NASA will welcome the participation of international partners in solar system exploration after the International Space Station (ISS) retires, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said.
The Russian state news agency TASS reported from Washington that Bethany Stevens, press secretary for the US space agency, said this in response to a question about whether US-Russian cooperation in space will continue after the ISS retires.
She said, “We welcome the interest of international partners in expanding solar system exploration for the benefit of humanity.”
Earlier on Friday, President Donald Trump’s administration released a budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, which calls for preparations to begin in 2030 for the ISS to retire.
A statement on NASA’s website said the agency plans to work with international partners to explore the Moon and Mars.
The ISS has been in orbit around Earth since November 1998. It is a joint project of Russia, Canada, the United States, Japan and the 10 member states of the European Space Agency (ESA) – Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.