Russia may sink its ISS segment after 2030 - Roscosmos chief

MOSCOW. Sept 1 (Interfax) - Russia intends to sink its segment of the International Space Station (ISS) separately once it withdraws from the project, Yury Borisov, chief of Russia's Roscosmos state space corporation, said on Friday.

"The Russian segment is likely to be undocked and sunk in the correct manner," Borisov said.

Research could be continued onboard the ISS up to 2030, in coordination with the other project participants, Borisov said. "There are also plans to use it [the ISS] beyond 2030, as well," he said.

Borisov said on June 30 that the ISS would cease to exist in its current form after 2030.

Roscosmos informed its partners on April 25 that Russia's participation in the project would be extended until 2028.

Russia's withdrawal from the ISS project should be synchronized with the deployment of a new Russian space station, whose first phase is set for 2027-2030 and which should be completed by 2032, Borisov said.

Roscosmos deputy head Andrei Yelchaninov said in an interview with Interfax on April 10 that the construction of a Russian space station was estimated at over 600 billion rubles, and a final figure could become available after the completion of the station's design concept.