Russia to quit ISS after 2024 as Kremlin reveals plot to build rival space station
RUSSIA has said it will opt out of being a part of the International Space Station after 2024.
The country's space chief confirmed the move and said Russia will focus on building its own station instead.
Yuri Borisov is the new leader of the state-controlled space corporation Roscosmos.
He said during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Roscosmos will fulfill all its upstanding obligations.
Borisov said: "The decision to leave the station after 2024 has been made".
Russian space officials have previously mentioned a plan to leave the ISS in 2024 but this is the first time it's been officially confirmed by the head of Roscosmos.
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Russia's announcement comes amid rising tensions with the West as the Kremlin continues the war in Ukraine.
Right now, Russian cosmonauts are currently onboard the ISS with European astronauts.
The ISS is actually a combination of two space stations.
One is known as the Russian segment and one is known as the American module.
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Nasa previously condemned the Kremlin and cosmonauts, including Artemyev, for sitting for a politically-charged photo while on the ISS.
Despite the tensions, the US space agency and Roscosmos have a deal that astronauts can still fly on Russian rockets.
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Russian cosmonauts will also be able to travel to the ISS via SpaceX later this year.
The agreement means there should always be at least one American and one Russian on the ISS at any one time.