The United States and Russia had been planning to launch a lunar space station that would be orbiting the Moon. This project was expected to help both companies expand their lunar explorations to a newer level. According to the latest updates, however, the Russian officials are not so sure about the project. It was also reported that Russia may back out from the project. Apparently, Russian administration believes that Russia would have a second fiddle role in the space station, even if it was to be built. These details were revealed by a Russian officer, talking about the future of the lunar mission.
Deep Space Gateway is one of the most anticipated projects in the history of space exploration, especially the exploration of the moon. Originally agreed to be built by the United States and Russia together, this will have acted as the intermediary space for further space travels, to the Moon and beyond. As a part of the agreement, Russia would have worked along with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Now, Russia believes that it’s better to build a lunar station on its own, instead of relying on the United States. RIA reported the news, quoting words from the head of Roscosmos.
“The Russian Federation cannot afford to play the second fiddle role in it,” said the head, when talking about the current condition of the project. It should be noted that Russia has not backed out from the project yet, and that the plans are long-term only. Another spokesperson of Roscosmos said that the plans have not yet been made definite and that the decisions are not complete. It is also worth noting that Roscosmos head has not provided a proper explanation why the country is planning to back out from the lunar project, hinting at the not-so-good terms between Russia and the US.
