Extension of ISS operation period to 2020

Leaders of space research agencies belonging to the participants of the "International Space Station" (ISS) program including Russia, USA, Canada, Europe and Japan agreed to extend the operation time of the ISS to in 2020.

The website of the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos on March 11 announced the above agreement, and said that according to the initial agreement, ISS will operate on orbit near Earth until 2015.

However, due to the lack of technical difficulties in extending the operating time of ISS along with the benefits of scientific and technological research on this station, the parties agreed with the new agreement.

The ISS participants all affirmed that the results of scientific and technological research on this station are very useful for coordinated international experiments and for the whole human race in general./.