The use of the International Space Station may be extended to 2030, BTA reported. This was stated at the Mashuk Forum in Pyatigorsk by Roscosmos Executive Director for manned space programs Sergei Krikalev.

"The station is currently in use by 2020, and we have negotiated an extension with our partners until 2024," he said. "The partners are now discussing the possibility of using the ISS by 2028, and possibly by 2030. To this end, it is necessary to confirm the possibility for the structure and systems of the station to function longer."

According to him, the ISS was initially planned to operate for 15 years. He recalled that Russia's Mir station also operated 3 times longer than originally announced.

Krikalev also noted that Roscosmos is considering the possibility of future missions to Mars, but the current journey time to reach the planet renders them impossible, TASS reported.

"In planning future Mars missions, we see that the radiation dose a cosmonaut can receive travelling in the direction of Mars, to one of its satellites or Mars itself is actually unbearable for a human being, considering the current journey time and existing protection equipment," he said.