--- title: "Russian Space Program Confirms Plans to Destroy Space Station" description: "Russia's space program has thrown its weight behind NASA's plans to destroy the International Space Station starting in 2030." date: "2024-12-19" modified: "2024-12-19" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/russian-space-program-destroy-space-station-2030" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "international space station" - "Roscosmos" - "Russia" - "the digest" --- # Russian Space Program Confirms Plans to Destroy Space Station ![Russia's space program has thrown its weight behind NASA's plans to destroy the International Space Station starting in 2030.]() *\Image: Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images\* ## Commitment Phobia Russia's space program has thrown its weight behind NASA's plans to [destroy the International Space Station]() starting in 2030. As [*Ars Technica* reports](), it's a change of tune for the country's space program. Its head, Yuri Borisov, who has been leading Roscosmos since 2022, has repeatedly changed his mind on whether Russia would be committed to supporting operations onboard the aging orbital outpost — or simply [abandon it](), as his outspoken predecessor Dmitry Rogozin has threatened in the past. In 2022, roughly five months after Russia invaded Ukraine, Borisov [said]() that "the decision to leave the station after 2024 has been made." Then in 2023, he [agreed to continue]() Russia's participation until at least 2028. Now, in a televised [interview]() with Russian broadcaster *RBC TV*, Borisov announced that in "coordination with our American colleagues, we plan to de-orbit the station sometime around the beginning of 2030," as quoted by *Ars*. "The final scenario will probably be specified after the transition to a new NASA administration," he added. ## Scared Investors NASA has long planned to deorbit the massive station beginning in 2030. In June, the agency hired SpaceX to develop a "[US Deorbit Vehicle]()" to pull the ISS out of its orbit and have it burn up during reentry. During the interview, Borisov [reiterated]() that his agency sees the ISS, which has [suffered plenty of leaks and cracks](), as not worth maintaining. "Today our cosmonauts have to spend more time repairing equipment and less and less time conducting experiments," he said. Indeed, Russian crew members have been hard at work identifying several leaks located in the country's segment of the space station. Other notable equipment failures include two coolant leaks [affecting a Soyuz spacecraft]() in late 2022 and a [Progress cargo spacecraft]() in early 2023. Borisov also said that the process of subsidizing a private space industry "has only just begun with us." "This is a very risky business for potential investors," he added. It's a surprisingly level-headed media appearance for the head of Roscosmos. Borisov's predecessor, Dmitry Rogozin, garnered a reputation for making deranged and at times baffling comments. In 2022, days into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Rogozin went as far as to [threaten the West]() with dropping the ISS on the United States. During this new interview, Borisov only hinted at the possibility that Russia's war may have depleted its available resources and put a dent in its efforts to [launch its own space station](). "Right now, the dynamic growth of private space is being influenced by the general economic situation, high inflation and interest rates, which leads to expensive money for private investors," he told *RBC TV*. "We can hope that this will be a temporary period and more favorable times will come soon." Borisov also "guaranteed" that Russia would launch a competitor to SpaceX's Starlink as soon as 2030 — but a super heavy launch platform would be a far more "expensive undertaking" that's still many years out, he said. **More on Borisov:** *[Russia Says the International Space Station Is a Dangerous, Decrepit Mess]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()