The International Space Station is at present the only space lab that is working on various aspects of space research. It is a joint venture set up by America, Russia, and a few other countries to gather and correlate knowledge on wide-ranging topics to understand the effects of space on human beings.

Both America and Russia are superpowers and are archrivals on the ground but when it comes to space, they are partners. The unique laboratory, established in 2000, has a life of up to 2030 and would need to be decommissioned. A group of astronauts is always in the ISS and they work by rotation.

Roscosmos is keen to build its own space lab once the ISS retires.

Daily Mail UK says Roscosmos explained that the new version space station would be a stepping-stone to assemble and refuel spacecraft before they are launched into the solar system. In the opinion of Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roscosmos, the platform would be useful to extend the scope of exploring outer space. This is the new frontier that every country wants to conquer. Competition is tough and every country has its plus points that it wants to showcase to the others.

This would be a new generation space station

The plan of Roscosmos envisages the use of new-age technology combined with the latest knowledge base. The long-term vision of Russia is that it would work with other countries on the proposed space station that would serve the dual purpose of a refueling station and assembly point.

Its intention is to have an alternate option to continue space activities even in the absence of the ISS.

Daily Mail UK mentions about plans of Russia.

Its crewed mission to the Moon would probably happen by 2028. NASA would get a head start here because its Moon mission is for 2024. It will see the first woman and the next man on the lunar surface. Moscow, on its part, could send its cosmonauts to Mars. Its heavy-lift rockets are in the development stage. Incidentally, after the end of its space shuttle program in 2011, NASA linked up with Roscosmos to send astronauts to the ISS using the facilities of the Russians. That contract will end once SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, takes over the responsibility.

Russia wants to build a space station of its own

According to Express UK, Russia has its eyes on the future of space-related activities. It is aware of the fact that the lifecycle of the International Space Station is until 2030.

A group of 15 countries oversees the space station. They include the US, Russia, Canada, Japan along with some member states of the European Union and the UK.

This space lab is located nearly 250 miles above Earth and consists of modules built by Russia, America, Japan, and Europe. The fate of the ISS would depend on the joint decision of NASA and its partners. America has plans to convert the US side of the station for commercial use. That would mean developing and attaching a habitable module. Anyway, once the final decision is taken to retire the station, portions of the space lab could be deorbited into the Pacific Ocean. NASA'S Russian counterpart Roscosmos is nursing plans to build its own space station once the ISS becomes obsolete.

The future of the International Space Station

This sky lab has been serving the cause of science since 2000 and no one would like to see such an asset vanish without a trace. In December 2017, it was rumored that the International Space Station could soon get a Russian luxury hotel.

Subsequently, in February 2018, there was news floating around that the International Space Station could go into private hands. Whatever be its fate, it has proved its usefulness, and man is today better equipped to face the challenges of living in alien conditions.
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