Roscosmos: Vladimir Putin sets date to launch Russia's new space station

Russia's new space system will be in operation by 2027, President Vladimir Putin has said after the Russian space station, Roscosmos, committed to building its own orbital outpost after announcing its departure from the International Space Station (ISS).

After meeting with Russian space industry officials, Putin vowed to progress with Russia's lunar programme even after the nation's failed lunar mission - its first in 47 years.

Speaking during a visit to a rocket corporation in Korolyov, outside Moscow, Putin said: "As the resources of the ISS run out, we need not just one segment, but the entire station to be brought into service, and in 2027, the first segment should be placed in orbit."

He said that Moscow's decision to extend its participation in the ISS to 2028 was a temporary measure, and the development of the station will have to proceed "all in good time" or the Russian programme risked falling behind in terms of the development of manned space flight as the new station had to "consider all advanced achievements of science and technology and have the potential to take on the tasks of the future".

Roscosmos boss Yuri Borisov said Russia must get its station up and running quickly or risk falling behind its rivals - which includes a joint project by the US, European, Canadian, and Japanese space agencies.

He said: "The ISS is getting old and will come to an end sometime around 2030. If we don't start large-scale work on creating a Russian orbital station in 2024, it is quite likely we will lose our capability because of that time gap."

The Russian President remains steadfast in developing a world-leading space agency and is committed to its Moon landing programme despite its failure with the Luna-25 mission earlier this year. He said: "We will of course be working on this. The lunar programme will continue. There are no plans to close it. Mistakes are mistakes. It is a shame for all of us. This is space exploration and everyone understands that. It is an experience that we can use in the future."

The ISS is a symbol of international diplomacy and collaboration since launching in 1998, but Russia said it will leave the space project after being largely cut off from the West following the war in Ukraine. It is one of two space stations in orbit, along with China's Tiangong Space Station.