INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russia will pull out of the International Space Station after 2024 and focus on building its own orbiting outpost, the country&s new space
chief said Tuesday. Yuri Borisov, appointed this month to lead the state space agency, Roscosmos, said during a meeting with President
Vladimir Putin that Russia will fulfill its obligations to its partners before it leaves, NPR reported.The decision to leave the station
after 2024 has been made,& Borisov said, adding: &I think that by that time we will start forming a Russian orbiting station.NASA and other
international partners hope to keep the space station running until 2030, while the Russians have been reluctant to make commitments beyond
2024.The space station is jointly run by the space agencies of Russia, the United States , Europe, Japan and Canada
The first piece was put in orbit in 1998, and the outpost has been continuously inhabited for nearly 22 years
It is used to conduct scientific research in zero gravity and test out equipment for future space journeys.It typically has a crew of seven,
who spend months at a time aboard the station as it orbits Earth
Three Russians, three Americans and one Italian are now on board.The post Russia says it will quit the International Space Station after
2024 first appeared on Ariana News.
