Russian space chief: no date yet for space station pullout

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — The head of Russia’s space agency says the country has not set a date for pulling out of the International Space Station and that the timing would depend on the orbiting outpost’s condition. Roscosmos chief Yuri Borisov told President Vladimir Putin this week that a decision was made for Russia to leave the station after 2024 and to focus on building its own orbiting station. Speaking Friday in televised remarks, Borisov said Russia will start the process of leaving the station after 2024 but the exact timing would “depend on the International Space Station’s condition.” He also insisted his agency’s decision wasn’t related to politics.