ISS will continue operating past 2015 – source

11 March 2010, 15:39

(Kazan, March 11, Tatar-inform). The participants in the International Space Station (ISS) project have agreed in Tokyo on continuing its operation until 2020, a source close to the negotiations told Interfax on Thursday, reports Interfax.

"The countries involved in the project have spoken in favor of extending the station's work past 2015. The decision will be published officially in the near future, after all technical details are coordinated," he said.

The ISS program participants include Canada, the European Space Agency, Japan, Russia, and the United States.

The building of the ISS in orbit started on November 1998 with the launch of its first module, the Zarya functional cargo block. At the present time, the ISS' Russian segment includes the Zarya, Zvezda, Pirs, and Poisk modules, and the U.S. segment includes the Unity, Destiny, Quest, Harmony, Columbus, Kibo, Tranquility, and Cupola modules.

About $120 billion has been spent on building the station so far.

The station is currently occupied by members of Expedition 22 and Expedition 23 crews, i.e. commander Jeffrey Williams and flight engineers Maxim Surayev, Oleg Kotov, Soichi Noguchi, and Timothy Creamer.
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