Russia Shows Off First Module of Its Upcoming Space Station

We just got our first glimpse of Russia's latest orbital outpost.

Russian Space Station

Russia just showed off its work on the first base module of its space station, scheduled to be launched into orbit some time 2025.

A new video uploaded to Twitter by Dmitry Rogozin, director general of Russia's space agency Roscosmos, shows engineers busily constructing a cylindrical module.

"The first core module of the new Russian orbital station is in the works," Rogozin wrote in a statement obtained by Agence France Presse, adding that he's hoping to have it "ready for launch" in 2025.

https://twitter.com/Rogozin/status/1384407554881695750

Ditching the ISS

Rumors cropped up earlier this week that Russia is considering the move of abandoning the International Space Station in favor of staffing its own orbital research platform.

But Roscosmos stopped short of announcing any official withdrawal.

"We need a technical inspection at the station to avoid any risks in the event of an emergency," deputy prime minister Yury Borisov told Russian state-owned news agency TASS earlier this month, as translated by The Moscow Times. "We will make a decision based on the results and honestly notify our partners."

Borisov noted to TASS that the space station's "condition leaves much to be desired," and that "reports of malfunctions have become more frequent in recent times."

New Buddies

The news comes after Russia announced last month it will partner with China on building a lunar orbital space station called the International Scientific Lunar Station.

The station will be designed with scientific research in mind, including exploration and utilization of the Moon, according to the BBC.

READ MORE: Russia says to launch own space station in 2025 [AFP]

More on Russia's space station: Russia Is Reportedly Abandoning the International Space Station