“It does not mean that the station will be scrapped and dumped into the ocean immediately after 2025. We will simply hand over the responsibility for our segment to the partners.”
Russia is blaming the space station’s age and lack of future functionality, as reasons, it might depart.
The space agencies of Europe, Japan, and Canada have contributed new modules and also provided astronauts for the station.
But it was the U.S. and Russia that formed the first ISS partnership in 1998. Together they launched the ISS. And it is the biggest structure humans ever put into space orbit. It has been occupied without interruption since Nov. 2, 2000. And over 250 visitors from 18 countries have spent time on the ISS.
Russia and China Partnership
Earlier this year, Russia and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding. And they agree to build a base together, which will be located on or orbit the moon. The International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) will be a “comprehensive scientific experiment base built on the lunar surface that can carry out multi-disciplinary and multi-objective scientific research activities including exploration and utilization, lunar-based observation, basic scientific experiment and technical verification, and long-term autonomous operation.”
