies had not been ruined by tensions over Ukraine and other issues up until now was space exploration.
The space business, according to Borisov, is in a “challenging condition.”
In addition to mentioning navigation, communication, and data transfer, Putin declared that he would work to “raise the bar” and first and foremost give the Russian economy access to essential space services.
One of the Soviet space program’s major achievements and a significant source of national pride in Russia is the launch of the first satellite in 1957 and the sending of the first man into space in 1961.
However, according to experts, the Russian space agency is still only a ghost of what it once was and has experienced a number of setbacks recently, including corruption scandals and the loss of several satellites and other spacecraft.
Dmitry Rogozin, a fiery nationalist politician renowned for his loud outbursts and unorthodox behaviour, has been replaced by Borisov, a former deputy prime minister with a military background.
