By Xinhua,
Moscow : The Russian Space Agency Roscosmos is considering a plan to build a new space station as the current one approaches its retirement, officials said.
The new orbital station will not only inherit the role of the International Space Station (ISS) as a base for scientific experiments, but will also serve as a foundation for lunar programmes and space tours, Alexei Krasnov, director of the manned space program at Roscosmos, said.
The first module of the new station could be finished in 2020, Krasnov said.
The plan is still under discussion, and parties concerned will engage in the construction of the new orbital station before they make their final decision to terminate the service of ISS, which is designed to work until 2015, he said.
Russia has proposed extending the tenure of the ISS.
Anatoly Perminov, the head of Roscosmos, said countries involved in the ISS programme will make their decision on the issue by the end of 2009.