Russia plans to quit the International Space Station after 2024

Russia announced it will pull out of the International Space Station after 2024 to focus on building its own outpost, the country’s newly appointed space chief announced on Tuesday.

"You know that we are working within the framework of international cooperation at the International Space Station. Undoubtedly, we will fulfill all our obligations to our partners, but the decision to leave the station after 2024 has been made," said Yuri Borisov, head of the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.

“Good,” was Putin’s response to the announcement.

The International Space Station is jointly run by the U.S. Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. Its first piece was put into orbit in 1998. The outpost has now been continuously inhabited for 22 years by crews who spend months at a time orbiting around the Earth some 260 miles away.

The space station has been seen as a post-Cold War symbol of international teamwork in the name of science. However, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, it is one of the last remaining areas of cooperation between the U.S. and the Kremlin.

In February, NASA and its partners said the agency hoped that the international operation could continue running until 2030, after which the station would be deorbited.

NASA officials said they have yet to receive an official announcement from Russia. However, NASA’s administrator, Bill Nelson, said the agency is “committed to the safe operation of the International Space Station through 2030.”

“NASA has not been made aware of decisions from any of the partners, though we are continuing to build future capabilities to assure our major presence in low-Earth orbit," he added.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said that Russia’s decision was “an unfortunate development” because of the “valuable professional collaboration our pace agencies have had over the years.”

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby added that the U.S. is “exploring options to mitigate any potential impacts on the I.S.S. beyond 2024 if, in fact, Russia withdraws.”

This is not the first time that Russia has tried to leave the space outpost after tensions increased with the U.S. and Europe over Ukraine. Borisov’s predecessor, Dmitry Rogozin, repeatedly said Russia would leave the operation before he was ousted earlier this month.