ISS: Russia and US have resumed talks on new joint projects

Russia and the US have resumed talks on new joint projects regarding the International Space Station (ISS).

The statement comes from Oleg Orlov, First Deputy Director of the Institute for Medico-Biological Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Oleg Orlov said this refers to the conduct of joint research and joint use of the equipment installed in the Russian and American modules of the space station.

"Roscosmos (Federal Space Agency) has set a task of intensifying the scientific program being implemented aboard the ISS. We are ready for that."

"Specifically, together with the American partners, we discuss the possibility of consolidating the resources of the Russian and American segments of the ISS to render part of research a joint one.

"Scientists could use the technical resources available on board on our side and on the partners' one. It is possible to speak of more actively drawing the crew into the research program".

Russia's Vice-Premier Dmitry Rogozin stated in mid-May that the Russian Federation after 2020 would channel its resources into new, more promising space projects than the ISS.

Later, he added that Russia did not visualise a commercial sense in participating in the ISS project after 2020 because "this eats up more than one-third of Roscosmos budget".

"We do not pull out (of the ISS program) but it (the Station) was designed to operate until 2020 and until the target year we stick to our international commitments and also get contractual money for the delivery of American and European astronauts," he explained.

"We have great doubts about whether to extend or not to extend (the program) until 2024," Rogozin added.