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The International Space Station (ISS) is dangerous and unsuitable for its purposes, said the head of Roscosmos Yuriy Borisov, quoted by BTA.  

Moscow has already announced plans to abandon the project and launch its own station into orbit.

According to Borisov, massive equipment damage and outdated parts threaten the safety of the ISS crew, which is 24 years old.

Russian cosmonauts ended their spacewalk because of a spacesuit failure of one of them

The station was among the few areas of cooperation between the US and Russia, even as diplomatic relations soured.

After Russia invaded Ukraine in February of this year

and faced with multiple Western sanctions, the country has become more determined to abandon the project and launch its own space station after 2024. 

"Technically, the ISS has exceeded all its warranty periods. This is dangerous," said Borisov.

"An avalanche process of equipment failure begins, cracks appear."

The head of Roscosmos said that the Russian station will orbit the Earth around the poles, which will allow it to look down on a much larger part of Russia's territory and collect new data on cosmic radiation.

The ISS was launched in 1998, and since November 2000 has operated under a US-Russia-led partnership that also includes Canada, Japan and 11 European countries.

NASA wants the ISS to continue operating until 2030,

Last month, Yuri Borisov unveiled a model of Russia's planned station.

He said today that the facility would be open for cooperation with "friendly countries".

According to him, Western sanctions against the Russian space industry have destroyed the prospects for further cooperation.

He mentioned the European Space Agency's decision to end cooperation with Russia on the ExoMars project, which is supposed to search for life on the Red Planet by the end of the decade.

"A huge effort and colossal funds were spent on this... but politics intervened and what is the result? It shouldn't be like this, it's not right," said Borisov.

Moscow is now looking to China and other "friendly countries" to cooperate with.

Borissov said that Russia is "looking for ways to interact with our closest colleagues, first of all with China," to join efforts to explore the moon and deep space.

Russia

international space station