NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said Friday that the administration of US President Joe Biden has pledged to extend operations of the International Space Station (ISS) through 2030.

Nelson said the Biden administration is committed to working with international partners, including Russia, to continue the research conducted in the orbiting laboratory for the remainder of this decade. Close cooperation between Russia and the United States has existed aboard the International Space Station for more than two decades.

US officials said in November that an anti-satellite missile test by Russia created a field of debris in low Earth orbit, endangering the station and posing a risk to space activities for years.

The station will operate until 2030 if approved by international partners and with funding from the US Congress. Currently, Congress has approved funding through 2024.

Interfax news agency reported in August, citing a senior official of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, that Russia and the United States will continue to work together on the International Space Station after 2024.

“With more nations active in space, it is more important than ever that the United States continues to lead the world in developing international alliances and setting norms and standards for the peaceful and responsible use of space,” Nelson said in a statement. . Published Friday by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Tensions between Russia and the United States were not limited to space issues alone. Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday exchanged warnings about Ukraine, but expressed optimism that diplomatic talks in January could ease escalating tensions.

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