US State Department spokesman Ned Price comments on Russia’s decision to withdraw from the International Space Station project following 2024.
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US State Department spokesman Ned Price
Today, Tuesday, US State Department spokesman Ned Price considered that Russia’s decision to leave the International Space Station following 2024 is an unfortunate development that came as a surprise to Washington.
“We have seen a Russian statement that they are planning to leave,” Price told a news briefing International Space Station Beyond 2024, it is an unfortunate development given the important scientific work being done on the International Space Station, and the invaluable professional cooperation our space agencies have enjoyed over the years, especially in light of our renewed agreement on space cooperation.”
Earlier in the day, the head of the Russian “Roskosmos” Space Corporation, Yuri Borisov, announced that Russia would withdraw from the International Space Station project following 2024, and that a Russian national orbital station would be established.
Borisov stressed, at a press conference, that Russia is working within the framework of international cooperation on the International Space Station, and will, of course, fulfill all its obligations to partners, but this means that the decision to leave the station following 2024 “has already been taken.”
“I believe that by this time, we will begin to create our own Russian orbital station,” Borisov added, according to him, it will become the main priority of the “Ros Cosmos” enterprise of manned astronautics.
“The space industry is facing difficult times, as I see my main task, along with my colleagues, is not to reduce but to raise the level, by providing the Russian economy with the necessary space services, primarily navigation, communications, data transmission, meteorology, geodetic information and others,” Borosov continued.
For his part, the CEO of the manned flight company of “Ros Cosmos”, Sergey Krikalev, told the Russian “Interfax” agency, that the company has not yet determined its position on extending the use of the International Space Station for its flights.
And the former head of the “Ros Cosmos” Foundation, Dmitry Rogozin, had said earlier last June that he was ready to resume negotiations on extending the work of the International Space Station, following 2024, only in the event that it was lifted.US sanctions on the Russian space industry.
On April 30, Rogozin said that the Russian government had decided the timing of ending Russian participation in the International Space Station project, and that the partners would be warned a year before the date.
On April 12, Krikalev announced that “Roskosmos” continues to assess the technical condition of the Russian sector of the International Space Station, in order to extend its work, while he said: “Our partners offer travel beyond 2024, and we will continue to assess the technical condition of our sector in the meantime. Present”.
