ISS gets new lease on life

The heads of space agencies involved in the ISS program - Russia, Canada, Europe, Japan and the US agreed at a meeting in Tokyo that there are no technical obstacles to extend the ISS operation till 2020, instead of the planned 2015.

The ISS was first manned ten years ago. However, after the 2003 Columbia Disaster many people thought the project would be shut. Due to Russia's   part in the project, the station is still in operation, said the head of Russia's Federal Space Agency Anatoly Perminov:

"Russia is currently the only country capable of performing the mission. This adds to Russia's significance and, of course, responsibility ".

The ISS is, first of all, a research facility, it cannot bring immediate benefit, but its strategic significance can hardly be overestimated, the director-general of the European Space Agency Jean-Jacques Dordain believes.

The first module of the station, Zarya, was launched in 1998 by Russia. Now the international space station is a huge research laboratory of a football-field size. Crews work and live at a 400-km height. On-orbit construction of the International Space Station as a unique international laboratory is almost finished. It is the largest artificial satellite and the example of an efficient international cooperation involving 15 countries. According to the Tokyo meeting participants, the ISS today is the brightest star in the sky both literally and figuratively. The station is expected to remain in operation until at least 2020 or even 2028.