The Russian space agency has unveiled a physical model of what a planned Russian-built space station will look like, suggesting Moscow is serious about abandoning the
International Space Station (ISS) and going it alone.
Russia wants to reduce its dependency on western countries and
forge ahead on its own, or cooperate with countries such as China and Iran, after sanctions were imposed by the west as a result of the invasion of Ukraine.
Roscosmos presented a model of the space station, nicknamed “Ross” by Russian state media, on Monday at a military-industrial exhibition outside Moscow.
Yuri Borisov, whom President Vladimir Putin appointed last month to head Roscosmos, has said Russia will quit the ISS after 2024 and is working to develop its own orbital station.
Launched in 1998, the ISS has been continuously occupied since November 2000 under a US-Russian-led partnership that also includes Canada, Japan and 11 European countries.
Nasa, which wants to keep the ISS operating until 2030, says it has not yet received official confirmation of Russia’s planned withdrawal and had previously understood that Moscow would continue to participate until 2028.