The International Space Station (ISS) is expected to stay in operation until at least 2030 after the current U.S.-Russia agreement to use it through 2028 expires, said Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Bakanov on Monday.
In an interview with Russia's RBC TV, Bakanov said that any decision to end the station's operation must be made jointly by Russia and the United States.
"At this stage, the consolidated decision of Roscosmos and NASA is that the station is needed at least until 2028, and most likely, perhaps even until 2030," he said.
Launched in 1998, the ISS weighs about 435 tons and reaches 470 tons when docked with spacecraft. It is a multinational project involving Russia, the United States, Canada, Japan and 10 European Space Agency member states -- Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, France, Sweden and Switzerland.
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