Russia says to use Int'l Space Station until 2028

VLADIVOSTOK, April 13 (Xinhua) -- The Russian government has decided to extend the operation of its segment on the International Space Station (ISS) until 2028, said Yuri Borisov, head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos on Wednesday.

According to Russia's Interfax News Agency, Borisov made the announcement during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Roscosmos proposed that the Russian government extend the service life on the ISS until 2028 last Thursday.

Roscosmos said that the decision had been reviewed and approved by the corporation's Scientific and Technical Council and the State Commission.

Vladimir Solovyev, the chief designer of manned spacecraft and systems at the Russian rocket-space enterprise RSC Energia, said that Russian experts have carried out a large amount of repair work on the Russian segment of the ISS in the past two years, and the current condition of the station allows it to operate until 2028.

The current agreement on the operation of the ISS will expire in 2024. Russia had previously stated its intention to withdraw from the project after 2024, with no exact date specified.

Borisov said earlier that the exit from the ISS project should be synchronized with the deployment of a new Russian space station.