Russia Says They Plan to Leave International Space Station after 2024

Tass reports that the leaders at the International Space Station have decided to stop working after 2024. All obligations to partners will be fulfilled by that time. Russia wants to build their own space station.

The decision was made during a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the new Director General of Roscosmos. Borisov recently replaced the long-time but controversial Dmitri Rogozin, who after Russia's invasion of Ukraine bristled at US and European opposition to the attack and threatened to drop the International Space Station on the countries who supportedUkraine.

The announcement was not new to NASA. Senior officials from the space agency were asked about the Tass report at the International Space Station Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC) taking place in Washington, DC, on Tuesday morning, and NASA ISS Program Director Robyn Gatens said they've received no official notice that Russia will end its According to Gatens, NASA still plans to keep the space station running.

The astronauts from the International Space Station only heard the news reports when they spoke at the conference.

During the live downlink from the International Space Station, Lindgren said that they hadn't heard anything official. The whole crew is required for the mission that we were trained to perform.

He said, "As a group we continue to work towards success, and that is everybody working together to make sure we're accomplished the science and keeping the crew and the vehicle safe."

Is this announcement a strategic move or a ploy to get attention? Chris Hadfield thinks that Russia is the best chess player in the world.

Russia's announcement is vague, with no details or specific date, just "after 2024." Most partners in the partnership have to give at least one year's written notice about their intent to leave. The Russian Zvesda Service Module is the main source of power and navigation for the International Space Station.

According to Anatoly Zak, a long time reporter on Russian space activity, this announcement is probably just another aspirational statement, rather than anything that's grounded in reality.

The state of the International Space Station left much to be desired, according to Borisov, who was the deputy prime minister. According to Tass, the first module for the new domestic orbital station was supposed to be launched to the International Space Station, but it was aborted due to a lack of funds.

The head of the Russian space agency stated in April that they would have an "overlap period" when the new station would be built because of financial constraints.

The other international partners are considering what to do after the International Space Station retires, but the space station is in good shape, according to the program manager.

Montalbano said that the International Space Station is ready to go to 2030. There is no grass growing on the International Space Station with all the current activity, Montalban stated.

Gatens believes that there should be no gap in having a human presense. Gatens said that they needed to plan for a smooth transition. Keeping our international partners with us is a priority. Commercial space stations are expected to be ready by the end of the decade. The plans to be operational as soon as 2027 are being worked on. We'll purchase services when they're ready.

According to Mike Gold, NASA's former associate administrator for space policy and partnerships, there are opportunities on the space station.

He said that the international partners need to remain focused on continuous presence in the area. The space station has kept the US and Russia on good terms despite several political challenges over the course of its life.